So how do we best evaluate our gallery of presidential candidates?
Although it may not draw much fanfare, February 22 is the birthday of George Washington, our country’s first president. From our nation’s very beginning Washington set the standard for U. S. presidents.
Several years ago, Richard Benedetto, political reporter for USA Today, wrote a column about Washington’s exploits, popularity and character, detailing the reasons why he earned the title, “Father of our Country.”
“Washington was so revered that the nation’s capital city was named for him,” wrote Benedetto. “Thousands of children born in the newly conceived republic were named after him. Towns, hamlets, schools and even a state bear his name. His portrait was a fixture in nearly every classroom.”
Unanimously elected twice, Washington was the model on which the power ...