President Taft Was America's First "Biggest Loser"

It's fairly well known that William Howard Taft was America's heaviest president. Weighing in at over 300 lbs at the beginning of his term in 1909, he famously became stuck in the White House bathtub and had to have a larger one installed. It was 7 feet long, nearly 3.5 feet wide and could fit four "average" sized men:

While he was a fellow of "generous proportions" since his youth, his bad habits contributed to his size -- he loved food -- and life in the White House wasn't exactly conducive to a strict dietary regimen. While his wife and aides encouraged him to refrain from eating between meals, he was prone to slip. A former White House official recalled a trip by rail: upon hearing that no dining car accompanied the train, he blurted, "I am President of the United States, and I want a diner attached to this train at Harrisburg. I want it well stocked with with food, including filet mignon." It's no surprise that Taft steadily gained weight over the duration of his term, reaching about 340 by the end of his presidency in 1913, a fact that made him the object of mockery. For instance, Supreme Court Justice Brewer one joked, "Taft is the politest man in Washington; the other day he gave up his seat in a street-car to three ladies." However, the good natured Taft often responded with humor : 

One day I was in the President's private room ... when [good-natured Senator] Chauncey Depew came in. ... After we had talked serious matters for a few minutes and were about to depart, Mr. Depew stepped up to Taft and, taking liberties that I never would have thought of taking with a president, said to him, putting his hand on Mr. Taft's big frontal development: "What are you going to call it when it comes, Mr. President?" It was just about that time when Mr. Taft was beginning to have some difficulty with Theodore Roosevelt, and he quickly responded: "Well, if it's a boy, I'll call it William; if it's a girl, I'll call it Theodora; but if it turns out to be just wind, I'll call it Chauncey." (Ross, Ishbel. An American Family: The Tafts 1678 to 1964. Cleveland, OH: World Publishing Co., 1964.)

Since obesity has become a nationwide epidemic and obesity-related illness now rivals smoking as the leading cause of death, it's a wonder that few focus on Taft's remarkable weightloss in the years following his exit from the White House -- in fact, it made headlines at the time: between March and December of 1913 and he lost 70 pounds from dieting. Afterwards, he remarked, "I can truthfully say I never felt any younger in all my life. Too much flesh is bad for any man. It affects a man both physically and mentally."

The trick? He stopped consuming bread, potatoes, meat, some fish, wine and liquor. In fact, this 100-year old low-carb strategy resembles the more modern dietary regimens like Atkins and South Beach. His discipline would certainly have made Michelle Obama proud, considering her weight loss advocacy -- maybe former President Taft should be used as a mascot in the first lady's campaign? 

FDR's Cigarette Dispenser

After he became paralyzed from the waist down, Franklin Roosevelt took residence in Warm Springs Georgia where he tried to reverse the debilitating effects of polio. While there, he designed a mechanical system of levers and pulleys to be installed into his Ford, allowing him to drive the car without the use of his legs. The vehicle functioned well, allowing FDR to drive again -- a pass-time he enjoyed thoroughly, despite a history of being quite hazardous on the road. Knobs on the dash allowed him to accelerate and brake, but an additional device allowed him to enjoy his other favorite pass-time: smoking cigarettes. 

The device next to FDR's steering wheel in the pictures below actually dispensed pre-lit cigarettes -- no need to fumble for matches or a lighter: 

1988 Presidential Debate: The "Kitty Dukakis" Question

Democratic Presidential Candidate Michael Dukakis famously stumbled when asked a very personal question about his wife, Kitty Dukakis, during the second 1988 Presidential Debate. Challenging the governor on his opposition to the death penalty, Bernard "Bernie" Shaw asked, "if Kitty Dukakis were raped and murdered, would you favor an irrevocable death penalty for the killer?" Dukakis' unemotional reply didn't seem to acknowledge the gravity of the question and thus the "Kitty Dukakis" question went down in history as a campaign blunder. In this video, The Daily Caller's Tucker Carlson tells the story and former candidate Michael Dukakis explains why he reacted as he did.

Huh? LBJ & The Great Society Comic Book

Below is a bizarre 1966 pro-LBJ comic book that glamorizes his concept of the "great society". Portraying the president as "Super-LBJ," a superhero who fights off Khrushchev, the KKK and the political establishment, it appears to be a rip-off of Superman, Batman and other popular comic characters of the era. The story also includes Robert and Teddy Kennedy, Fidel Castro, Hubert Humphrey, Ladybird Johnson, Richard Nixon and several other political icons of the 1960's. 

 

The question is: why? Not only is this cheesy piece of political history embarrassing, but who was it supposed to appeal to? Teenagers don't vote. And if anyone can tell me why RFK is dressed up as what appears to be a teddy-bear, please let me know. 

Click the below thumbnails to view the full size images: