Dark Horse by Quinn

Dark Horse by Quinn - October 2017 Scholarship Essay

Tenth grade AP US History class inspired me to learn a song about the fifty presidents. A four in a half minute ‘rap’ that still runs through my head to this day. The said song grilled random little tidbits of information about each president into my head and piqued my interest in the history of this great country. When considering which president I would want to eat dinner with, one phrase from this song instantly came to mind: “James Polk was an underdog, first dark horse.” While I am sure that any of our presidents, both past and present, would make a great dinner date, I think my decision would have to be James K. Polk. I would choose to eat dinner with president Polk because he was hard working, loyal to our country, and shares the same zodiac sign as me.
I always love a good Cinderella story. It is truly special to watch an underdog come up from behind and take a surprise victory. In my opinion, it makes victory just that much sweeter. James Polk was the first official dark horse candidate that our country elected. No one expected him to win, and more than that, no one expected him to do great things for our country. He worked hard to gain respect and recognition from a country whose citizens were often close-minded. Then, once he was elected president, he worked hard to expand our country, by adding land that is today Oregon, Idaho and Washington. He also fought “Mr. Polk’s War” with Mexico, and successfully acquired what is now California and Nevada too. I would love to ask him about his journey to the White House, and learn how he stayed strong, confident, and positive in the face of so much opposition. Hard work is a trait that I highly value in both myself and others, so I would love to chat with someone who seems to embody that characteristic incredibly well.
Polk also proved his loyalty to our country over and over again. During his campaign, he set four goals for himself and the country to achieve during his presidency, and he met all three. Two of these goals included adding the Oregon Territory and California region to our country. Not only did he accomplish these goals, but he fostered the idea of “Manifest Destiny” and demonstrated to the American citizens that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Finally, he kept his promise of only running for one presidential term. Polk was clearly a good guy who valued honesty and loyalty above all, and if I were to eat dinner with him, I would ask how he managed to achieve all of his goals, and I how he gained the trust of so many American citizens.
Finally, as someone who is also classified as a Scorpio, I believe that president Polk and I would have a lot in common. As Scorpios, it is said that we are passionate, honest and value lasting friendships along with success. I know that I can personally relate to these personality traits, and based on what I’ve learned about Polk, I believe that he could too. I’m sure we could talk openly and honestly for hours about our passions and successes, all the while fostering a relationship that could turn into an everlasting friendship. As fellow Scorpios, I am confident that we would get along very well and have lots wonderful conversations over a delicious dinner.
While I’m sure that any president could make a great dinner date, I think that president Polk would be the most interesting to eat with. I would love to sit down and hear about his life story, road to presidency, and path to success, while simultaneously gaining advice on how to exemplify the traits of hard work and loyalty in my own life. In my opinion, Polk is a very underrated president who doesn’t get the appreciation he deserves in our US history classrooms today, which is why he is the president I would choose to have dinner with.