Party Animal

I used to think that Martin van Buren's lasting contribution to American life was the phrase "OK," having been taught in grade school that it came from one of his nicknames: "Old Kinderhook."

Well, that and this:



Van Buren's a punchline, an answer to a trivia question; he's shorthand for "obscure president." And yet, if what I'm reading is right, Martin van Buren has more of a lasting effect on American politics than anyone between Jefferson and Lincoln. Van Buren, you see, invents the political party.

The Little Magician (along with "The Red Fox"; let's put it out there: van Buren has the best nicknames of any president) is one of the main developers of the Democratic Party in New York. Why New York? Because New York's the first state to extend the vote to non-landowning white males. So suddenly, controlling politics can't be the province of a few back-room deals, and the ideal of the founding fathers--no permanent political parties--goes out the window because there are literally thousands of new voters. Parties are a means of wrangling them, and van Buren's the one behind it.

So: Republican vs Democrat, Whig vs Free Soil, Know-Nothing vs Tea--it can all be traced back to van Buren. Whether we should be pleased by that, I'm not sure.