America's greatest american?

So, I'm sure every American blogger who has any political opinions are blogging (or will soon) about the winner of the 'Greatest American' show.

In case you didn't get sucked into it (which I was able to do for the most part, but I did watch the last episode), it was basically a poll where you could vote for the greatest American who ever lived. As with all list shows, it was rediculous and only served to highlight the ignorance of those voting.

Here is the final 5, in order:

5: Benjamin Franklin
4. George Washington
3. Martin Luther King, Jr.
2. Abraham Lincoln
1. Ronald Reagan

One of these things is not like the other. I mean, come on! Reagan?!?! Sure, he was president, and a lot of people really liked him, and maybe he even did a lot of stuff, but the greatest American of all time?!?! Reagonomics is more important than leading the colonies to victory in the Revolutionary War and establishing innumerable practices, policies, precendents and programs that are still in effect over 200 years later? Iran Contra was more important than freeing the slaves? 'Tear down that wall' is more important than 'I have a Dream'?

Any of the other top 4 (or a few others -- Jefferson, Hamilton, probably a couple others) would've been fine with me for the top spot. Reagan in the top 10 is imcomprehensible, but number 1? Wow.

As evidence that the entire top 100 is nothing short of absurd, here are a few of the highlights (I can't seem to find a list in order):

• Ellen Degeneres


• Brett Favre


• Dr. Phil (if he even beat Ellen and Brett, it's an offense to common sense -- his major accomplishment is listed as a 'no-nonsense talk show host'. it's not even an accomplishment!)


• A bunch of actors: Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Mel Gibson, etc.


• Rush Limbaugh


• Madonna


• Oprah Winfrey (#8!!!!!)


• George W. Bush (#6 -- obviously, I'd be betraying my bias here if I didn't also mention that I don't think Clinton should've been on the list either. He was #7).

I think part of the problem with Reagan, or any of the more recent people on the list, is that there hasn't been enough time to see if their accomplishments will actually mean anything in the long run. How will Dr. Phil be viewed in 50 years? In 50 years, will anyone remember Brett Favre outside of football buffs? How about in 200 years? Will anyone remember whatever it is that Ellen Degeneres is listed for? Will the war in Iraq be viewed in hindsight as the moment when America ceased to be America, or will it be viewed as the moment that America turned the world around? I'm pretty sure that in a hundred years, we'll still be talking about the contributions of Washington, Franklin, Lincoln, and King.

At least with the modern presidents and such on the list, there's a chance that their accomplishments will be the cause for great things, but Oprah?

As with any internet poll, or other completely self-selecting voting group, this list is less than useless. It does absolutely nothing to actually define greatness, or what makes a great American. Mostly, it just proves that Americans don't understand or care about history, and that the Greatest American was no more important than VH1's '100 Greatest Kid Stars.' Heck, I'd even bet that in 50 years, more people remember Gary Coleman that Dr. Phil.