John Nance Garner

John Nance "Cactus Jack" Garner (November 22, 1868–November 7, 1967) was a Representative from Texas and the thirty-second Vice President of the United States. Garner lived longer then any other Vice President (or president) to date.

Table of contents

1 Vice Presidency
2 Switching of alliances
3 Views

3.1 Success in politics
3.2 Other areas

Vice Presidency

Garner was born near Detroit, Red River County, Texas. He studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1890, and commenced practice in Uvalde, Uvalde County, Texas. He was a judge of Uvalde County from 1893 to 1896 and a member of the state House of Representatives from 1898 to 1902. He was elected as a Democrat to the Fifty-eighth and to the fourteen succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1903-March 3, 1933), and served as minority floor leader and as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He was reelected to the Seventy-third Congress on November 8, 1932, and on the same day was elected Vice President on the ticket headed by Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He was reelected Vice President in 1936 and served in that office from March 4, 1933 to January 20, 1941.

Switching of alliances

Garner switched allegiances, however, and opposed Roosevelt's bid for a third term. Garner, along with the majority of Southern Democrats, was essentially a conservative, and was outraged by Roosevelt's continuing liberal policies and imperious manner. An equally important consideration was Garner's close ties to business interests, and the widespread hatred of unions and "socialism" in the South. Interestingly, Garner's campaign chairman was Sam Rayburn, the staunchly liberal Speaker of the House. In 1940 Garner ran against Roosevelt for the Democratic nomination but was defeated. Garner, always the character, once described the office of the vice presidency as being "not worth a bucket of warm piss" (at the time reported sans the bowdlerization "spit") and that his decision to take it in the first place was "the worst damn fool mistake I ever made."

Views

Success in politics

Garner felt that the way to get ahead was to get elected, stay there, and gain influence through seniority.

Garner felt that keeping one's mouth shut, whiskey drinking, poker playing, and understanding the legislative process were useful skills.

Other areas

Garner opposed deficit spending.
Garner distrusted Wall Street.
Garner differed with Roosevelt over sit down strikes which he felt violated rights of property owners.
Garner was a Democratic conservative who opposed more liberal aspects of the New Deal as "plain damn foolishness"
Garner opposed the Court packing plan of 1937.
Garner had a falling out with Roosevelt and opposed most of his proposals during his last two years in office.

On Garner's 95th birthday (November 22, 1963), he spoke to President John F. Kennedy over the telephone in regards to the upcoming 1964 Presidential campaign. He vowed to support Kennedy's bid as long as he himself was alive; ironically, Kennedy was assassinated later that day.

Garner State Park, located 30 miles north of Uvalde, was named in his honor.

Preceded by:
Charles Curtis Vice President of the United States
1933-1941 Succeeded by:
Henry A. Wallace