My favorite presidents

Yes, today is Presidents Day, or as I prefer to call it, Washington's and Lincoln's Birthdays (Observed). Cause, you know, James Buchanan just ain't worthy.

So, I thought I'd have some fun and name you my 10 favorite commanders-in-chief. This is purely subjective, ruled by the heart instead of the head, no serious scholarly considerations. In other words, this is my list. I know you have yours, too.

1. Abraham Lincoln. No question here, really. My Southern Partisan friends (that title is capitalized for reasons they'll understand) will disagree and that's their prerogative. But, for me, Lincoln is the most human of all 44 presidents, in the very best of what that means. He was self-learned, wise beyond his years, decent and politically shrewd, finally found the right general to win the war. Oh, and he weaved wonders with words.

2. Theodore Roosevelt. Brash and bookish, Progressive and hawkish, TR was something for everybody. He's my kind of Republican, perhaps the true Eighth Wonder of the World, the likes of which we'll never see again.

3. George Washington. For the obvious reasons. Set the mold. Showed tenacity in the face of certain defeat. Didn't really have wooden teeth.

4. Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Unless you're just some serious ideologue, you can't leave FDR off the list. Elected to four terms, provided the steady voice during the Depression, showed personal courage while fighting polio. Had a fantastic cigarette holder.

5. John Adams. Got a bad rap until David McCullough resurrected his image. Perhaps the most decent of all the so-called Founding Fathers. Scholarly, tough, tenacious. His letters to his wife, Abigail, and to Thomas Jefferson are treasures.

6. Thomas Jefferson. Goes hand-in-hand with Adams.
Their friendship/hatred/friendship story is my favorite American saga. Hands down the most intelligent man to ever hold the office. Author of the Declaration of Independence. Had his faults, but so does every name on this list and every person who will read it. Both he and Adams died on the same day -- July 4, 1826. Still gives me chills.

7. Ronald Wilson Reagan. My personal favorite of the presidents in my lifetime.
Played his old lifeguard role and helped rescue us from drowning in the '70s malaise. Stood tall at home and abroad. Made us laugh. Made us believe again. God bless you, Gipper.

8. Richard Milhous Nixon. Go ahead and laugh. Crucify me if you will. I don't care. I've read more about Nixon than any other president and never once have been bored. He's my personal second favorite to Lincoln in a subjective sense simply because the Quaker from California is the American Enigma.

9. Harry S. Truman. The "S" may have stood for nothing, but Truman sure as hell did. Tough little haberdasher from Missouri who came into his own on the battlefield during World War I and escaped the corrupt state machine and FDR leaving him in the lurch to oversee victory in the Pacific during World War II. McCullough also helped resurrect his image.

10. Andrew Jackson. Yes, I know the guy was a bastard. And what he did to the Native Americans is inexcusable. But, he's a complex man, Old Hickory to the core, and I like his mettle and the fact he whipped a would-be assassin when Jackson was a crippled, old man. Plus, I love The Hermitage and the guy who played him in the "Davy Crockett" Disney series (Basil Ruysdael).

Bubbling under:

11. Dwight David Eisenhower The most underrated president of the 20th century. Much more engaged than the grandfatherly figure of the popular stereotype.
Warned us about the rise of the military-industrial complex before anybody knew what he was talking about. Don't miss Stephen Ambrose's excellent two-volume biography, even if he made up the part about interviewing Ike at Gettysburg.

Who are your favorites and why?

What's wrong with 'Presidents' Day

Don't ask me why this bugs me. But it does.

I have a fundamental problem with the notion of "Presidents Day." I've never understood why Washington and Lincoln's birthdays fell by the wayside in favor of this catch all day. You can't tell me that Warren G. Harding and Grover Cleveland and Rutherford B. Hayes deserve to be honored along with George, Abe, TR and the "greats."

Knowing the federal government, I suspect that Presidents Day was designed to lump the Washington and Lincoln birthdays into one, especially in order to not have two holidays so close to one another, rather than an attempt to honor all 43 of our nation's leaders.

Which makes sense. Unlike our friends overseas, we can't be off every time the wind blows. (Well, unless you're Knox County Schools.) But, still...

Here's a more important point. Presidents Day reminds me yet again how ignorant we as a society are becoming about our past. It's downright shameful.

I couldn't believe a recent British survey. Apparently, a sizable number of college-aged English chaps actually think that Sherlock Holmes was real human being, actually out there solving cases on the foggy streets of London, while Winston Churchill was an imaginary character.

Things aren't much better across the pond. Just watch Jay Leno's "on the street" interviews some night on NBC.

All isn't lost, though. Regardless of what you hear, we've got some great high school history teachers in town. Pals Dean Harned and Tim Reeves are two of the best. They make it come alive, like all the good instructors do.

Whenever I hear the phrase "history is boring," I shudder and think to myself, "No, the social studies teacher you had in high school taught it in such a way that made is boring."

Still, I can't help but think we're partially to blame for the ever-increasing lack of historical understanding. Look at the moniker "Presidents Day" on your calendar for just one example...