Rather, he proposed sweeping new federal programs for employment, housing, and medical care. It is odd that so many people think wistfully of what he would have done if he had lived. It is also striking that his memory evokes feelings of personal warmth among people who never knew him. He is recalled as a high-minded idealist, but he was also a ruthless political operator who could be callous to subordinates and cruel to enemies. A careful reading of these books can help us appreciate the difference between that legend and the man who inspired it.
Death has a way of spawning such legends.
With the real person lying securely underground, living politicians are free to inflate his reputation and hang on as it soars through the sky. Shakespeare got it wrong. The evil men do is oft interred with their bones, while good imagery lives after them.