By the Maui Curmudgeon (1ST IN A 43-PART SERIES)

So, we’re close. It appears it’s going to be Barack Obama versus John McCain running to be the 44th President of the U.S.

How do they stack up? I thought I’d find out. I’m reading biographies of all 43 presidents, in the order of their administrations, and it’s an enlightening task.

For example, for reasons I can’t much explain, George Washington has always been a bit of a murky figure to me. Perhaps it’s because in our nation’s brief history, he was a long time ago. We tend to know more about the more recent presidents. Reading abut him, I was astounded by the quality of the man, and his unique abilities. It turns out the stories weren’t just good PR. To counterpose: in reading about Thomas Jefferson, I was underwhelmed – considerably. I don’t undertand what all the fuss is about with him. In fact, frankly, he seems to be a bit of a prissy, whining pain in the ass hypocrite, but then, I get ahead of myself.

Well, let’s get to it. For each man (a word that sadly appears to remain unerringly accurate even during this election), I’ll tell you briefly the pros and cons of my discoveries, the interesting bits, and how I’d rank him. For comparison, I’ll give you the 1982 Murrary-Blessing ranking, a survey of hundreds of leading historians who ranked each president by number. This survey is the gold standard of presidential rankings and is most cited when this kind of thing needs bringing up in media.

GEORGE WASHINGTON  (1789-1797)

THE BAD:

1. Would not have won the Revolutionary War without the French. In fact, we didn’t win the war, the French won it for us.
2. Trusted two men in his cabinet he should not have: Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Chaos ensued.
3. All the bad things you’ve heard and read about his teeth were true.

THE GOOD:

1. Didn’t lose the Revolutionary War – which is not as prissy as it sounds. The colonies faced overwhelming odds, British manpower and training and supplies. It was without a doubt Washington alone who kept the army alive, moving and occasionally successful.
2. Was President of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, and as such, framed, with James Madison, our current constitution. His importance here cannot be overestimated. Our constitution is shaped the way it is because Washington wanted it that way.
3. Set the gold standard for presidential action. He was keenly aware that everything he did would set a precedent, and he kept a strong historical eye on all his work. His refusal to run for a third term (the presidency was his until his death if he wanted it) set the bar: no man who won the office until 1940 dared run for a third term, because if two were good enough for Washington, they were damn good enough for everyone else too.
4. Evolved, like every great person. The revolution, the constitution, the presidency, all changed Washington, and in many respects made him a more enlightened man. He freed his slaves eventually. In fact, his wife Martha made sure they had clothes and some money when they were sent free into the world.

INTERESTING FACTS:

• He was a strong and huge man, sometimes towering over his contemporaries by more than a foot.
• Despite above, and his being an enormous target on the field of battle, he was never injured, though he was often in the middle of the battlefield.
• He was bled to death, and some historians feel he was tired, and wanted to die, far earlier than he might have.

MURRAY-BLESSING RANKING: #3 (!)

MY RANKING: 100%. No one else comes close.

Recommended Reading: Washington: The Indispensable Man by James Thomas Flexner