"Name That President" Contest
There have been 42 Presidents of the United States, counting Grover Cleveland only once.
For bragging rights and at least 15 seconds of fame throughout the blogisphere, name a President with fewer lifetime achievements before taking office than those of presumed nominee Barack Obama.
RELATED LINKS: Obama: Next Stop "Hollywood Squares"
Reflections of Barack
The winner will also be eligible for seats to watch filming of Hollywood Squares, starring, uh, well, Barack Obama.
17 comments:
Millard Fillmore
There are none.
BTW, Millard Fillmore had more accomplishments then the Oessiah.
In 1828, Fillmore was elected to the New York State Assembly on the Anti-Masonic ticket, serving for one term, from 1829 to 1831. He was later elected as a Whig (having followed his mentor Thurlow Weed into the party) to the 23rd Congress in 1832, serving from 1833 to 1835. He was re-elected in 1836 to the 25th Congress, to the 26th and to the 27th Congresses serving from 1837 to 1843, declining to be a candidate for re-nomination in 1842.
In Congress, he opposed the entrance of Texas as a slave territory. He came in second place in the bid for Speaker of the House of Representatives in 1841. He served as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee from 1841 to 1843 and was an author of the Tariff of 1842, as well as two other bills that President John Tyler vetoed.
After leaving Congress, Fillmore was the unsuccessful Whig candidate for Governor of New York in 1844. He was the first New York State Comptroller elected by general ballot, and was in office from 1848 to 1849. As state comptroller, he revised New York's banking system, making it a model for the future National Banking System.
Well,Fillmore served as Vice President, served in the military in two wars, served in the House for 11 years, including as Chair of Ways and Means, and was Comptroller for the State of New York.
And, he founded a university which later became the largest school in the New York State University system.
As Vice President, Fillmore presided over the Senate debate on the Compromise of 1850.
Fillmore wins.
That great republican president, herbert hoover.
Filmore would eat Obamas waffle.
Actually Hoover by any standard was one of the most accomplished men to serve as POTUS. Unlike the boastings of BJ Clinton, Hoover actually did save millions of lives directing the relief of Europe after the Great War.
Hoover was tremendously experienced and accomplished. He traveled the world, first as a successfully mining engineer, but as as a humanitarian and representative of the U. S. He held a dozen different federal agencies and served as Secretary of Commerce and was reportedly more widely known than the President.
Sorry, no contest. Hoover wins.
James Earl Carters couple of years in the House of and one term as Governor of a middle sized state beats or at least equals Obamas sad lack of accomplishments. If it ain't Carter then there just ain't nobody. What do you think, Do I Win?
There are no men who have become president with fewer accomplishments than the candidate B. Hussein Obama.
Remarkable.
William Henry Harrison. He had practically no political experience and then died within three months of entering office.
P.S. He was a very accomplished military man who help quell Indian uprisings in the northeast and defeated the British on Lake Erie during the War of 1812.
Grant also had plenty of military but absolutely ZERO political experience.
Harrison was far more experienced and accomplished than Obama, or many others for that matter.
He was governor of a territory, served in both the House and the Senate, served in effect as the U. S. ambassador to Columbia, and as an officer in two wars, creating a legend in one battle.
He was personally responsible for legislation that opened the Northwest Territories to settlement, a little more consequential than "community organizing," I believe.
Chester A Aurthur's main claim to fame was that he was the Collector of Taxes at the New York port, whom he overstaffed with party workers.
David -- Arthur is a closer call than most, but not a winner. He did serve as a brigadier general in the Civil War, and, although for only a very short period, as Vice President. Either of those offices put the push to Obama. That he served for seven years as tax collector for the Port of New York just about evens things out.
Sorry, no win here.
Lincoln
Anonymous -- Lincoln, our 16th President, is closest to Obama's record of achievement, but even being the closest, the distance between them is substantial.
Their years of political service are similar, though Lincoln is far better known for standing when his ideas were unpopular, whether with politicians or voters.
Lincoln was a prolific and successful lawyer who handled more than 5,000 cases, some of which established precedents which changed history. I know of no comparable Obama track record.
Lincoln helped build from scratch a political party that has lasted 150 years.
Like Obama, Lincoln was a convincing speaker, one of the best of his generation. Unlike Obama, however, Lincoln's speeches are as known for the ideas he communicated as for the style with which they were delivered. Lincoln supported grand visions with calls for specific action. Several of Lincoln's pre-election orations still reverberate in history. Are there any words from Obama that are remembered even two weeks after delivery?
So, Lincoln is closest of them all, but closest is not close.
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