Everyone seems to have a favorite president. It's like having a favorite color or food, or a favorite sports team. You feel an inexplicable and rather insipid loyalty to someone you've probably never met -- someone who may have died before your grandparents were even born. It's a personal connection to the past that most people probably never give a second thought. Why should they?
My favorite president was a master of language, a student of philosophy, the architect of the Louisiana Purchase, and a Founding Father. Thomas Jefferson is widely seen as the main author of the Declaration of Independence, which is the draw I think he possesses for me. The words themselves are eloquent yet raw, direct yet inconspicuous; he was clearly brilliant. But, it least for me, the power of the words, not the words themselves, is more incredible:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
He must've had some idea that these words had a certain potential, but did he know that one day everyone in America would be able to recite them? Above all, that is his mystic quality for me. Through his language, he lives on -- somewhat disguised and somewhat ignored, because, for most, his words are more known than his name. In addition, he was just a cool guy. I mean, he had every job under the sun, and he was basically a literary genius. Oh, and he doubled the size of the country literally overnight (no big deal, right?).
Being the history nerd I am, I tend to judge other people on who their favorite president is. It's not so much judging in the pejorative sense, I just think I gain insight about people from their answers. So, don't be shy. Who's your favorite president?
And if you're also interested into the aesthetic nature of presidental favorites, check out this article by Clinton Cargill!
< Histrophile >
Anyone who knows me knows I'm a huge Kennedy-phile. But one thing I think is interesting and often confused is the difference between your favorite president and who you think was the best president. These are often different. Though I find Kennedy fascinating and think he was awesome, I by no means make the argument that he was the best president in history.
ReplyDeleteThat is a fine line. In my case, I think that Jefferson is my favorite because of the fact that I think he was a great president and awesome intellectual. But, especially with more modern presidents who are not only politicians but national celebrities, people can become more intreseted than the man himself than the man in the office.
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