timschochet
Footballguy
Hi everyone, glad to be back after a lengthy suspension, and I thought I’d have some fun going into this holiday seasons. Since I love countdowns, I thought I would do one of the greatest American political figures. Hopefully this will generate some good discussion and debate. All are welcome. I will begin my countdown in the morning with #100. But first, some definitions:
1. I define “the modern era” of politics as beginning in 1933. There are two reasons for this. First, it’s the year that the New Deal began, and that’s the cutoff point for what we now regard as government’s role in our society, which is of course the central issue of politics. Basically ever since 1933, our political debate has essentially been whether or not to increase the New Deal or shrink it down.
Second, 1933 was the first year that mass communication was used for political purposes, in the form of FDR’s “fireside chats” on the radio. This completely altered the power of media in shaping public opinion, forevermore. Politicians prior to 1933, and post 1933, are like night and day. It is fair to suggest that, to offer two examples of our greatest Presidents, that Abraham Lincoln could never have been elected post 1933, and Ronald Reagan could never have been elected prior to 1933.
2. The term “political figure” includes almost anyone who has had a major impact on politics. On this list, in addition to famous politicians, I have included writers, talk show hosts, activists, journalists, statesmen, Cabinet members, justices, broadcasters, and campaign managers. The one notable category I have deliberately left out are assassins and terrorists. It can be argued that Lee Harvey Oswald had as much impact as nearly anyone on this list, but it’s my list and I don’t want him on it.
3. The term “greatest” is really a combination of “great” and “most impactful”. There are a few really bad people on this list, and some that I despise and have no respect for, but it’s impossible to ignore their significance. I have tried to leave my own politics out of this analysis as much as possible though my preferences will show up, no doubt from time to time.
100. Ralph Nader
99. Upton Sinclair
98. Charles Coughlin
97. Angela Davis
96. Mario Cuomo
95. Jerry Falwell
94. Jane Fonda
93. Robert Taft
92. John Kerry
91. Spiro Agnew
90. Tucker Carlson
89. Jim Clyburn
88. Rudy Giuliani
87. Richard J. Daley
86. Sarah Palin
85. Norman Thomas
84. Kamala Harris
83. Alger Hiss
82. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
81. Pat Buchanan
80. Ross Perot
79. Robert McNamara
78. Mitt Romney
77. Madeleine Murray O’Hair
76. Nancy Reagan
75. Dean Acheson
74. Clarence Thomas
73. Harvey Milk
72. Hubert Humphrey
71. Al Gore
70. Nelson Rockefeller
69. Joe Biden
68. Ron Paul
67. James Carville
66. Ted Kennedy
65. John Lewis
64. John Foster Dulles
63. John McCain
62. Daniel Patrick Moynihan
61. Colin Powell
60. Abbie Hoffman
59. George Marshall
58. Bob Dole
57. Karl Rove
56. George Kennan
55. Tip O’Neil
54. Phyllis Schlafly
53. George Wallace
52. Strom Thurmond
51. Margaret Chase Smith
50. Gerald Ford
49. Muhammad Ali
48. Cesar Chavez
47. Henry Kissinger
46. Donald Trump
45. Douglas MacArthur
44. Bill O’Reilly
43. Joe McCarthy
42. Bernie Sanders
41. Charles Lindbergh
40. J. Edgar Hoover
39. Newt Gingrich
38. Jimmy Carter
37. Edward R. Murrow
36. Thurgood Marshall
35. Ayn Rand
34. Sean Hannity
33. Walter Reuther
32. Huey Long
31. George W Bush
30. Jesse Jackson
29. Henry Luce
28. Gloria Steinem
27. Malcolm X
26. Adlai Stevenson
25. James Baker
24. Walter Cronkite
23. Bill Clinton
22. Roger Ailes
21. Sam Rayburn
20. Barry Goldwater
19. Earl Warren
18. **** Cheney
17. Bobby Kennedy
16. William F. Buckley
15. Hillary Clinton
14. George H. W. Bush
13. Mitch McConnell
12. Nancy Pelosi
11. Rush Limbaugh
10. Lyndon Johnson
9. Eleanor Roosevelt
8. Barack Obama
7. Richard Nixon
6. John F. Kennedy
5. Ronald Reagan
4. Dwight Eisenhower
3. Harry Truman
2. Martin Luther King, Jr.
1. Franklin D Roosevelt
1. I define “the modern era” of politics as beginning in 1933. There are two reasons for this. First, it’s the year that the New Deal began, and that’s the cutoff point for what we now regard as government’s role in our society, which is of course the central issue of politics. Basically ever since 1933, our political debate has essentially been whether or not to increase the New Deal or shrink it down.
Second, 1933 was the first year that mass communication was used for political purposes, in the form of FDR’s “fireside chats” on the radio. This completely altered the power of media in shaping public opinion, forevermore. Politicians prior to 1933, and post 1933, are like night and day. It is fair to suggest that, to offer two examples of our greatest Presidents, that Abraham Lincoln could never have been elected post 1933, and Ronald Reagan could never have been elected prior to 1933.
2. The term “political figure” includes almost anyone who has had a major impact on politics. On this list, in addition to famous politicians, I have included writers, talk show hosts, activists, journalists, statesmen, Cabinet members, justices, broadcasters, and campaign managers. The one notable category I have deliberately left out are assassins and terrorists. It can be argued that Lee Harvey Oswald had as much impact as nearly anyone on this list, but it’s my list and I don’t want him on it.
3. The term “greatest” is really a combination of “great” and “most impactful”. There are a few really bad people on this list, and some that I despise and have no respect for, but it’s impossible to ignore their significance. I have tried to leave my own politics out of this analysis as much as possible though my preferences will show up, no doubt from time to time.
100. Ralph Nader
99. Upton Sinclair
98. Charles Coughlin
97. Angela Davis
96. Mario Cuomo
95. Jerry Falwell
94. Jane Fonda
93. Robert Taft
92. John Kerry
91. Spiro Agnew
90. Tucker Carlson
89. Jim Clyburn
88. Rudy Giuliani
87. Richard J. Daley
86. Sarah Palin
85. Norman Thomas
84. Kamala Harris
83. Alger Hiss
82. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
81. Pat Buchanan
80. Ross Perot
79. Robert McNamara
78. Mitt Romney
77. Madeleine Murray O’Hair
76. Nancy Reagan
75. Dean Acheson
74. Clarence Thomas
73. Harvey Milk
72. Hubert Humphrey
71. Al Gore
70. Nelson Rockefeller
69. Joe Biden
68. Ron Paul
67. James Carville
66. Ted Kennedy
65. John Lewis
64. John Foster Dulles
63. John McCain
62. Daniel Patrick Moynihan
61. Colin Powell
60. Abbie Hoffman
59. George Marshall
58. Bob Dole
57. Karl Rove
56. George Kennan
55. Tip O’Neil
54. Phyllis Schlafly
53. George Wallace
52. Strom Thurmond
51. Margaret Chase Smith
50. Gerald Ford
49. Muhammad Ali
48. Cesar Chavez
47. Henry Kissinger
46. Donald Trump
45. Douglas MacArthur
44. Bill O’Reilly
43. Joe McCarthy
42. Bernie Sanders
41. Charles Lindbergh
40. J. Edgar Hoover
39. Newt Gingrich
38. Jimmy Carter
37. Edward R. Murrow
36. Thurgood Marshall
35. Ayn Rand
34. Sean Hannity
33. Walter Reuther
32. Huey Long
31. George W Bush
30. Jesse Jackson
29. Henry Luce
28. Gloria Steinem
27. Malcolm X
26. Adlai Stevenson
25. James Baker
24. Walter Cronkite
23. Bill Clinton
22. Roger Ailes
21. Sam Rayburn
20. Barry Goldwater
19. Earl Warren
18. **** Cheney
17. Bobby Kennedy
16. William F. Buckley
15. Hillary Clinton
14. George H. W. Bush
13. Mitch McConnell
12. Nancy Pelosi
11. Rush Limbaugh
10. Lyndon Johnson
9. Eleanor Roosevelt
8. Barack Obama
7. Richard Nixon
6. John F. Kennedy
5. Ronald Reagan
4. Dwight Eisenhower
3. Harry Truman
2. Martin Luther King, Jr.
1. Franklin D Roosevelt
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