Hmmm....a difficult proposition at best --choosing a president--but then it always is.
Some of our esteemed leaders managed to make the times they lived in: George Washington-determined to forge a new country; Andrew Jackson, the rustic, who brought backbone to the executive branch; Ronald Reagan-determined to outspend the Soviets and put an end to the cold war.
And some were made by their times: Herbert Hoover-who will forever be identified with the great depression, and sadly, Hoovervilles; John Kennedy-who had the Cuban missle crisis dropped like a 40 megaton bomb right in his lap and skillfully maneuvered US from the edge of nuclear disaster.
And some managed a bit of both; Woodrow Wilson-who vainly attempted to keep US out of WWI, yet guided US through when we became embroiled and eventually won the Nobel Peace Prize; Nixon who yanked US out of Vietnamn, opened up China, but in the end went down as Tricky Dick; Clinton who rode the crest of an economic tsunami, and used that power to bring down the deficit, but couldn't seem to resist taking the occasional dip below the surface to swim with the sharks.
Each has their good and bad qualities, that's why in the end I chose Other- William Henry Harrison - now there's a name you can stick on the mantle. Harrison was in office for the shortest amount of time of all US presidents-approximately one month. His was the shortest term, but he gave the longest inaguration speech of any president-by the time his speech was over his term was close to nearing its end as well. He (or perhaps his handlers) was the first presidental candidate to come up with a campaign slogan, "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too." That's why I voted for Harrison. I consider him to be the father of modern political rhetoric. Just imagine where we'd be today without his sagacious contribution.
) any on this list.
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