Fdr fireside chats one12/30/2023 Thousands of citizens once again streamed through doors (and windows) to nosh and talk – and leave behind slippery carpets and odors that lingered for months.ĬNN hosts Trump town hall: Blaming CNN for hosting a Trump town hall gives Republicans a passĭo we really want Biden vs. In the final weeks of the Jackson presidency, a 1,400-pound block of cheese was hauled into the White House’s main foyer for an open house. (To lure the revelers back outside, tubs of whiskey punch were set out on the White House lawn.) When Andrew Jackson opened the doors even wider at his inauguration, dignitaries and citizens alike flooded into the White House, standing on upholstered furniture and spilling food and punch bowls, breaking crystal and grinding food into the carpet. For more than a century after, Americans lined up in the January cold to greet their president at the White House. Thomas Jefferson was the first president to shake hands with guests instead of bowing – which could become brutal, as numerous presidents learned after hours of handshaking left their hands pulped. (John Tyler was so bruised after one session that he could not hold a spoon for days.) Andrew Jackson made the White House an open house President Washington also began a tradition of New Year’s Day open-door receptions. The toughest audience of the year: How the White House Correspondents' Association dinner became a political, social showcaseĪmerica's pastime is White House staple: President Bush's first pitch, FDR's Opening Day record: Baseball plays major role in US history The White House is a bubble, insulating presidents behind layers of security, scheduling and staff. But our chief executives have always struggled to stay connected to citizens in a meaningful way – even as a growing nation has made leaders more remote, and technology and our changing culture have demanded a more personal presidency.įor George Washington, staying connected meant riding 1,700 miles on horseback and in carriages to visit every state of the new nation – attending his share of balls, receptions and banquets, to be sure, but also spending time with citizens in taverns, on front porches, and in dining rooms. And when he wasn’t out traveling, late afternoons were sometimes set aside for meetings with public callers, and evenings for dinner parties with invited guests.
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