President William Howard Taft: 1908 The Next Administration inAI

[@jimdrake-writer]

The most famous of the Taft family of national politicians (his son Robert A. Taft was Senate Majority Leader and a presidential candidate), radio and television magnates, and prominent attorneys, William Howard Taft was Theodore Roosevelt's closest friend. The two exchanged 400+ letters before they had a falling-out in 1912, when Roosevelt formed a third party after Taft won the Republican nomination. When by chance they happened to be staying at the same hotel resort during World War One, and Roosevelt heard that Taft was sitting alone in a dining room, he rushed to embrace him as Taft stood up and greeted him with open arms. They resumed their once close relationship and found the bond between them just as strong as it had been when they were two young men entering public life at the urging of their wealthy progressive fathers. As this recording confirms, Taft did not have Roosevelt's dynamic oratorical style, yet his speeches were models of clarity.

[@seanmaher3518]

You can go back as far as Benjamin Harrison/Grover Cleveland, their voices were recorded

[@RobertFells]

Yes, but the issue is audio quality. Even with the sophisticated audio software I use today, many early discs and especially cylinders are unlistenable. Only when we get into the 1910s, and especially to 1916 and thereafter, does the technology of that day - assuming the source material is in good condition, do we have useable material.

[@seanmaher3518]

@@RobertFells so can’t even do McKinley?

[@RobertFells]

I've heard a very good sounding McKinley recording made in 1901 shortly before his death. But checking on this now I find that the speaker was not the President but an actor speaking the words from his speech.