George Washington is the best choice for numerous reasons. First of all, this is not to say that the others wouldn’t also be preferable to today’s leadership, but Washington trumps these other choices. He’s the only one, aside from Jackson, with any strategic military experience (Jefferson in contrast nearly got himself captured during the revolution after the British sacked Richmond). He’s an incorruptibly honest figure (unlike Jefferson, his main competitor in this election). Washington has an established record as being devoted to his country but uninterested in power. He presided over a nearly non-existant federal government which he only sought to establish as viable and respectable, to say he is less committed than Jefferson to republicanism and limited government is ridiculous. It is important to not confuse Washington and Adams with other Federalists like Hamilton, who was a true devotee of the British constitution and hoped to be able to craft an english-style state under the “shilly-shally thing of mere milk and water” that he called the constitution. Ultimately, I cannot forgive Jefferson for his very duplicitous behavior in the Washington administration and his ultimate failure to deal with slavery in his personal life, unlike Washington. His behavior towards Adams was also despicable, causing that venerable patriot to ignore Jefferson for over a decade. If you ever want to read some righteous indignation take a look at their correspondence and JA’s writing in the “not talking to Jefferson” period of his life.
Felipe (and others), If you had to recommend a single book about George Washington, which one would it be.
This wasn’t addressed to me, but as a graduate student studying the early republic I would go with either James Thomas Flexner’s “Washington: The Indispensable Man” or Douglas Southall Freeman’s “Washington.” Both can be bought at nearly any borders or barnes and noble. Though if you can read David Hackett Fischer’s “Washington’s Crossing” and still vote for Jefferson over Washington, you have problems.
(Thanks for the references. I added links to the books in Amazon. - softwareNerd)
He did bring a can of whoop-ass with the navy John Adams built, but I say Washington would without hesitation rid of us of this pesky Islamic problem. (By the way, I get really excited about the Fathers, so don’t mistake my enthusiasm for animosity!)
So would Jefferson.
Jefferson was the most progressive President we ever had- and the most intellectual. A true Renaissance man, he also designed and built edifices.
However, either Washington or Jefferson would be a better president today than any president we’ve had in my lifetime (which began in 1948).
Footnote: I do think that George Washington was worth a celebratory holiday, and the renaming of his holiday as “President’s Day” was a puzzling act of Congress.
Jefferson was the most progressive President we ever had- and the most intellectual.
Bah, you’ve obviously never read any of his own writing besides the Decleration, nor any of John Adams’s own writing, like A Defense of Constitutions of the United States of America. Jefferson was the best with pen, and the most astute politician (which is somewhat of a dubius title for those times) of the Founders.
If you get a chance, read some of Jefferson’s Notes on the State of Virginia, it’s online.
Well, I’m curious as to everyone’s thoughts on this, especially since there are some people here who are pretty knowledgeable about history. Who, in your opinion, was the BEST president by your standards (which I will assume are, for the most part, objectivist)? Who has been the worst so far?
Uh… wasn’t Jefferson the founder of the Democratic party, and also the one who paid libelists to publish slanderous garbage about Adams in order to swing the election in Jefferson’s favor? The one who was ‘heavily inspired’ by the socialists uprising in the French Revolution (and we all know how well that went! NOT!)?
I can’t comment on the Adams part, but it is ENTIRELY unfair to blame Jefferson for the modern Democratic Party. True, he founded what BECAME a socialistic party long, long after he died. You could with equal logic blame abolitionists (who started and supported the Republican Party) for censorship laws and intelligent design advocacy.
He’s (George Washington) an incorruptibly honest figure (unlike Jefferson, his main competitor in this election). ::: snip ::: Ultimately, I cannot forgive Jefferson for his very duplicitous behavior in the Washington administration and his ultimate failure to deal with slavery in his personal life, unlike Washington. His behavior towards Adams was also despicable, causing that venerable patriot to ignore Jefferson for over a decade. If you ever want to read some righteous indignation take a look at their correspondence and JA’s writing in the “not talking to Jefferson” period of his life.
Could you (or someone else) please provide some specific example of Thomas Jefferson being a corruptible person? Furthermore, I would also like to hear some examples of Thomas Jefferson’s “despicable” behavior towards John Adams.
