Was Herbert Hoover America’s Most Misunderstood President?
Summary
David Frum opens by analyzing the DOJ’s dropped charges against David Hearn, arguing that political stability requires "tit-for-tat" consequences for rule-breaking. He then interviews Margaret Hoover, great-granddaughter of President Herbert Hoover, about restoring his presidential library. They discuss Hoover’s humanitarian innovations, his role in standardizing industry, and the historical context of the Great Depression, contrasting his legacy with Donald Trump’s attempt to privatize presidential records.
Topics discussed
Introduction: How to Touch Grass and Galaxy Brain promos
Galaxy Brain podcast promotion
David Hearn indictment and DOJ accountability
Prisoner's Dilemma and Tit for Tat strategy
Political norms and future consequences of rule-breaking
Show break announcement and Charlie Warzel segment intro
Introduction of Margaret Hoover and her background
History of the presidential library system
Hoover's belief in public ownership of presidential papers
Herbert Hoover's early life and education
Hoover's career in mining and global travel
Hoover's observation of political ideologies in Europe
Belgian and Russian famine relief efforts
Myths about US aid to Bolshevik Russia
Hoover's role in the Commerce Department and industry standardization
Response to the 1927 Mississippi River flood
The Hoover Institution's archival collections
Hoover's long post-presidency and relationship with Kennedys
Renovation of the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library
Margaret Hoover's passion for correcting Hoover's legacy
Hoover's presidency and the onset of the Great Depression
Economic theories and the failure of the New Deal to end the Depression
Counterfactual: What if Hoover had modern economic knowledge?
Hoover's withdrawal from public communications during the Depression
Gold standard, tariffs, and the Smoot-Hawley Act
The Hoover Commission and administrative accountability
Closing remarks and thanks to Margaret Hoover
Book review: The Spy Who Came In From the Cold
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