| This is a non- starter, or one would have to invalidate every president who was affluent, had family connections, or benefited by having a mentor with wealth and connections, beginning with George Washington. Jefferson was rich, Adams was upper middle class, the second Adams benefited by being his son, for example. More recently, Teddy Roosevelt came from a wealthy, prominent New York family, and his cousin Franklin was richer. Franklin was a mediocre student, by the way, and went to Groton and Harvard largely on the strength of family connections. Harry Truman never went to college, and benefited by his association with the Pendergast machine in Kansas City. Jack Kennedy was an uneven student, and had Ted Sorenson ghost write Profiles in Courage. Lyndon Johnson acquired wealth through various shady deals, stole elections, and was a protege of Sam Rayburn. Nixon is, interestingly enough, one of the best students and most "bootstrapping" types among presidents. Even Carter, though a good student, came from a relatively affluent background. Reagan was, in fact, an honors student in high school and college, and one of the few self- made men among presidents...... |
