If the first 42 Presidents had tweeted…

If the first 42 Presidents had tweeted… was originally posted to the ChatterBachs blog.

With it being Presidents’ Day weekend, I found myself thinking about famous Presidential quotes. In reviewing many of these quotes, I was struck by their brevity and power. Sometimes insightful, at other times irreverent or self-deprecating, we call them quotes. For the era of radio and television, they have been used as sound bites. Today, they might simply appear as tweets. Below you will find a selection of some of my favorite Presidential quotes followed by the number of characters these “tweets” would represent. Another thing struck me… many of their messages- from the Founding Fathers to the more recent Presidents- still resonate today.

“To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace.” (78 characters)- George Washington

“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” (120 characters)- John Adams

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent.” (87 characters)- Thomas Jefferson

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary.” (53 characters)- James Madison

“One man with courage makes a majority.” (38 characters)- Andrew Jackson

“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.” (98 characters)- Abraham Lincoln

“Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” (52 characters)- Theodore Roosevelt

“America lives in the heart of every man everywhere who wishes to find a region where he will be free to work out his destiny as he chooses.” (139 characters)- Woodrow Wilson

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” (46 characters)- Franklin D. Roosevelt

“And so my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” (107 characters)- John F. Kennedy

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” (35 characters)- Ronald Reagan

I limited myself to one-fourth of the U.S. Presidents and at that only one quote per President. The one that was too long to use was the first sentence of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.” (175 characters). It should be noted that Andrew Jackson and Ronald Reagan get my Brevity Award (38 and 35 characters respectively for their quotes) while Woodrow Wilson just made it in with his powerful 139-character quote on the concept of America. And on this Presidents’ Day weekend, it is President Wilson’s message that is louder than ever as it reverberates around the world (without even having to be retweeted).

What are your favorite Presidential quotes? How would they fare with a 140-character limit?

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9 Comments

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Stephen Peteritas

Haha I like Wilson’s best but then again I’m always pushing my characters on twitter so I respect anyone bumping against that 140 limit.

Christine Halvorson

Yes, but the Gettysburg Address opening can easily be shortened, without losing its great meaning and perhaps improving it, just a little and with characters to spare: 😉

4 score & 7 years ago our fathers brought forth a new nation, conceived in liberty & dedicated to the idea that all people are created equal. (115 characters)

Jay S. Daughtry, ChatterBachs

Thanks, All, for adding your comments and links. So, Stephen, I’m glad that you’ve found a kindred spirit in Woodrow Wilson… I guess you could do worse than the last Virginian to be President! Thank you, Tabitha; I, too, would love to know this! I really like what you’ve done here, Christine; I’m convinced! Thanks, Michael; I avoided the ones that made the Presidents look less than favorable. Although, ones like the quote you have suggested were also added by others as comments on my ChatterBachs blog site! Barb, I will check out the Gettysburg Address via .ppt link. Thanks!

Andrew Krzmarzick

Imagine President Reagan actually tweeting at Russia: “President @mgorbachev – Tear down that wall.”

It gets RT’d by thousands upon thousands of people…who amass at the same place where Reagan stood…and instead of Reagan being the symbol of that moment, it is the people.

Could a President today, with a well-placed tweet, wield that kind of power using a simple idea?

Beverly Speer

“All contributions by corporations to any political committee or for any political purpose should be forbidden by law.” – Theodore Roosevelt

Michael Stevens

Awesome. What about the hashtags? That is where you may see some insight into president humor…

#cherrytree

#foundingfather

#independence

#logcabin

#coldwar