David,
I have to say that I have never even thought of who my favorite president was. A lot of them have done some great things and then some not so much.

I’d have to go with George Washington since he was the first. And he was very much a leader and not a follower. That is what a president should be. I hope we get one this coming up election!

Cynthia, Covington, Ga.

Jimmy Carter. He would be better in the second term if he wouldn’t loose the election because of Ted Kennedy and his big empty ego…

I pulled out every bill. Washington has on a wig, Lincoln’s looks put together, and Andrew Johnson’s hair looks kinda like mine, going every way but the right way.

Hi David,

I agree with Cindy, this is one thought that has never come to my mind, and it is an excellent one.

Hmmm……pondering, pondering…..

I would have to go with Thomas Jefferson. Thomas was capable of anything from penning the Declaration of Independence to being a master architect, to simply being a gentleman farmer. Now that is talent in my book. Also his ability in the area of foreign policy was well ahead of the times.

Thanks for asking. You really made me think on my day off. Never a bad thing.

the next one!

Hi David,
My favorite president is Bill Clinton. Why?
Because when he was president the country was never better.
By the way, I went to a Hillary Clinton rally this week-end in my town Nacogdoches,TX and made a new friend.
Yep, you guessed it. Bill Clinton!
I got to meet my favorite president!!!!!
Very Cool!

David,

Good question. I am very fond of Andrew Jackson with the good hair, probably from reading “The President’s Lady” at an impressionable age (he was played by Charlton Heston in the movie) and reading a very fine biography “Jackson.”

However, I am going to go with Abe Lincoln. He saved the Union. He wasn’t an abolishionist, but he freed the slaves. He wasn’t a military man, but he wasn’t afraid to fire one general and hire a new one until he found a keeper. He fought depression and the loss of a child, but somehow was able to keep up with appointments and even take in a play with his wife. He was not the best orator of his times, but he delivered the Gettysburg Address (powerful, but short for memorization in elementary school as I recall). He sent Sherman through Georgia, but wanted immediate reconciliation with and amnesty for the South. But first and foremost, he saved the Union. He saved us from ourselves and the destructive culmination of all the years of Congress putting off resolving the issues of state’s rights and slavery. Thank you Abe.

Charlotte D
Stockton CA

Thomas Jefferson of course.
Served two terms without screwing anything up!

As legislator, governor, secretary of state, vice-president, and president–he always rose to the occassion…serving with integrity and respect for the values and desires of the nation.

DAVID, in my life time the one i remember most as being my favorite president is JOHN F.KENNEDY. he was a great man for human and civial rights in this country. its to bad his life was so short but he touched so many lifes in that short time and still dose.

Hands down, Warren G Harding. A crook, for sure, but aren’t they all? Besides, I like my pols to be crooks… How can they get someting for us if they don’t get some for themselves?

David,

That is an interesting question, I think that nearly all of the Presidents had enormous impact on our world, but none did more than President Theodore Roosevelt. The attention he gave to the preservation of our natural beauty, “trust busting”, recognition of women’s rights, wisdom in developing the international relationships, coupled with his passion for the betterment of our society has helped define the United States of America as no other President.

He was not merely a charismatic speaker; Theodore Roosevelt was a man of substance and action. It is easy to criticize the actions of others but something entirely different to be able to lead a nation with integrity and strength. In a speech in Paris, he famously said, “”It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”

Every election season, candidates claim to be the “new” President du jour. (Reagan, Kennedy, ahem… Clinton…) If we insist on repeating the past, instead of creating a new future, could we have a President at least emulate the authentic, original leadership of Teddy?

It’s a thought.

Jennifer
Dallas, Texas

I’ll go with Charlotte and pick President Lincoln. His parents were farmers and very poor. He and his sister would walk for miles to obtain books. He had no former education but somehow determined it was good to go to law school. He very much wanted to free the slaves.

Lincoln actually lost 2 sons. One at about 4 years and another at about 10 or 12 years. I can’t remember. The books read the loss of his children and overcoming those losses were his hardest battles.
Lincoln wanted freedom and opportunity for all Americans.

Tied with Lincoln on my favorite list is Reagan. The Reagan diaries are so powerful. Reagan diaries are the only manuscripts from a US President. They are so interesting you feel like you are in the West Wing with him. There are dates and times and events that I have backtracked to my own life and my personal journals.

Personally, I’ve always admired President Theodore Roosevelt.

He was very well educated and if you ever read any of his letters or writings, you’d find that not only was he a phenomenal writer, he was tremendously intellegent, thoughtfully articulate, and that he labored hard about how best to lead the nation.

Of his accomplishments, he won a Nobel Prize, the Medal of Honor, coined the name of the White House, put Lincoln on the penny [Lincoln was his hero], inadvertently started an advertising trademark ["Good the the last drop"], and has toys named after him. Also, he was the first President to ride in an automobile, a submarine, and an airplane. Overall, a phenomenal man - and a great President.

Besides, who can forget:
“Speak softly and carry a big stick [and you will go far]!”

Oh, I love FDR!!!! He was so fantastic and what he has done for this country and people all over the world is still felt everyday!! I love the FDR memorial in Washington DC. It is so beautiful and celebrates his great wisdom and vision. We could use a president like him right now!!

Can we do least favorite too!!! Mine is GEORGE W BUSH!!!

I can’t wait until 1/09 when he won’t be president!

David

What a hard choice.( Washington, lincoln,jefferson Jackson ) They all had a huge part in the make up of this great country I like them all history likes them all . Lets hope history is as nice to the future presidents, In this world of uncertinty it is the hardest job of them all.

Vinnie

Ronald Reagan, because he believed “we’re a nation that has a government - not the other way around”. The current candidates for President on the Democratic side, in their desire to grow the federal gov’t, should take Reagan’s simple but awesome advice.

My favorite huh?! Well I guess I have a limited group to pick from Carter, Regan, two Bushes, and a Clinton. . . . I guess Regan is the first one I really remember and so I’ll have to go with him.

I mean we had jelly beans everywhere, he survived an assignation attempt on his life (and did it with humor-telling Nancy (get well soon!) he forgot to duck, told us the government was the problem, got them to tear down a wall in Berlin, and helped a small scared child with his words after the space shuttle Challenger exploded. So yeah that’s my vote.

p.s. this is a good day to remind people to buy a high quality flag and display it- instead of (or in addition to) buying all those wacky house decorations for “holidays” such as Halloween, Valentines’ Day, Super Bowl, St Patrick’s Day, etc.

We have had many great presidents, but today I’m going to go with George Washington. He performed well in his role as Founding Father, but I really admire the fact that he turned down calls to become king, and even refused to serve more than two terms.

Xtina~
Thanks for the reminder. I just put my flag out!
Good idea!

Betty Ann
Nacogdoches,TX

Too right xtina re your ps. I am right with you. I need to get a new flag to proudly display. That goes right to the top of my shopping list. Wouldn’t it be awesome if every American (including me who has intended to buy a new flag for ages) displayed a flag next Memorial Day or Fourth of July? How great would that be to have street upon street of flags displayed in every neighborhood–apartments, condos, large houses, small houses.
Charlotte D
Stockton CA

David,

My favorite prez was Michael Douglas in ‘The American President.’ What woman didn’t want to be Annette Bening when she saw that movie?!?!?!

Amber
West Hollywood, CA

My favorite president will be Barack!

Agree with xtina - it’s odd that you see many folks who can afford lawn decorations and colored lights in their windows, but when it comes to the flag of our country, they don’t seem to have one to put up…

I like Lincoln, as he was from poor roots but rose to be a leader of men; and Reagan too, who said some amazing things such as

We dont’ pass freedom on to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same.

Harry Truman, one of the most honest and plain spoken person who has ever been President.

My favorite President is Bill Clinton. My next favorite President will be Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Reagan, of course was my modern favorite. He helped bring about an end to the arms race with Russia and everyone kept their countries intact (who says a Republican can’t bring about peace without major military action?). Reaganomics were the best (at least that’s the way I remember it). And Reagan knew when to laugh at himself. I also liked Jerry Ford because he came in after the fiasco of Watergate and helped us regain our dignity as a nation. I even named my pet rabbit Jerry after him. I was ten at the time, and it was pure hero worship. In terms of the Founding Fathers, I liked all of them. It just took guts and genius to buck England, fight for something better, and create a form of government other nations still want to model and an ideal and way of life people from other nations will still die trying to obtain. Happy President’s Day to all!!!

My favorite President was Andrew Jackson, Old Hickory. Not only was he one of the only President’s to be elected by the popular vote, he also had an open door policy (literally) and let most anyone into the White House who wished to see the President. Oh, and he was one of the founders of creating the 2 party system, the Democratic Republicans, or Democrats and the National Republicans, or Whigs.

David,

Harry S. Truman would be at top of my list of favorite American Presidents. President Truman had the task of picking up the pieces after the death of an extremely popular President during war time, deciding to use the most destructive bomb in order to save lives and shorten WWII, and integrate the military.

Maybe future Presidents should learn about the moto, “The buck stops here!”

By the way, my favorite fictional president is Henry Fonda in Failsafe.

My favorite president would be James Madison. He served in the Continental Congress, and after the Revolution he also participated in the Constitutional Convention helping to form the Constitution on which our country is based. To help get the Constitution ratified he along with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton wrote the Federalist Papers and after the ratification of the Constitution he helped frame the Bill of Rights from which many of our basic freedoms - speech, press, etc. - are derived.

Lincoln runs a close second for his steadfast resolve to keep the Union together. The war was not popular in the North but Lincoln persevered in waging it to keep the Union together because of his conviction that it was the right thing to do and his oath of office to preserve the country.

Annie Kate
Birmingham AL