EXHIBIT B: HAYES

Often it's best to let the contenders speak for themselves. However, a man's words out of context can be used against him to devastating effect. See this State of the Union Address from Jimmy Carter, taken out of context:

I've been... confident... and... hard... people... and so we will remain. I want... to fulfill one... dynamic compassionate... bear... quietly and steadily. As President, I... want to... do... the most cruel to the poor and also to the elderly... using... atomic explosives.

Clearly, it's not what he meant to say (although perhaps what he wanted us to hear). With this in mind, the Washington Pugilist proceeds cautiously, and brings you the words of Rutherford B. Hayes as evidence for and against his toughness.

Evidence for toughness:

Fighting battles is like courting the girls: those who make most pretension and are boldest usually win.

That's double badass. In one sentence, Hayes demonstrates he knows how to seduce women and win battles. Obvious toughness points here. However, this is a Civil War veteran we're talking about, which makes the comparison slightly disturbing. He may have continued, "Fighting battles is also like courting girls because there's blood and screams everywhere, you take no prisoners, and it often ends with a bayonet to the chest."

Evidence against toughness:

Occasionally, the boys who play the female partners in the dances exercise their ingenuity in dressing to look as girlish as possible. In the absence of lady duds they use leaves, and the leaf-clad beauties often look very pretty and always odd enough.

There have been many books written that argue past presidents were gay. Considering a man could write that in a letter to his wife without seeing how extraordinarily homoerotic it sounds, it's no wonder today's historians raise an eyebrow here and there. This is not to equate homosexuality with weakness; clearly, if all one knew was that Rutherford B. Hayes was gay, one would assume he was a bear, and it would detract nothing from his toughness. But the above statement suggests more than plain old homosexuality. Something in the wording hints at a girlish glee and even some mild retardation. Maybe it's "lady duds" and maybe it's "leaf-clad beauties," but one can tell he probably whispered this with creepy giggles interspersed as his terrified assistant dictated the letter.

RELATED LINKS:
Read the case for Lincoln
Read the case for Hayes
Exhibit B: Lincoln

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