If You Ask Me
by Eleanor Roosevelt

I think, given the difficulties of the times in which he served, he did extremely well. We all have definite limitations—and naturally President Truman has certain limitations, just as my husband had or any human being has—but being President in the last eight years has meant carrying such a heavy responsibility and making such difficult decisions that I think we can feel extremely fortunate that, judging by the results, the President has been both courageous and wise.

I am opposed to changing the calendar. It upsets certain religious sects very much, and I cannot see that the advantages to be gained are so very important.

No, I would not. I would favor more understanding and participation by all and a greater increase in small subscriptions to all hospitals which are privately financed.

I am afraid I am not the one to pick out what serious mistakes I made. Plenty of people have picked them out and mentioned them, but I did not always happen to agree that the things to which people objected were mistakes, so this is a question you will have to ask someone else.

I can tell you one thing I did that horrified the head usher, Mr. Ike Hoover, and that was running the electric elevator myself. He thought that very undignified and an unpardonable sin. However, before I left the White House it was accepted as a perfectly normal procedure.

No. I only move very quickly. I find if I never look at anyone and move fast I am frequently not recognized.

I think it would be an excellent thing to do, but I do not know whether they would be convinced by anything they saw. They are so accustomed to having things made to look different from what they are for a purpose. I think it would not be strange if they thought we created a special kind of environment for them if they came over here.

No, I have never voted Republican because women did not have a vote prior to 1920. In 1912 I attended meetings and would have voted for Theodore Roosevelt had women been allowed to vote at that time. Since that time I have never voted for a Republican candidate because I never felt that on the whole the Republican candidate was better than the Democratic candidate.

I used to take horrible photographs, until one of the people who had a great deal to do with newspapers and who was with my husband told me once to try to remember to smile. He said it would do me no harm and it would make a tremendous difference in my photographs. I have tried to do it ever since, and in addition I try to forget when people are taking photographs, and I think it works pretty well.

A snob is usually an unkind person with an inflated idea of his or her own importance.