Accidental Presidents: Death, Assassination, Resignation, and Democratic Succession (The Evolving American Presidency)

Accidental presidents, those who assume office as a result of death, assassination or resignation, struggle to establish their legitimacy. This book examines and evaluates the strategies of nine accidental presidents, from John Tyler to Gerald Ford, to demonstrate authority and their capacity to govern. Front Matter....Pages i-ix Succession and Democratic Theory....Pages 1-19 Front Matter....Pages 21-21 John Tyler “I can never consent to being dictated to”....Pages 23-37 Millard Fillmore “God save us from Whig Vice Presidents”....Pages 39-55 Andrew Johnson “I care not about my dignity”....Pages 57-72 Theodore Roosevelt “There’s only one life between that madman and the presidency”....Pages 73-90 Front Matter....Pages 91-91 Chester A. Arthur “He isn’t Chet anymore, he’s the president”....Pages 93-108 Harry S. Truman “I felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me”....Pages 109-129 Lyndon Baines Johnson “For millions of Americans I was still illegitimate, a naked man with no presidential covering, a pretender to the throne, an illegal usurper”....Pages 131-152 Front Matter....Pages 153-153 Calvin Coolidge “I thought I could swing it”....Pages 155-170 Gerald Ford “I am acutely aware that you have not elected me as your President”....Pages 171-190 Conclusion: Refounding Succession....Pages 191-206 Back Matter....Pages 207-233