Jackson

After Trump suggested that he was a president like Andrew Jackson, I decided to check out what he meant and just finished reading a book about Jackson's life and there are both differences and similarities between the two presidents. Jackson was a part time Indian fighter, part time soldier, part time backwoodsman and only held political office for a few years and resigned before his term was up saying he didn't like politics. He was unhappy with the way elites in the northeast composed of Ivy Harvard grads and big businessmen where running the country. He appealed to what were called the common people and was twice elected and helped to elect his vice president after he left office. He often used phrases the were considered inappropriate and by some vulgar. He did not fit in or in today's vocabulary he was undpresidential. His followers stayed with him even through one controversy followed by another through his entire career. His cabinet members did not think he could win a second term so they were infighting to get into a position to replace him. This caused him to look for guidance outside and his new advisers became known as the kitchen cabinet. When questioned about the cabinet shakeups he responded by saying: "There has been a great noise made about removals....it is rotation in office the will perpetuate our liberty". Jackson took office with great expectations to cleanse government of corruption and restore the nation’s finances. Washington’s elite feared that Jackson would fire everyone that held government positions, even the competent, and replace them with his own people. During his time which became known as the Jacksonian era he founded the democratic party and became known as the president of the common man.