Dear America,

Frustrated by politics of obstruction and deference when our nation needs serious democratic leadership and action – and with our respective books on America both coming out on April 8th, we decided to consider the legacy of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, our nation’s longest serving president, indeed, the greatest president of the Twentieth Century. And after much deliberation, we offer here the Top Ten Reasons FDR was Hot.

Enjoy and stay strong – We have nothing to fear but fear itself!

~~Harvey J. Kaye & Nomi Prins

1) FDR was hot because instead of talking "hope and change" – and playing blame-game politics – he signed 15 major bi-partisan bills in his first 100 days as President and turned alphabet soup into powerful, stabilizing New Deal agencies like the SEC, the CCC, the WPA, and the NLRB during a Great Depression.

2) FDR was hot because he always walked arm-in-arm – and even when he was sitting down he was standing up for America.

3) FDR was hot because his Fireside Chats were the original Social Media – and his estates were not only far more tasteful than the Kardashians’; they also had much better views.

4) FDR was hot because he irritated the rich – friends and enemies alike – and still managed to split “too big to fail” banks, and save capitalism and democracy.

5) FDR was hot because he repealed Prohibition – not to mention, mixed a pretty unusual martini.

6) FDR was hot because, for all of his sins, he knew not to try to hold Eleanor back – and even learned when to follow her.

7) FDR was hot ­– indeed, electric – not just because he delivered power to 300,000 southern rural homesteads, but also because he had the courage to personally go down to Georgia and call Dixie's politics "fascist."

8) FDR was hot because he didn’t enter the Second World War to exact vengeance, but to fight for the Four Freedoms: Freedom of speech and worship, Freedom from want and fear.

9) FDR was hot because he really ROCKED THE VOTE and got elected again, and again, and again.

10) FDR was hot because he knew that the only way to sustain American democratic life is to progressively enhance it. And he did.