This week in class we will talk about the Presidency. This Monday, the nation celebrates George Washington's birthday, commonly known as President's Day. So, in honor of our first President, I decided to blog this week about the men who have served our nation as "Commander in Chief".
Some of our Presidents have had great courage. George Washington and Dwight D. Eisenhower commanded troops in battle in two of the most important wars in our nation's history. Without their courage, it is hard to say if America as nation would be where it is today.
Some of our Presidents have been great scholars. Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, which remains a model of democratic thought and is studied in political science classes around the world to this day. Woodrow Wilson was the only President to earn a doctorate degree, which he earned in political science.
Some of our Presidents have been great orators. John Adams was considered the "voice" of the revolution. John Kennedy's inauguration address inspired a new generation of Americans to serve their communities. Ronald Reagan was known as "The Great Communicator" and is credited with helping to end the Cold War.
My question to you this week is "Throughout history, who do you think would've made a great President that never held the office?" My answer is Benjamin Franklin. We all know of Benjamin Franklin's famous lightening rod experiment, but did you know he invented many other things including the Franklin stove, bifocals, batteries and the glass 'armonica'? He also formed our nation's first library and fire departments, and founded the University of Pennsylvania. Franklin was a great statesmen, diplomat and politician. He is credited with developing the ideals of the American character. Had he not been so advanced in age, it is possible he would've added 'President' to his long list of accomplishments. So, "Who do you think would've made a great President that never held the office?" Answers are due no later than Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011.
P.S. Okay, okay, most of you didn't seem to like the new changes I made to the blog. I'm going to try the link Steven sent me - thank you by the way. Until then, I've changed the font back to black to avoid hurting anyone's eyes. Sigh.
I honestly think that Martin Luther King Jr could have made a great president. He saw where the future of America needed to be and "had a dream" where every one was equal. To have that equality early in our American history, it may not have taken this long to be able to be more equal. He was a very intelligent man that could have possibly done great things for this country.
ReplyDeleteOn a little bit of a side note, a friend posted this on facebook the other day and I thought it was kind of interesting...
Walt Disney- got fired from a newspaper because he had "no good ideas." Abraham Lincoln- dropped out of grade school, and lost several elections. Albert Einstein- couldn't speak til age 4, couldn't read til 7. Winston Churchill- poor student, and stuttered. Malcolm X- abandoned as a child, and was in prison.....EVERYONE can become something great. It doesn't matter where you start, it's where you end up.
I don't really know if every part of it is true, but I would like to think it is, and if it is, it's pretty awesome.
That is pretty awesome! As far as I know, they are all true! Thanks for posting.
ReplyDeleteI personally think that Susan B Anthony would have made a great president. I know it would have never been accepted back then and even now people are hestiant towards the idea of having a female president; but I think she had the determination to do a job just as this. She went around the country giving hundreds of speeches for womens sufferage. If it wasn't for her, I believe women would have never been given the right to vote until a lot later. She had such a drive for equality and I think that she could have shaped America in a way that would have been beneficial.
ReplyDeletePlease excuse the blog while I am in the process of changing the format. I may be in over my head! For now, please try and post on the site as usual, and if you have problems, please email me your post. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteCaptain John Smith is my choice for who would have been a good president. Captain Smith demostrated himself to be a fair, but tough leader. He had excellent skills in peace making techniques with the Indians and the colonists. He was also a very skilled naturalist which allowed him to feed the colonists and make them self-sufficient. He was not greedy and didn't waste resources. These skills were important not only during colonial times, but now as well.
ReplyDeleteDanisha Brown says...........
ReplyDeleteI’m going to have to agree with Nicole, that Martin Luther King Jr. would have made an excellent president; though during that time in history that would have not realistically been an option. When I think of what he has accomplished I am amazed. I think that he is smiling down from heaven right now. Everyone is able to live as he spoke of "together". Not only did he change the world he impacted people to make a difference and not use violence to solve the problem.
He worked well in uncomfortable situations which is a trait that a president needs to possess. The civil rights movement I don't think would have been nearly as successful without him.
He was a great public speaker. His speeches are so inspiring and liberating. Let's revive him right now! I'd vote for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to be president.
I agree with Nicole I think Martin Luther King Jr could have been an amazing president. He stood-up for what he believed in equality. He was an excellent public speaker and his speeches inspire people today.
ReplyDeleteI also like the new design layout for the blog
Not to jump on the Martin Luther King Jr should be president bandwagon. But in all honesty I couldn't think of another person that I would love to see as president. He did so much without the power of a president, I would've love to see what other accomplishments he could've made.
ReplyDeleteBut because I am in a jokey mood, I would choose Oprah :)
I thought of a few people who might have been great as a president. But after a while, I too, found that Martin Luther King Jr. would have made an excellent leader to this nation. He brought people together when there was no hope for it. He fought hard for equality. He also challenged everyone to stand up for themselves as well as others. Had someone not taken his life, I think we have a better value of life and see so much more change in this world. I truly believe he would be a wonderful president.
ReplyDeleteSusan B. Anthony would have been a great President in the sense of fighting for womens rights. She not only fought for womens rights, but fought for everyones rights as well. She worked for education reform, slavery abolition, labor rights, and womens rights. She worked very hard to give women the right to vote in 1920. She possessed alot of qualities that would have been good for the presidency. She had alot of motivation to ensure change for the good, and working for equality in America.
ReplyDeleteI think MLK would have made an awesome president. I think he had his heart in the right place. But for that to place the minds of America had to be african americas outnumbered the south. also secruity would have to be pretty strong. but also an issue is how would the people react. Even if MLK jr. was a amazing president it could have been over shadowed by possible voience the people could have cause in protest
ReplyDeleteMy first thought would have been MLK, I feel he has the make up to be a powerful leader. Yet also I realize that Martin Luther King may have the problem breaking up church and state. Most presidents are religious however they aren't pastors. Where presidents believe in a high power he felt his calling was to be a pastor, however would that cause him to act best for religious views over whats right for the country even if not okay with his religious calling?
ReplyDeleteWith the above being said I looked decided to think about it past my first person thought. Looking at it with the idea that the person I chose should not just be a well known person however a person that has experience in a political power, that will understand the system of the country, because not just anyone can understand how the country is run fully. This lead me to want either Al Gore, or George Marshall.
Al Gore is a person many of the country knows and was VP for Clinton whom most of the country sees as one of the better presidents in history. If Gore was to take office then he could basically take over where Clinton left off.
George Marshall whom a lot of people should know but might not, is not only a Noble Peace Prize winner, but has past experience in government. A lot of people haven't accomplished as much as he has, showing not only his skills as a US army general but as well as the following; Secretary of State (Truman), Defense (Truman) and Army Chief of Staff. His Military background would lead the country to a better idea of how to end the current war.
My initial thought was actually Ben Franklin as well, for many of the same reasons. Ben Franklin was extremely knowledgeable. Hypothetically speaking, it would've been neat to see Eleanor Roosevelt as president, as she was very active. There are others that I would say the same for, but she was the first that came to mind.
ReplyDeleteI would say Albert Einstein, He was a genius in so many ways. we may have had many advancements had he had the backing.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to people who would have been a great president, I think everyone had very great ideas. My favorite was Ben Franklin, because when I was a little kid I had already thought he was a president. So to strive away from the rest of the majority I had a different idea. My choice was between F. Scott Fitzgerald and Robert Frost. Both have an idea for the world, and if there this good at getting ideas out onto literature, then as a president they could do such great things. . . At the same time I could be completely wrong, but both authors see people in a ways that we don't normally look at each other, so that is the reason why I believe in them.
ReplyDeleteI agree Martin Luther King would have made a good president, but I would hate to just jump on the bandwagon. So, I believe a person that would have made a great president is Colin Powell. He served is a 4 star General, he served as Secretary of State, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and as National Security Advisor. With his military experience and his reputation with world leaders he could be very effective as our national ambassador.
ReplyDeleteI do not know who I would like to have seen/see be president. This is a hard question because all of the people I think should try out presidency probably have no interest in politics. Which could possibly be a good thing, or a horrible wreck. If I had to pick though I would go with Charles Darwin just because he was brilliant and I would love to see what everything would be like if he did become president in the 1880's...with all of his discoveries, beliefs, and ideas.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to choose someone I think would make a good president, I would choose Rudy Giuliani. He was mayor of New York City from 1994-2001. I would choose him because of his leadership displayed during the attacks of 9/11 and his ability to lower crime rates in the city, which directly reflect his principles and leadership ability. With that, I believe he would be an outstanding commander and chief.
ReplyDelete-Alicia Abney
I too would agree with Nicole and others who had the same response. I tried to think of someone else besides Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., but no one really came to mind right away. Dr. Martin Luther King would have made an excellent president. I wasn't around during his time obviously, but from what I have seen and heard and read about him I think he would have been great in office. He was very intelligent and he also possessed the power to stay strong during very difficult situations. Most of all, what impresses me the most, is how peaceful he was. He didn't seek to get revenge on people who didn't like him- instead he wanted to try other ways to make everyone get along. Being able to turn the other cheek when people judge you and talk down to you and do the much more terrible things that were done to him and still try to make peace with them is hard to do once, let alone multiple times. I think anyone who could do what he did would be able to do just about anything they wanted and succeed. I believe he would also have been very trustworthy, so there would be no scandals to deal with like we have had with some more recent presidents and other government officials.
ReplyDeleteSomeone I think that would have made a great president is Alexander Hamilton. He was the first secretary of the treasury and helped in the founding of the US Mint, the first national bank. He also created a system known as the Hamiltonian program that brought financial stability to the government.
ReplyDeleteThis was a difficult question as I do not normally think about this sort of thing and lack a strong interest in politics.
In my opinion the person that i think would have been a great president would be Albert Einstein. Like Benjamin Franklin Albert Einstein was a very smart man who's inventions have paved the way for Americans future. I think with his great knowledge he could really lead this country forward in all different fields.
ReplyDeleteI think Victoria Woodhull would be interesting to see as a president. She was the first woman ever in America to run for president. She played a huge role in the women's suffrage. She was the first woman to open her own newspaper on wall street. A woman with such determination for the rights she believed in would be interesting as a president.
ReplyDeleteTionda Burch
I as well think that Martin Luther King Jr. would have made a great president. He had such strength, determination in everything that he did. He was an amazing public speaker and made so many people believe in a brighter, safer, more equal future.
ReplyDeleteI think honestly I would agree with Stephanie. I feel that Ben Franklin did so much for our country. He did just as much as Washington and Jefferson. I think he would have done well also, because of how intelligent he was. I mean if you're on the hundred dollar bill you kind of have to be important.
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