Hi, I'm here for the presidential tough guy draft.
1.01 "Old Hickory" Andrew Jackson - The man participated (and survived) several duels. Not fist fights, not bar brawls, no.....duels. With guns. And sure, not all of his tactics were above board, but have a listen:
“Andrew Jackson and Charles Dickinson, a lawyer and famous duelist, were rival horse breeders and southern plantation owners who had a longstanding hatred of each other. But it became even more personal when Dickinson accused Jackson of reneging on a horse bet with $2,000 at stake and the two traded insults in the press.”
“After Jackson challenged Dickinson to a duel, the two met at Harrison’s Mills on the Red River in Logan, Kentucky on May 30, 1806. Paces apart, Jackson and Dickinson stood opposed to one another. At a mere 24 feet from one another, many thought that Dickinson would easily shoot and kill Jackson. But Jackson figured his best chance against a duelist who had already shot and killed 26 men was to let him shoot first.”
“Within the first few seconds, Dickinson fired, putting the first bullet into Jackson’s chest next to his heart. Jackson put his hand over the wound to staunch the flow of blood. Despite smoke and dust billowing from Jackson’s coat and his hand touching his chest, Jackson remained standing, puzzling Dickinson: “My God! Have I missed him?””
“The duel’s protocol required that Dickinson to remain in place while Jackson aimed to take his shot. Jackson fired, but the flint hammer stopped half-cocked, not counting as a legitimate shot. Jackson aimed again–ever so carefully–and fired a second time. This time, the shot was good and the bullet hit Dickinson in the chest and he dropped to the ground.”
“Reflecting on the duel, the doctor remarked to Jackson, “I don’t see how you stayed on your feet after that wound.” To which Jackson responded, “I would have stood up long enough to kill him if he had put a bullet in my brain.””
“In the end, Dickinson succumbed to his wounds later that night. Jackson was not prosecuted for murder and Dickinson would be the only man he ever killed in a duel — something that did not prevent him from becoming president in 1829.”