« Gannon, bias, and watchdogs in the press | Main | Gannon boss thanks Karl Rove »
February 19, 2005
Greatest presidents
The results of the latest Gallup "greatest presidents" poll are, what's the word? Weird.
1. Reagan
2. Clinton
3. Lincoln
4. FDR
5. JFK
6. George W. Bush
7. George Washington
8. Jimmy Carter
9. Harry Truman
10. Teddy Roosevelt
11. Thomas Jefferson
12. George HW Bush
13. Ike
14. Nixon
A few things here. Woodrow Wilson and James Madison are conspicuously missing. Jefferson is way too low on the list. Lincoln is third? And George W. Bush shouldn't even be on the list -- even if all 43 presidents were listed (put Pierce on twice to fill the space).
Posted By Bob Cesca | February 19, 2005 08:54 AM | DIGG ME!
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.bobcesca.com/cgi-bin/MT/mt-tb.cgi/313
Comments
My theory would be most people havn't picked up a history book since 8th grade, and back then they only picked it up enough to get by. How else can you explain such blatant ignorance? That looks more like a list of "people who's names I've heard". Reagan? When the revisionist get done he WILL be God instead of a well intentioned conservative with alzheimers whose administration ran rough-shod all over the people of this nation and the world (the Pope and Gorby had more to do with that wall). Neither Bush should be there for all too obvious reasons let alone ahead of Ike. I like Clinton but better than any but the above mentioned? Thank God Jimmy Carter got honorable mention, a true person of faith not a dangerous zealot.
Posted by: Cindy Schneider at February 19, 2005 09:23 AM
I saw this on Crossfire Friday. Those who participated were not given a choice, so the assumption was like you said Cindy, it seems to be people whose name they remembered.
Posted by: Leebo ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.bobcesca.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at February 19, 2005 08:14 PM
truly ignorance
Posted by: weblackey at February 20, 2005 09:32 AM
Aaaagghhh!!! People are so freaking stupid.
Posted by: skrambled at February 20, 2005 01:02 PM
You know when Nixon makes the top 15 that people are simply listing presidents whose names they recognize.
And Gallup sucks goat balls. I mean, the poll question is based on the false assumption that Americans actually know something about history. That assumption produces these skewed results that then get widely published and suggest completely misleading ideas like Reagan, Clinton and Bush are in the same league as Lincoln and FDR.
Given the depth of ignorance in this country it's really not that strange that Bush got reelected.
Posted by: Martin at February 21, 2005 01:43 PM
