Greatest living American elimination game (game thread)

Magic Johnson

Janet Yellen

Amory Lovins

Janet Yellen.

Stephen King

Once again, Jose Andres

Stephen King

Janet Yellen.

Magic Johnson

Janet Yellen

Is consistency a virtue or a sign of vindictiveness?

Magic Johnson

Our votes this round:

José Andrés: Humanitarian, chef - 2 votes
Magic Johnson: Superstar, survivor, inspiration - 3 votes
Stephen King: Great American writer - 2 votes
Amory Lovins: Physicist, energy activist - 1 vote
Janet Yellen: Economist, Treasury secretary - 4 votes

Janet Yellen survived both the Fed and the Treasury, but not this poll.

Our remaining nominees:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Athlete, writer, activist
José Andrés: Humanitarian, chef
Joe Biden: President, uniter, overcomer
Warren Buffett: Level-headed billionaire
Bob Dylan: Poet of generation
Anthony Fauci: Physician, immunologist, scientist
Bill Gates: Futurist, philanthropist, billionaire
Jesse Jackson: Civil rights leader
Magic Johnson: Superstar, survivor, inspiration
Mark Kelly: Senator, astronaut, aviator
Stephen King: Great American writer
Amory Lovins: Physicist, energy activist
Barack Obama: President, statesman, lawyer
Dolly Parton: Artist, humanitarian
Bernie Sanders: Democratic Socialist leader
MacKenzie Scott: Philanthropist, prize-winning novelist
Steven Spielberg: Director, writer, entertainer
Bruce Springsteen: Singer, songwriter, activist
Elizabeth Warren: Fighting political foes

Eliminated

  1. Jim Gaffigan: Comedian, author, commentator
  2. Craig Ferguson: Polymath, director-writer, comedian
  3. Mitt Romney: Senator, impeachment juror
  4. Buzz Aldrin: Second on Moon
  5. Taylor Swift: Musician, songwriter, icon
  6. Tim Walz: Honorable political messenger
  7. Simon Biles: GOAT gymnast
  8. Judy Blume: Children’s literature icon
  9. Amanda Gorman: Poet, activist, prodigy
  10. Jim Lovell: Apollo 13 astronaut
  11. Spike Lee: Filmmaker, Knicks fan
  12. Janet Yellen: Economist, Treasury secretary

Voting for our next round will end at noon EST on Fri. July 11.

José Andrés gets my sweet sweet vote again, for the reasons already stated.

Magic Johnson.

Lovins.

Armory Lovins

Magic Johnson was a great player, and co-owner of my favorite NFL team, but I’m hard-pressed to think of him as a great American in any sense. (that’s my vote)

Magic Johnson

I give Magic Johnson props for being the man who shoved America’s face in the fact that AIDS is not a “gay disease”, who also showed that you can live, survive and thrive even with that disease, and was also capable of some of the most beautiful basketball on the planet.

But in this rather rarefied company, that only goes so far.

I vote Magic Johnson.

I like Magic, but I consistently choose Kareem over him (to keep) because Kareem has been a consistent and remarkable writer and commentator on the state of America for decades.

Also Magic Johnson never co-piloted a big jet plane.