"Cardi unleashes her recollections of FDR's life and accomplishments in a passionate torrent that assumes no prior knowledge on the part of the listener and follows no time line. She knows which president succeeded Roosevelt (his vice president, Truman) and which preceded him (Hoover). She gives a brief overview of the 22nd Amendment. She used to be able to list all the U.S. presidents in order of term but is too nervous to try it in front of me. As a compromise, she invites me to name any president.
Buchanan.
"He was the 15th president," she says, and her tone is as neutral as if she were reciting types of weather. "Buchanan is the only president that was a bachelor."