Herman Cain, among his many insane ramblings over the past few days, apparently suggested that his face should be on Mt. Rushmore. Well, fair enough. (Though, having visited the monument last summer, I have to admit that I found it more affecting than I expected. I mean, it’s very big. And by the way, Lincoln but no FDR, amiright? No, seriously, there was something about the scale of the president’s faces, the setting in which they’re carved, and the history of dispossession surrounding the place that left me feeling a bit overwhelmed by the power of the state to shape the landscape of American memory.)
Anyway, Michelle Bachmann picked up the ball and ran with it. To her credit, she didn’t suggest that she should join Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt (Teddy — aka, “The Real Man’s Roosevelt”), and Lincoln. Her pick? James Garfield. Wait, what? Garfield? My colleague, Kathy Olmsted, replied to this news by asking, “Is that the only president she could think of?” Yes, apparently so. And while I don’t think this disqualifies Ms. Bachmann from the presidency, it should disqualify her from tenure in one of the better history departments near you. Which is to say, don’t worry, Newt! You’re still the only serious scholar in the Republican field!
UPDATE: post updated with more Ericness.
The Edge of the American West 
13 comments
November 9, 2011 at 1:28 pm
Profess Moravec (@ProfessMoravec)
seriously? when garfield comes up on Aliens v Presidents, I’m always at a loss.
November 9, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Dr J
“Calvin Coolidge … really was a taking care of business kind of guy.”
Well, she got that part right.
November 9, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Robert Burns
The Presidents of Mount Rushmore were chosen for those who, in the first 150 years, did most to establish, preserve and extend the Republic. I suppose there may have been a case for Polk maybe Jackson. Who, since Roosevelt, besides Roosevelt, would qualify?
November 9, 2011 at 2:31 pm
silbey
Bringing two great Americans together:
http://www.garfieldasgarfield.com/
November 9, 2011 at 2:57 pm
nick
Is ABC really intimating that Roosevelt was a founding father? I knew that sumbitch was tough but I didn’t think he was THAT tough.
November 9, 2011 at 4:22 pm
kathy a.
i still keep feeling stunned when i hear that newt and/or michelle is still technically in the race. probably several others, too. the clown car. don’t let it win next year.
November 9, 2011 at 4:29 pm
kathy a.
also, this was a trick question, and the clown car had answers. i mean…. they are not gracious enough to say many worthies have served, nor do they remember that there isn’t enough money [in their worldview] to take care of education, elders, the impoverished, or infrastructure.
November 10, 2011 at 1:31 pm
Mr Punch
Mount Rushmore was completed during FDR’s tenure but work began in 1927, and it was of course planned before that. TR was recently dead (1919) and had a strong association with the Dakotas. There’s no mystery about why TR is there and FDR isn’t.
Garfield could reportedly take dictation in English and write it down in Latin with one hand and Greek with the other. I’m betting none of the current GOP candidates can do that.
November 10, 2011 at 3:26 pm
heydave
I think she meant the cat.
November 10, 2011 at 10:59 pm
davenoon
I hear Garfield had, like, thirty goddamn dicks.
November 10, 2011 at 11:04 pm
ari
See, that would be really hard on the sculptor.
November 11, 2011 at 4:52 am
Malaclypse
See, that would be really hard on the sculptor.
On Lucretia as well, presumably.
November 11, 2011 at 5:38 am
rea
Garfield was sure worse than useless to Rosecrans at Chickamauga.