Greatest American

[WhaWhaWha]

Harry Boyle
Homer Simpson
Hank Hill
Peter Griffin

 

[someone]

I voted Washington, Lincoln, JFK and Martin Luther King.

I'm surprised that Scott Francis key and Andrew Jackson aren't nominated. Jackson and his troops further established America as an truely independent union by defeating the British army.

If you’re referring to the battle of New Orleans, the peace treaty had already been signed ending the war but neither side knew this (they forgot to check their e-mail ). Thus, it had no effect on the outcome of the war nor the terms that ended it.

 

[strange1]

Don't Americans have their own culture or do they have to go on stealing our ideas!! LOL

Ben Franklin, from history
JFK for what he means to people
Lance Armstrong for inspiration

Although Homer simpson would be perfect.

Some other comments.

Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong - only as role modes overcoming obstacles

Neil Armstrong - what did he do excpet climb out of the capsule? I guess he represents the all the hard working scientists, engineers, and technicians.

George W. Bush - the "typical" brash american

Bill Clinton - um, cigars?

Walt Disney, Henry Ford - Nazi sympathizers?

Thomas Edison - Great choice

Albert Einstein - spent much of his proffesional life before going to the US. More of a world citizen

Bill Gates - rich as hell

Billy Graham - rich as HELL

Bob Hope - for USO shows?

Thomas Jefferson, Ben Franklin - as founders although their political views tended to what would be very elitist, non-PC

John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks - are great as symbols, not nessecarily for their direct contribution

Martin Luther King Jr. - figurehead for a very successful and positive change
Eleanor Roosevelt - similar to king, definitely not for looks

Elvis Presley, Oprah Winfrey ???? both were fat?

Ronald Reagan - I can't remember what he did LOL, don't know if it's for his acting or reaganomics

Franklin D. Roosevelt - Depression president, started many social programs

George Washington - as a military leader

The Wright Brothers (who count as one) - the whole first powered flight thing is debated but propoganda makes the truth.

 

[someone]

I'm surprised at Albert Einstein - only because he did not move to America until he was 54 years old! His Relativity discoveries and much of his work was done in Germany. I know that he was instrumental in designing the nuclear bomb used in WWII while he was in America, but I am curious about why they would include him on the list. I guess they thought his contribution to be so great that he should be included.

I think that the reason they included him is the same as the reason Canada, Britain and New Zealand have all issued postage stamps implying that Ernest Rutherford is their own, or that the United States, Canada and Scotland all claim Alexander Graham Bell. For that matter in adding up Nobel prizes, the University of Chicago claims anyone who has ever taught a single course for them and latter won a Nobel prize. Everyone likes to share the credit of smart people.

 

[3Tees]

Someone - your point is well-taken. I just find it interesting, as most people know that he spent only about 25 years of his life in America. Maybe the list should be the 25 people who have done the greatest things for America.

By the way, if we follow the logic you imply, and everyone wants to take credit for smart people (which I think is true), I guess every country in the free world should be issuing a postage stamp with Sheik's image on it. I'm sure he'd enjoy being licked by billions of people!

 

[markvee]

Don't Americans have their own culture or do they have to go on stealing our ideas!! LOL.

We Canadians at the CBC:

http://www.cbc.ca/greatest/

stole the idea from the British at the BBC:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/greatbritons.shtml

I look forward to the American results.

 

[Ron Mexico]

Lance Armstrong? what a joke. The guy is a complete A-Hole

If any sports stars are on the list I would vote for Babe Ruth who bacically made baseball the national pasttime. Ali is a good choice too.

 

[Cool Dude]

Work in progress...

Entertainment: Irving Berlin, George M Cohan
Sports: Babe Ruth, Jim Thorpe, Ali,
Military: Eisenhower, Washington, Robert E Lee
Politics: Lincoln, Washington, FDR, Jefferson
Science: Edison, Bell, Salk, Wright Brothers
Human Rights: ML King, Evers, Rosa Parks
Industry: Ford, Gates, Howard Hughes
Music: Sinatra, Elvis, Miles Davis, Bernstein
Acting: Hepburn, Streep, Tracy, The Duke
Media: Ben Franklin, Will Rogers
Movies: De Mille, Spielberg, Disney
Art: O'Keefe, Remmington, Norman Rockwell

 

[Peter Griffin]

I agree with you, Homonger,

I guess that almost all the recent presidents are nominated is because the people at Discovery Channel are trying to be bipartisan, or at least trying to appear to be bipartisan. They don't want to be questioned about their political views or motives. People tend to be very blindly subjective and stubborn when it comes to recent politicians and the ideas they represent. So I guess if the folks at Discovery Channel nominated Clinton, they HAD to nominate George W. Bush as well to be safe, or vice versa.

Speaking of Woodrow Wilson, I think both him and Teddy Roosevelt should've been nominated although they differed in many aspects. How could they have not been nominated?

The nominee list provided by Discovery Channel is ridiculous.

 

[homonger]

I only watched the show for the first time the other day, so I'm not really sure of the specifics of how people got nominated in the first place. I don't know if the Discovery Channel created the list, or if they asked Americans to generate the list. BTW, Teddy Roosevelt was on the list.

As for Einstein, yes, he lived a relatively short part of his life in America, but he did become an American citizen, and died there, so I guess that's why he counts.

 

[Peter Griffin]

I didn't get to watch the whole show tonight but it's down to 5 now. I agree with the new list completely. The list is based on phone and internet voting so far. I was really bothered before that Discovery Channel nominated a couple of entertainers/jackasses/celebrities on the Top 100 list. But now my faith in American people is restored. These 5 are truely the greatest Americans. It's tough to pick one of them as the greatest, but I guess I'd go with Lincoln.

George Washington
Abe Lincoln
Martin Luther King
Ronald Reagan
Ben Franklin

 

[homonger]

Franklin, okay.

Lincoln, definitely.

Washington, no doubt about it.

King, for sure.

But Ronald Reagan? Come on! How does he rate ahead of Edison, FDR, or Jefferson? I don't see it.

I would vote for Washington. Without him, Lincoln has no union to preserve, King no civil rights movement to lead, and Reagan has nothing to beat the Evil Empire with. And I'm sure we'd still have lightning rods, libraries, and hospitals even without Franklin. They'd just all be British.

 

[Peter Griffin]

Well, I guess maybe Reagan is debatable. Most credit him with the collapse of USSR, the fall of communism and the fall of Berlin Wall, etc... Few say he doesn't deserve the credit. However all agree that he was one of the most charismatic presidents and a great orator.

I think that IF he deserves the credit of the above events, he deserves to be in top 5. He established America as the sole global power. For this alone he deserves a very special place in history. He proved(debatable) that freedom and democracy would prevail. And freedom and democracy are what America stands for.

Yeah I'd say he's one of the greatest.

 

[homonger]

I think that IF he deserves the credit of the above events, he deserves to be in top 5. He established America as the sole global power. For this alone he deserves a very special place in history. He proved(debatable) that freedom and democracy would prevail. And freedom and democracy are what America stands for.

Yeah I'd say he's one of the greatest.

Well, that's the thing. I don't think he deserves the credit for the above events. And if you want to talk about proving freedom and democracy would prevail, then the president who embodies that is FDR. Don't get me wrong, he did many good things and was an effective president, but one of the five greatest Americans ever? No way.

"So tell me, future boy, who's President in 1985?"

"Ronald Reagan".

"Ronald Reagan! The actor? And who's Vice-President? Jerry Lewis?"

This has nothing to do with the debate, I just think it's funny.

 

[solitaria]

My three.

Bill Clinton
Martin Luther King Jr.
Thomas Edison


Ironically, I think the worst president America has ever had made the list in George W Bush. Only mental midgets whose perception is blinded by religion and patrotism would vote for him. In no way can you say Bush has made the world more enlightened and a better to live in. He's just a puppet in the pockets of big business and campaign contributors.

 

[unshavencuban]

my vote is for Bruce Springsteen

 

[gypsy121]

Thomas Jefferson. I think a lot of credit that goes to Washington is more rightly deserved by Jefferson. He wrote the Declaration of Independence. He was very much a free thinker (despite the religious right today trying to claim him as one of their own). He was adamant that the US be free of religion in their political process and it lasted for over 200 years before George W. changed that. Maybe in 100 years George W. will be remembered as the greatest American. The one who brought about the rise of small minded religious zealots into the offices of the Capital. Ok they probably won't phrase it that way. One thing I am pretty sure about though, you won't be permitted to vote for Muhammed Ali!!

gypsy

 

[Peter Griffin]

Well, the voting is over.

The greatest American is Ronald Reagan, followed by Lincoln, Dr. King, Washington and Franklin, in that order.

I was a little surprised with the results. I guess voters having fresher memories with more recent figures helped Reagon. His recent passing and funeral probably also helped.

I personally don't see him as THE greatest, but he definitely personified All-American image. Cowboy hats, gummy bear, good looks, down to earth, charming....

 

[WhOiSyOdAdDy?]

I don't see why they called it the "greatest american", as it is just the most popular american at this point in history.

 

[funguy07]

Ironically, I think the worst president America has ever had made the list in George W Bush. Only mental midgets whose perception is blinded by religion and patrotism would vote for him. In no way can you say Bush has made the world more enlightened and a better to live in. He's just a puppet in the pockets of big business and campaign contributors.

I admire your perception on this one!!