The Right Man Won

[poliphilo]

Well, that's a relief!

I'm not a fan of Obama- I'm not a fan of any politician- but I think the right man won.

I believe this'll be my eleventh American president. I've just counted them on my fingers. My first was Truman. Have I left anyone out?

Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush. Hang on, That makes Obama the twelfth. So I did miscount. I believe I skipped straight from Kennedy to Nixon. Sorry, LBJ!

There aren't any heroes in that list. By which, I mean anyone I regard as a hero. The one who comes closest is Ike, whom I respect for his speech on the military-industrial complex. And for his war record, obviously.

The only American president who makes my personal pantheon is Abe Lincoln.

The Times recently asked a panel of experts to rate the presidents in order of excellence. Lincoln came top, followed by Washington and FDR. The full list is here. Dubya ties with Nixon at the bottom, above Harrison (who died after catching a chill at his inauguration), Van Buren ( responsible for the genocide of native Americans), Pierce (who mismanaged everything and was disowned by his own party while in office) and Buchanan (worst of the worst, who failed to prevent the Civil War).

Ike comes in at number 6, by the way. He sent troops into Little Rock to enforce the desegregation of schools. He also desegregated the army. I hadn't realised just how radical and forceful a president he was.

Obama comes into office on a great wave of hope. Some of my friends have been disturbed by the messianic tone of his campaign. But "he's not the Messiah, he's just a....." Well, you know the rest.  Remember that he inherits the most god-awful mess: two misbegotten wars, an economic crisis at home and abroad, American prestige more battered and bruised than at any time I can remember.

Don't expect too much of him, folks.

Comments

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

I have ancestors who were among the first white folk to enter what is now Kentucky, some years before Daniel Boone blazed the 'first' trail.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Now that really is something to boast of.

Boone is in my pantheon, sitting right next to Lincoln. I have a little collection of heroes with Kentucky connections- others are Stephen Foster, D.W. Griffith and Muhammed Ali.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

Boone was hired by a wealthy man named Henderson, who had just purchased what is now Kentucky from the Cherokee in the largest private land transaction in our history. The intent was to found a new colony named Transylvania and Boone was tapped to explore and help settle the new lands.

The proposed colony came to naught when the government stepped in and voided the charter, but not before the sale sparked an Indian uprising, one that claimed the lives of several settlers. Among those casualties was yet another of my ancestors.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I didn't know the details- or else I'd never really taken them in.