In about the same time Coolidge became President of the United States, radio technology was staring to become a viable communication device. Radio changed the climate in which Coolidge worked with the press. Rather than be “silent,” Coolidge recognized an opportunity to better communicate with the public with radio!
Coolidge’s inauguration was the first to be broadcast via radio, Calvin Coolidge Foundation
An excerpt from Coolidge's Inaugration Speech in 1925, YouTube
Another angle of Coolidge at his 1925 inaugration, Northampton Library
Historians estimate that Coolidge's 1925 inaugural address reached more than 23 million radio listeners. In past administrations, reaching that many Americans was unheard of. With this newfound ability to communicate with voters, Coolidge honed in his radio performance, to better communicate with the country. He used simple words and kept his messages concise and nonpartisan. By communicating unbiased messages, Coolidge pulled in listeners because he still embodied the virtues of every American life with his economical, fearless, composed and reserved mannerisms.
A 1924 speech by Calvin Coolidge on indvidual sacrifice and income, AmericanRhetoric.
"I want the people of America to be able to work less for the government and more for themselves. I want them to have the rewards of their own industry. This is the chief meaning of freedom. "
~ Calvin Coolidge on indvidual sacrifice and income
Calvin Coolidge smiling, Wikimedia Commons