Warren G. Harding was America’s 29th President serving from 1921 until his death in 1923. We hate to be the bearer of bad news to all his namesakes out there, but Harding is widely considered one of the worst U.S. Presidents in history. Why? Well, we’ll tell you. Warren Harding began his life in Ohio where he became a self-made publisher and rose quickly in state politics (mainly because he was quite content to let the “machine bosses†rule the roost). A conservative Republican, a ceremonial politician, a strong orator, good-natured, and a man with small-town appeal, it’s no wonder that fellow Republicans looked to nominate him on their 1920 presidential ticket. Ironically, Harding won by a landslide (60% of the popular vote) thanks to his well-orchestrated “Return to Normalcy†slogan which resonated well with Americans at the time. He rewarded his supporters (known as “the Ohio gangâ€) with prominent positions in his administration. He did, however, appoint some good, capable men, such as Herbert Hoover as Secretary of Commerce. The problem with Harding is that he wouldn’t take a stand. He didn’t want to risk making enemies and so he turned the other cheek on his cheating, dishonest “friendsâ€. Harding was a pro-business President but knew little about foreign policy; his Secretaries of the Treasury, State and Commerce essentially ran the show. Harding was no visionary. In the end, he died quietly in his sleep in San Francisco while on a political tour of the west. Good thing for him, too. His administration was about to be called out for its far-reaching corruption.
