# Reagan the greatest American??? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 27, 2005, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978 "2005-06-27T01:41:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/41 "2005-06-27T04:52:37Z")
[It’s on the official site now](http://tv.channel.aol.com/greatestamerican), now that the West Coast broadcasted the winner. I was a bit surprised, to say the least. I was shocked to see Washington at #4, I was positive he would have won. I was expecting Reagan at that position. Aside from him and Reagan, I had guessed the order correctly. 🙂 D ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/42 "2005-06-27T04:59:08Z")
Here is a [link](http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/greatestamerican/greatestamerican.html?source=tophatEcommTile) showing the top 25 as well as the top 5. Just glancing over the list I’d have to say…maybe American’s really should not be left outside unsurpervised. The top 5 were: Benjamin Franklin (I’d actually agree somewhat…at least that he should be on the list of the top 100). Martin Luther King, Jr (again, I’d agree he should make the list…I don’t think he should be in the top 5 but thts just me.) Abraham Lincoln (Definitely should be on the top 100 list, and I’ll even say I think he should have been on the top 10 list) Ronald Reagan (Er…no way in hell. I actually liked Ronald Regan and continue to like him…but in the top 5?!? Geroge Washington (Definitely should be on the list, and at the top of the list to boot). Looking at some of the others on the 25 list though: Mahammad Ali? Geroge W. Bush?? Bill Clinton??? Walt Disney? Billy Graham!?!?! Elvis Presley? Oprah WInfrey??? One has to wonder if these kinds of polls are worth anything. Seems to me everyone is using a different definition of what ‘greatest’ American is. THought I routinely heap only scorn on the OP for his liking for dumping trash type OPS on the board, I have to say that I agree…RR should not be the number one pick for the Greatest American. Nor should he be in the top 5. The top 25…yeah, I’d give them that. And GW Bush should not be on the list at all. Of course, Bill Clionton shouldn’t be either IMO. I can see them though more that Oprah Winfrey, Elvis Presley, Billy Grahma (BILLY GRAHAM!!! my bullshit meter just pegged out and some noxious smelling substance is coming out of the back end of the thing), Walt Disneyand Mahammad Ali. Was the fix in, did the pubs whitewash this list though? I doubt it. More likely to me is that American’s really can be quite as clueless as anyone…and maybe more clueless when it comes to our ‘stars’ and our political numb nuts of the various parties. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Monstre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@Monstre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monstre)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/43 "2005-06-27T05:14:08Z")
Oprah Winfrey makes the top 25, but Mark Twain **doesn’t**?? I’d figure this means that a large number of daytime TV viewers were dominating the voting, except for the fact that Dr. Phil didn’t (thank god) make the top 25… ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/44 "2005-06-27T05:22:06Z")
“If you’ve seen one redwood, you’ve seen them all.” – The Greatest American ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/45 "2005-06-27T05:22:17Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Oh yes. Any outcome for a Republican which doesn’t entail tar and feathers is rigged. How’s that tinfoil fedora, **Reeder**? Bullshit. I’m a yellowdog Democrat, but I think Teddy Roosevelt and Ike should both be in the Top Ten. (unquestionably the top ten of the 20th century, and arguably of all time.) Why not try looking at Dubya objectively? I wouldn’t kill you and you might be surprised by what you find. Or is it just too scary to question what your masters tell you to think? ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/46 "2005-06-27T06:00:39Z")
Actually, I am a pretty hardcore right-wing Republican who is quite enamored with Reagan, but even I would not have made him number one, let alone the top ten. He would deffinetly be in the top one-hundred, probably top twenty-five, but cripes, what about Edison? What about Maddison and Adams? And yes, even Twain. This list is a damnable joke. ---
**Author:** ![SkipMagic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skipmagic/32/20706_2.png) [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/47 "2005-06-27T06:23:47Z")
Just a friendly reminder to everyone that this thread is no longer in the **Pit**. Remember to keep it friendly in here–or, at the very least, civil. ---
**Author:** ![duffer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duffer/32/1026_2.png) [@duffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/duffer)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/48 "2005-06-27T06:30:53Z")
Favre didn’t make the Top 10? I agree it’s rigged. (Personally I was hoping for the one-two punch of Reagan first and Gates second.) ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/49 "2005-06-27T08:51:03Z")
> [@Muad'Dib](#): > > Forgeting about Reagan or Bush for a moment, can we at least all agree that Oprah being in the top ten is the stupidest of all? I’m not American, but if i couldn’t nominate 50 greater Americans than her I would willingly slit my wrists. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/50 "2005-06-27T09:26:17Z")
**Lib** , how was Washington supposed to have handled the Whiskey Rebellion? If he’d dropped the whiskey excise tax, the government’s right to levy taxes at all would have been in question, and if he hadn’t at least tried to quell it, would’ve called the government’s legitimacy into question, since any group of thugs with a beef against the gubmint could tell the gubmint to pack sand. [/history geek] As for the 100 Greatest Americans, I’m ashamed that discourse on what constitutes a “great American” is being diluted for the purposes of pop culture and cheap ratings close to the 4th of July. That said, my vote is for Thomas Jefferson, with Benjamin Franklin a close contender. Robin ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/51 "2005-06-27T09:35:36Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > **Lib** , how was Washington supposed to have handled the Whiskey Rebellion? If he’d dropped the whiskey excise tax, the government’s right to levy taxes at all would have been in question, and if he hadn’t at least tried to quell it, would’ve called the government’s legitimacy into question, since any group of thugs with a beef against the gubmint could tell the gubmint to pack sand. [/history geek] > > As for the 100 Greatest Americans, I’m ashamed that discourse on what constitutes a “great American” is being diluted for the purposes of pop culture and cheap ratings close to the 4th of July. > > That said, my vote is for Thomas Jefferson, with Benjamin Franklin a close contender. > > Robin MsRobyn, a friend of mine whose judgment I trust also has said Jefferson. Franklin wasn’t mentioned, could I ask the reasons you nominated him? I also wonder why Woodrow Wilson was never on the original list. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/52 "2005-06-27T09:49:21Z")
I chose Franklin because of his dedication to public education and the sciences, along with some of his ideas that spawned public institutions like fire companies, mail service, and so forth. He, along with a few of his contemporaries also living in Philadelphia, are largely responsible for the American tradition of invention and science. His political philosophy and diplomacy were also important, but not as much as the education and science. I chose Jefferson narrowly over Franklin because he was the architect of the Declaration of Independence, separation of church and state, and he was one of the brains of the outfit, so to speak. What edged Jefferson over Franklin was the fact that Jefferson was secretary of state and president, while Franklin never held a cabinet-level post. Robin ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/53 "2005-06-27T09:59:26Z")
The people get what government they deserve. If they think Reagan is the greatest and W is #6, then the people deserve them. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/54 "2005-06-27T10:22:39Z")
Look at the bright side: within a week, nobody will remember this show, either. Daniel ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/55 "2005-06-27T10:23:53Z")
> [@MsRobyn](#): > > **Lib** , how was Washington supposed to have handled the Whiskey Rebellion? If he’d dropped the whiskey excise tax, the government’s right to levy taxes at all would have been in question, and if he hadn’t at least tried to quell it, would’ve called the government’s legitimacy into question, since any group of thugs with a beef against the gubmint could tell the gubmint to pack sand. But what is your counter-argument? You’ve made _my_ points. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/56 "2005-06-27T10:37:47Z")
As immortalised by Reg Mombassa, Jesus was able to speak English because he was [Australian](http://www.mambo.com.au/artists/templates/artists.php?id=1) on t-shirts at least. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/57 "2005-06-27T12:42:50Z")
Diebold was in on it! Where’s the paper record? The venom dripping off Lauer’s teeth as he announced the winner, by .4%, must have been burning holes through the stage floor. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/58 "2005-06-27T13:09:24Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Actually, I think Lefty is right. This is very much a what have you done for me lately culture. Nonsense, otherwise Clinton would have been ahead of Reagan. Of course, all that needs saying about the standards of this list is that they put Oprah Winfrey and Elvis ahead of FDR, Edison, and Thomas Jefferson. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/59 "2005-06-27T13:12:29Z")
> [@Tinkertoy](#): > > Is [Mel Gibson](http://tv.channel.aol.com/greatestamerican?page=nominees&subpage=mgibson) an American? Sure, he was born in New York, moved to Oz as a kid. Note: talking funny don’t make you un-American. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2005, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978/60 "2005-06-27T13:19:06Z")
> [@duffer](#): > > (Personally I was hoping for the one-two punch of Reagan first and Gates second.) Gates??, GATES?? i think not, perhaps if the poll was top 100 most _EVIL_ americans, yes, but gates doesn’t even deserve to be on the list… neither does Jobs for that matter, he’s just as evil as gates, if any _modern_ electronics whiz was going to be on the list it should be Steve Wozniak, the Woz is the only deserving one of the honor (note, i said _MODERN_ electronics whiz) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reagan-the-greatest-american/309978.md?page=4)