# Greatest living American elimination game (setup thread) **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [June 10, 2025, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408 "2025-06-10T02:55:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/1 "2025-06-10T02:55:07Z")
Inspired by these threads, [The President Elimination Game - The Game Room - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=533286) and [Greatest American elimination game (game thread)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-american-elimination-game-game-thread/528423). Who is the greatest living American? You may nominate up to five noteworthy Americans, from any walk of life, describing each in no more than three words. If you use more than three words, or objectionable, misleading or inaccurate language, expect to be edited. Naturalized (but not honorary) U.S. citizens are eligible for nomination, even if they are more famous for things done as citizens of another country. Nominations will close at noon EST a week from today, on Mon. June 16. After the deadline, I’ll arrange the nominees alphabetically and we’ll vote them out much as we did in the earlier games. My nominees: Anthony Fauci: Physician, immunologist, scientist Mark Kelly: Senator, astronaut, aviator Barack Obama: President, statesman, lawyer Bruce Springsteen: Singer, songwriter, activist Janet Yellen: Economist, Treasury secretary ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/2 "2025-06-10T14:49:56Z")
I don’t need to re-nominate any you did, right? Obama would be on my list. Amanda Gorman - poet, activist, prodigy Steven Spielberg - director, writer, entertainer Joe Biden - president, uniter, overcomer Craig Ferguson - polymath, director-writer, comedian Jim Gaffigan - comedian, author, cultural-analyst ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/3 "2025-06-10T16:49:32Z")
Again, not nominating anyone already nominated Dolly Parton - artist, humanitarian Warren Buffet - level-headed billionaire ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/4 "2025-06-10T16:58:41Z")
Bill Gates - Futurist, philanthropist, billionaire ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/5 "2025-06-10T17:26:00Z")
José Andrés - humanitarian, chef Tim Walz - honorable political messenger ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/6 "2025-06-10T21:36:32Z")
[Moderating] Moving from Game Room to Thread Games. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/7 "2025-06-11T00:26:40Z")
I’d add: Greta Thunberg, environmental activist David Attenborough, filmmaker, environmental activist ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/8 "2025-06-11T01:04:49Z")
Are these all Americans or just humans? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/9 "2025-06-11T05:08:55Z")
Correct, **Mahaloth** , one nomination is sufficient. You need not renominate anyone. Craig Ferguson and José Andrés are naturalized U.S. citizens, so they are valid nominees. Good question, **Southern\_Yankee**. Greta Thunberg is Swedish and David Attenborough is British, so I will disqualify them. ---
**Author:** ![MacDoc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/macdoc/32/18696_2.png) [@MacDoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacDoc)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/10 "2025-06-11T10:24:57Z")
Elizabeth Warren \> fighting the repuglies. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/11 "2025-06-11T23:15:53Z")
This is a real toughie - I came up with a bunch of controversial ones, then pared it down a bit, keeping some of the controversies: Mitt Romney - Senator, impeachment juror Amory Lovins - Physicist, energy activist Taylor Swift - Musician, songwriter, icon Spike Lee - Filmmaker, Knicks fan Simone Biles - GOAT gymnast I’d have loved to put Jimmy Carter, Willie Mays and Brian Wilson on this list. For some reason, this doesn’t seem to be getting the attention of the previous elimination games. Maybe it’s a little harder to find greatness in the present tense? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2025, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/12 "2025-06-11T23:19:43Z")
With the death of Jimmy Carter, this is a great time to do this. He was a pretty likely choice for a lot of people, so now we need to look at what we have now. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/13 "2025-06-12T01:44:49Z")
Dolly Parton - Entertainer, philanthropist, icon John Glenn - Astronaut, aviator, politician ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/14 "2025-06-12T02:00:06Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > John Glenn - Astronaut, aviator, politician I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/15 "2025-06-12T02:01:56Z")
Doh… I am going to have a serious chat with my fact checker… ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/16 "2025-06-12T02:11:13Z")
I think there’s only one indisputably great living United States national: Stephen King. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/17 "2025-06-12T02:12:15Z")
John Glenn may be dead but Jim Lovell is still alive and he’s my nominee. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/18 "2025-06-12T02:15:25Z")
Thought of another one: Jesse Jackson ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/19 "2025-06-12T03:00:48Z")
If you wish to nominate anyone, please see the OP, and submit a three-word description along with the name. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2025, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408/20 "2025-06-12T03:04:34Z")
MacKenzie Scott - philanthropist, prize-winning novelist [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-setup-thread/1019408.md?page=2)