Notable Point · 6:11-7:11

Roosevelt's wheelchair and the image of political leadership

Roosevelt's use of a wheelchair prompts a discussion of the physical image voters expect from national leaders.

Notes

Roosevelt's use of a wheelchair prompts a question about the physical image voters expect from national leaders. The question concerns perceptions of leadership and leaves the hypothetical response of a modern electorate open. The personal assessment here credits Roosevelt's leadership while objecting to his treatment of others over Pearl Harbor. That criticism concerns an alleged transfer of blame after a failed risk, rather than his disability.