Ask the Author: Ronald Gruner
Answered Questions (2)
Ronald Gruner
Thank-you, Melissa, for your kind words regarding my book. As I believe you later discovered, that reference to James Hoffa is confusing. I should have mentioned that he is the son, not the original Jimmy Hoffa. Best wishes for the Holidays and a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Ronald Gruner
I discuss this in the book's introduction. Here's an excerpt:
"I never expected to write a presidential history. For nearly fifty years my life had been consumed by high-technology starting as a computer engineer in 1969 and ending as the CEO of a data analytics company in 2015….
"But my interest in political history and particularly, presidential history, was piqued in 2015, the year I retired. It was a period when American politics was transitioning from merely polarized to openly tribal. America had become deeply divided over economic, cultural, and ideological issues. Sadly, many Americans seemed to be shifting their loyalties from their country to their political party. The idea that there were two Americas, one Blue and one Red, had become, if not yet entrenched, a common theme. On the Blue side were socialists who hated America, and on the Red side, deplorables who clung to their guns and religion….
"I’ve taken an unusual approach in writing a presidential history. We the Presidents is completely devoid of politics. Never discussed are the political battles and intrigue that occupy many presidential biographies. Nor will you find, except in a few quotations, the words Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, left or right. For many Americans, these labels have become divisive, even pejorative. Their mere mention tends to bias the discussion."
"I never expected to write a presidential history. For nearly fifty years my life had been consumed by high-technology starting as a computer engineer in 1969 and ending as the CEO of a data analytics company in 2015….
"But my interest in political history and particularly, presidential history, was piqued in 2015, the year I retired. It was a period when American politics was transitioning from merely polarized to openly tribal. America had become deeply divided over economic, cultural, and ideological issues. Sadly, many Americans seemed to be shifting their loyalties from their country to their political party. The idea that there were two Americas, one Blue and one Red, had become, if not yet entrenched, a common theme. On the Blue side were socialists who hated America, and on the Red side, deplorables who clung to their guns and religion….
"I’ve taken an unusual approach in writing a presidential history. We the Presidents is completely devoid of politics. Never discussed are the political battles and intrigue that occupy many presidential biographies. Nor will you find, except in a few quotations, the words Democrat or Republican, liberal or conservative, left or right. For many Americans, these labels have become divisive, even pejorative. Their mere mention tends to bias the discussion."
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