Franklin Delano Roosevelt is one of our country"s best known and most beloved presidents. He is commonly remembered for taking a tired, beaten, nation and instilling hope in it. This positive view of Roosevelt is held by Burns, who paints the picture of a man whose goal was to alleviate our nation"s economic pains. But, is this view too myopic? Is Roosevelt deserving of such a godly reputation? These questions are posed by Conkin as he points out the discrimination that underlies many New Deal programs, and even suggests that many of Roosevelt"s actions were for purely political motives. During...

I think Conkin"s argument is much more concrete than Burns". While Burns focuses on high figurative language to praise Roosevelt, Conkin gives the reader concrete examples that serve to cast doubt on this demi-god image of the former president. What must be understood is that Conkin does not go as far as to denounce Roosevelt as a leader, he merely makes us look at some of the short comings of "the New Deal President." To quote Conkin, the man who in my opinion said it best, "To call Roosevelt a dictator is as meaningless as calling him a demigod."