orville babcock has had several successors over the years. the list goes on and on. but this is an important lesson. i think you have to be very careful in the people you have very close around you. another lesson? tell your story. tell it early. and tell it well. because if you don't, others are going to tell it for you, to your disadvantage. presidents give the impression of success in considerable measure because they control the narrative. i think in a measurement of grant's effectiveness in the white house was his re-election in 1872. despite all these criticisms that people leveled against him. certain people did. he was basically quite a popular president and a reasonably effective president. so, when he was up for re-election in 1872, yes, you had that liberal republican split that went off and nominated horace greeley. grant still won the popular vote, which still is a very substantial win. the other measurement of grant's effectiveness as president was -- follow me closely on this. during the second term, about the middle and toward the end of his second te