Two possible familial scenarios for the White House in 2016
Hillary Clinton looks very likely to be the Democratic candidate in the US Presidential election of 2016. If she runs and wins (and I hope she does on both counts), then the recent occupancy of the White House will look like this: Bush-Clinton-Bush-Obama-Clinton.
There is serious discussion about the possibility of Jeb Bush seeking the Republican candidacy for the next American Presidential election [see article here]. If he runs and wins, then the recent occupancy of the White House will look like this: Bush-Clinton-Bush-Obama-Bush.
If either possible scenario comes to pass, then just two families would divide the White House between them for a combined total of at least 24 out of 32 years and a possible 28 out of 36 years. This is the country which declared its independence from Britain partly because it did not want to be ruled by an aristocracy.
November 17th, 2014 at 2:00 am
Hi Roger,
You write that one reason the US declared its independence from Britain partly because it did not want to be ruled by an aristocracy. I’m not sure this is altogether true.
When the US was created, only landowners were allowed to vote. Perhaps they declared that they were against an aristocracy, but in reality many families were imbued with the character of aristocrats. In many states, prominent families developed into political dynasties, holding office at either the federal, state, or local level. Just look at the Kennedy family with a President, 3 brothers who served as Senators (JFK, Bobby, Teddy), and several children and nephews have served in Congress.
Also the Udall family in the West have been represented by Senators from both Colorado and New Mexico in recent years, as well as also having office holders in Arizona, Oregon, and California. Huey Long of Louisiana was a Senator, as were his widow and his son. One could argue that such dynastic families are part of an aristocracy. The Clinton’s would be unusual in that Bill was raised by a single mother, and Hillary’s family, while comfortably middle class, was not politically prominent.
Several presidents were related:
John Adams was the father of John Quincy Adams.
James Madison and Zachary Taylor were second cousins.
William Henry Harrison was the grandfather of Benjamin Harrison.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a cousin of Theodore Roosevelt.
George W. Bush is the son of George H.W. Bush, who in turn was the son of a Senator.
November 17th, 2014 at 9:57 am
Thanks for the fascinating information, David.
Do you think that this phenomenon – which is much more pronounced than in British politics – is simply a question of name recognition in a large country.
Or does it reflect the influence of money in American politics with certain families having the wealth necessary to back members of the family especially in primary races?