Who was the first person to say "a chicken in every pot?" Not Huey Long or FDR. It was Henry IV of France:
Si Dieu me prête vie, je ferai qu’il n’y aura point de laboureur en mon royaume qui n’ait les moyens d’avoir le dimanche une poule dans son pot!
(If God spares me, I will ensure that there is no working man in my kingdom who does not have the means to have a chicken in the pot every Sunday!)
Henry cared about the French people and wanted them to be well enough that each family would be well enough that they could slaughter a chicken and enjoy the meat at least once a week, without worrying about the loss in egg production. Eggs were an important source of everyday protein.
What did he get for his trouble? A knife in the back from a crazy priest who thought he was the Anti-Christ.
"A chicken in every pot" wasn't at any point FDR's line. His political opponent, Herbert Hoover, used the slogan.
ReplyDeleteAnd The Simpsons preferred Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish.