The Greatest American

It seems that the greatest American ever had a monkey friend named Bonzo and joked about outlawing and bombing Russia. Oh yes…according to a poll organised by those bastions of liberty Discovery Channel and AOL, Ronald Reagan is the greatest American.

The list of the top twenty greatest Americans includes eight former presidents (Reagan, Lincoln, Washington, Bush (W not HW), Clinton, Roosevelt (Franklin not Teddy), Jefferson, and Kennedy), four entertainers (Elvis, Oprah, Walt Disney, and Bob Hope), and three inventors and scientists (Ben Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Thomas Edison – yeah, Jefferson invented stuff, too, but he’s included under presidents). Rounding out the list are Eleanor Roosevelt, Bill Gates, Lance Armstrong, Billy Graham, and Martin Luther King, Jr. (That’s actually not the proper order…Martin Luther King, Jr. was third.)

As always, I must take issue with some of the choices (George Bush? GEORGE BUSH?!?) but I’m pleased to see some truly great people on the list. I was afraid it would be populated with mainly athletes whose only contribution to society was kicking a ball really far or throwing a ball through a hoop.