The Greatest American

Was the Gipper the Greatest? An interesting and highly-publicized (but unscientific) Discovery Channel poll-of-everyone says so. The voting finished with Ronald Reagan on top, followed in order by Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. While I've got no quarrel with the Top 5 finishers, I do have a different order and my own Top 10.... 1. George Washington "First in war, first in peace..." You should know the rest. He started it all and I blame the public schools for his fourth place finish in the Discovery Channel poll....2. Abraham Lincoln Abe saved the Union.... 3. Martin Luther King, Jr. I think it was George Will who rightly said, " He (MLK) saved our soul"....4. Ronald Reagan Dutch was nearly number three. He saved the world and liberated hundreds of millions from a horrible scourge. And, no, I'm not referring to Jimmy Carter....5. Ben Franklin He's got to be up there somewhere. This seems to be as good a place as any....6. Thomas Edison As an individual (and as a symbol) Edison embodies the best of American creative genius....7. My Mom She could have ranked higher on the list, but she was a lifelong Democrat.... 8. Samuel Adams A leader in the mold and manner of Franklin and Jefferson, Adams personally threw tea in Boston Harbor. And he made good beer.... 9. Alvin York The gold standard war hero and sharpshooter. Led seven men against a German position in the Argonne Forest; killed 25, captured 132 in one day, mostly by himself, with a handgun and an old rifle he brought with him from Tennessee.... 10. Woody Hayes For a lot of good reasons, but mostly because it's my list. Do your own.