History is in the making as candidates duke their way to the finish line of the 2008 presidential elections and although all three contenders have the potential of setting some ground breaking “firsts,” they will certainly have trouble catching up to the nation’s record setting 27th president – the fattest in U.S. history.
Between Senator Barack Obama’s hope to be the first black president and Senator Hillary Clinton’s attempt to be the first female president, American voters are biting their nails in anticipation of the upcoming November elections. The two democratic front-runners aren’t the only candidates with a potential record-setting agenda. Senator John McCain, the republican contender, could just as easily end up in the captain’s chair at the oval office. He certainly wouldn’t be the first rich white guy in the driver’s seat, but his wife would go down in history as the first first lady with a criminal record for her involvement with pain killers, theft and fraud.
Although potential candidates are poised to set symbolic trend-setting records, they may have trouble committing as many “firsts” as William Howard Taft. At 332 pounds, he overcame the stigma that, even in 1909, came with being overweight. Growing up in Ohio, he was often chastised for his size. His nickname in high school was “Big Lub.” He overcame the societal pressure and went onto become president in 1913.
Taft only served one term as president but his list of “firsts” is seemingly endless. While in office, he was the first and only president to get stuck in a White House bathtub. Later, he was the first president to install extra large bathtubs in the White House. He was the first and only president to serve as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. He was the first president to throw the first baseball of the season. He was the first president to own a car. He was the first president to be considered a pacifist for his strong beliefs in world peace and his funeral was the first to be broadcast on radio. The list goes on. He even has some “lasts.” Taft was the last president to have facial hair and, because he loved fresh milk so much, he was the last president to keep a cow on the White House lawn.
