Favorable or Unfavorable #304: Eugene Foss

[vcczar]

Eugene Foss of MA is one of a few politicians that are so ideologically unpredictable as to be almost untrustworthy. These kind of politicians often have me questioning their mental stability. They seem almost too impressionable or perhaps too reactionary to the present. 

Foss begins as a rare progressive Republican in New England, which during this time was often conservative or at least a liberlish establishment. The progressive were generally in the midwest and west, although sometimes in PA and NY. Foss lost so often as a Progressive Republican that he joined the Democrats, who in the East were left of the Republicans. As a rule, the GOP was left of the Dems in the South, while in the Northeast it was generally the other way. As governor, he starts out as progressive, but then starts opposing the labor movements and labor unions, who are basically one of the strongest backers of the Democrats in the Northeast. That he was a Coolidge Democrat in 1925 is kind of funny. Coolidge is so antithetical to Democrats--more so than any GOPer of the time, that the label is ridiculous. 

Foss really has no terrible actions. He seems to have been an adequate governor but he had a real difficult time selling himself because he seemed to never know what he really was. It seems like he won like 1 election and lost like 10. 

His actions:

Foss, Eugene	1909	Switches to Dem after many failed campaigns as a progressive Republican
Foss, Eugene	1911	As Gov of MA, attempt to force Sen Lodge out of US Sen seat for a progressive or Democrat fails
Foss, Eugene	1912	Dem pres cand
Foss, Eugene	1913	More or less evicted as Democrat for anti-labor policies as Gov of MA; becomes independent
Foss, Eugene	1925	Rejoins Democrats as a "Coolidge-Democrat" to run for US Congress but is defeated in a lanslide