RateItAll: The Opinion Network

He was a great president.

Washington was a great general but, sorry, not a great president. A bit of a bonehead when it came to anything besides military strategy and land speculation. He managed to preserve the image of being above partisan politics, even politics period, but notoriously gave his ear completely to Hamilton, to the point of alienating Jefferson and Madison so much that they bolted to form their own party. His alleged distaste for partisanship was also compromised by his practice of hosting daily receptions at his home ("levees") for influence-peddlers, a practice he modeled on the routine of Louis XIV, who would assemble the nobility to watch the Sun King rise ("levee"). Despite having Hamilton at his ear, he did little to build up the powers of the national government. As dedicated a slaveowner as one would find in the early republic. But he can be credited for setting good precedents for later generations, even though they were largely empty ones which would be left to Jefferson and Lincoln to break.

Father of this country and first full fledged commander and chief.

I don't kno much about history, but have respect for our 1st president...though I am aware that he was associated w/ the freemason's, and the illuminati, which tells me that if I use my logic, there is a high possibility that he may have been involved in some "under the radar" things

He is the man. He rose above his place and times. No Washington, no USA. It's as simple as that. When I wore a younger man's clothes, in the 1950's, the historians were very critical of him. Today, any historian worth his salt, must sing his praises. I remember reading histories and writing in my diary about the conclusions of the historians in 1955. I was 13 at the time and did not have the skills to weigh the writing. I blush today when I read those items, but such is life.

Latter history is very kind to him.

Horribly overrated, like all military heroes made political leaders. (See Ike.) Let Alexander Hamilton tell him what to do(!), and Adams what to think.

Didn't believe in political parties and gave up a crown and titles when they were offered to him. Wise man...

Washington recognized that the President is an administrator. Administration is what he busied himself with and accomplished competently. It's too bad his vision of an efficient, non-partisan government did not come to fruition.

Thank GOD for George Washington!!!

"Of all of the dispositions and habits which lead to prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports."

Next to Thomas Paine in my pantheon of the Founding Fathers is George Washington. He persevered even when things looked hopeless with the British closing in, his soldiers at the point of mutiny, and other generals conspiring against him. Yet he managed to lick the strongest army in the world. Nor was he a greedy opportunist. As he said, "Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder." He was ready to retire and even had to be convinced to become president. If only great men today had such modesty and sense of fairness.

But thre's more. Everyone knows that he owned slaves. George Washington had the CONSCIENCE to know that slavery and freedom were mutually exclusive. Unlike Jefferson who grossly mismanaged his estate and couldn't afford to free his slaves, Washington handled Mount Vernon superbly and was consequently able to free them. He went so far as to write specific instructions so that they be carried through all the way. (He knew his views were not popular.) He wanted the younger ones to be educated and the older ones to be taken care of. Just as he said, "Let your heart feel for the afflictions and distress of everyone, and let your hand give in proportion to your purse." And he had respect for women too. You gotta hand it to a man who gives his mother the credit she deserves. "All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her."

Not least, this most illustrious George W knew that it is important to "Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all." Our own George W could certainly learn a thing or two from him.

Established a great legacy

Easily the finest man ever to be President.

"If George Washington were alive today, what a shining mark he would be for the whole camorra of uplifters, forward-lookers and professional patriots! He was the Rockefeller of his time, the richest man in the United States, a promoter of stock companies, a land-grabber, an exploiter of mines and timber. He was a bitter opponent of foreign alliances, and denounced their evils in harsh, specific terms. He had a liking for all forthright and pugnacious men, and a contempt for lawyers, schoolmasters and all other such obscurantists. He was not pious. He drank whisky whenever he felt chilly, and kept a jug of it handy. He knew far more profanity than Scripture, and used and enjoyed it more. He had no belief in the infallible wisdom of the common people, but regarded them as inflammatory dolts, and tried to save the republic from them. He advocated no sure cure for all the sorrows of the world, and doubted that such a panacea existed. He took no interest in the private morals of his neighbors...Inhabiting These States today, George would be ineligible for any office of honor or profit."-H.L. Mencken

Without a doubt, the greatest of all the Presidents- the father of our country, George Washington. If not for him, it is arguable that we never would have had a country at all. If not for his strength of character and belief in freedom, the United States would have been a monarchy. Further, I am sick and tired of the "slave-owner" criticism of Washington. First of all, Washington and our founding fathers sacrificed personally to get the wheels of liberty in motion. This in turn led to freedom for slaves in the US. Secondly, every major culture in human history has had a connection to slave trades, and the US was not the last nation to abolish slavery. Third, people of African descent on the American continent were certainly not the only people ever enslaved. And finally, Africans were sold into slavery by other Africans and Muslims. Many of these same people still enslave others to this day. Washington was a great man and the greatest of Presidents, period!

"Washington was the one truly 'indispensable man.' With his towering prestige, unfaltering leadership, and sterling character, he was perhaps the only man in the history of the presidency bigger than the Government itself.....Although his every move could be deemed a potential precedent binding generations unborn, his foot did not slip once. He made no major mistakes--something that cannot be said of any of his successors.....If we must rank Presidents, Washington, in my judgment, deserves the place at the very top."--Historian Thomas A. Bailey, in Presidential Greatness, 1966.

A truly great man and great president, who set the tone for what every president should be; too bad many of his successors did not heed his warnings in his memorable Farewell Address, and descended into political back-stabbing. Washington's every act and statement was carefully, thoughtfully, and eloquently crafted; he is my personal favorite of all the presidents, though Lincoln fascinates me more.

It is hard to overstate the importance of George Washington to the survival of the then young United States. Many historians have stated that no other individual could have taken this office at that time. Washington not only had the respect and admiration of his fellow citizens, but also that of his contemporaries in Europe and elsewhere. Nevertheless, his greatest achievement as president was probably setting the precedent of voluntarily limiting the office to two full terms. A gentlemen's agreement that not only helped peacefully transfer power but also stood until FDR decided he was above the wisdom of this understanding, resulting in a Constitutional Amendment to legally limit the office. Clearly Washington is generally (and correctly) considered one of the greatest American presidents. To specifically address many of the prior reviewers who noted Washington's slave ownership, one must always judge people by their contemporaries. Failing to do so results in everyone ultimately being deemed fools or evildoers for who knows what will be considered foolish or evil in the future. With the modern trend of "animal rights", will all pet owners be labeled evil in the future?

George Washington was one of the greatest men of his time. His comittment to the freedom of his nation, and what he gave and never expected back are truly wonderful. A great leader, and American, who is truly the father of his country.

The general, Captain America, his name is George Washington. Patriot, a real leader, a true American hero.

Lead America to its independence, strong fedaralist and believed in a strong central government.

Defined the role and refused to become a monarch, how could he not get five stars?

The only five-star president. He set the standards for all who came after him. His cabinet was a who's who of the Founding Fathers and the American Revolution; subsequent presidents could only dream of having the same breadth of brain power at their disposal. He was a marvelous consensus-builder, who calmly solicited input from his advisors and then cooly made decisions that, more often than not, tended to please all sides of the debate. And he eschewed the party system, knowing the discord it would cause. If only we lesser mortals could have resisted the temptation. Washington was a true statesman, a war hero, and the father of the greatest republic in history. Even among the legends of his age, he is a giant.

I have to give him a big 5 as he was offered to be King, and he said no, and reluctantly accepted being President, that was a very smart move by a man who knew his stuff and set the elected President as ruler of this country rather than an inheirited ruler. And, sorry, he owned slaves, who cares?? I mean, it was bad but the way of the times, just like we all drive cars now, polluting the air, using up all the resources, people 200 years from now will wonder where our heads were at (if they can still breath that is), you can NOT sit and judge people in a different time from your present one, different worlds! Africans at the time owned slaves in Africa, American Indians raided their enemy camps and made them their slaves, lets not get ahead of ourselves and decide that we or he was bad because of it! Heck, women are slaves in most of the middle east countries today, where is your outrage? Where is out governments outrage? There is none.

He set the precedents for all presidents to follow and it could have been disastrous for the young republic. But he did things right (though even Washington couldn't avoid controversies). Author and historian Larry Schweikart said it best, It's hard to imagine, say, John Adams or Thomas Jefferson setting the same kinds of incredible precedents that Washington set, both for decorum and for efficiency. Adams would have (as he later did) alienated half the country, and Jefferson would have lacked the diplomacy to pull the Federalists along. Washington is the best president in U.S. history.

He should be ahead of Jefferson without a doubt. Probably tied with Lincoln. Without him, there would be no US, none of these other presidents would matter at all, they would probably not have even existed. WE WOULD ALL BE BRITISH AND HAVE REALLY BAD TEETH AND DRINK TEA HOT!!!! But seriously now, the original American Patriot, all of that pride that we all have now, he was the first to have it, and the reason that we all have it now. AND HIS TEETH WERE MADE OF HIPPO BONE, NOT WOOD. He never chopped down the cherry tree either, but everyone knows that.

THE Founding Father of this country. What more needs to be said.

Despite purportedly owning slaves, which was customary at the time, Washington was truly great man. He was the right man at the right time. Slaves, slaves, slaves... GET OVER IT! Every race on earth has been enslaved to another at some point in history. The very word slave comes from Slav or Slavic Slavery is going on in Africa today, wheres the outcry?? Race and racism have become cottage industries in this country, generating billions of dollars annually for the race-baiters. Therefore it will always be with us. If racism were eradicated, there would be no use for the likes of Jackson, Sharpton, McKinney, et al.

I do not understand why this man is not number one on the list. He led a brand new country recouperating from war and full of opinionated, idiotic hot heads for eight years without killing himself. In addition, he got that country throught the first eight years using a completely new governmental system that had never been used in the modern world. You don't get much more amazing than that!!! He didn't want the power, and that kind of person is the only good leader. He did not abuse his power and he left at the right time. In response to the fact that Washington owned slaves, slavery was a morally and socially accepted part of life, espically in Virginia where Washington grew up. Slavery was not viewed as evil and immoral institution as it is today. It is not fair to blame a man for the views and morals of his day. I'm not defending slavery, just the fact that we can't blame Washington for it. The world has not seen since such a morally guided and righteous leader. Washington was an amazing man, probably of the likes the world will not see again. We owe a lot to the man, especially our respect and gratitude.

A great man. A real leader.

He wasn't a great president. He owned slaves; what else can i say. I mean lets see we basically killed off all the Native Americans and forced them to work for us; yea we were wonderful people...

A slave-owner who is on record as trading a slave for a jar of molasses. Sorry, but he doesn't qualify as a great man to me.

A great man. He could have been king and turned this country into a completely different form from what it was. Thank God that our current presidents don't have his power, they certainly don't have his strong ethics. He believed that the government should interfer with the common people as little as possible. He could have taken this country and easily become a dictator. He chose to step aside after 2 terms-great. A great precident for the men who followed him. Others had more terms but it was always understood that it wasn't to become a permanent post for any man. (or maybe someday woman).

Unselfish. Great leader for a new country.

Have to agree with Chalky Studebaker. Heard the same thing, sank those wooden teeth into poor old martha's cherry tree. Or was that he wanted to go to Philadelphia. Anyways gave the dude a 4 for riding the old slave hole once in a while, just like a soda cracker would do.

The first and still one of the best.

Just a man, but in an age where men grabbed power and kept it, Washington was content to serve and step aside.

Established the model for what a president has become, i.e. not a monarch or dictator.

i hear he was a demon in the sack due to his wooden teeth

ShawnMorse, you are a moron. When the war ended, Washington went to the Continental Congress and said something to the affect of, I'm going home now. He did not even want to be elected. He served, set precidents, and did not want the power. He was a simple man. He was the best.

Washington was not a religious person. He rarely mentioned religion, and was very tolerant of all faiths, as well as tolerant of non-theists. Yet for some reason he is held up as a man of God by so many people, and I can't figure out why.

Extremely important for all the precedents he set. Gave presidential office dignity and power.

Not the best president. Maybe a good war hero, but not the best president.

The comment by ShawnMorse shows incredible ignorance. Washington could have had as much power as he wanted, but he was a better man than most. Washington is absolutely the single most important figure in American history.

Was a tough, discipline, yet classy president. He did alot for the U.S. that eventually made us a super power. The only president to get an anonymous vote in his 2 terms in office. I think he should have ran for a 3 term.

Leader .. with all the meanings of this word .. and a model of a powerful personality and a fair leadership

Great President

If you're related to George Washington, isn't there a scholarship for being related to the founding father of our country?

so what he was a failure when it came to Jay's Treaty, look at the Whiskey Rebellion and all else he did for this country!

George Washington, while not a perfect leader, did care deeply about the new and developing nation. In fact, he has come far closer to 'perfection,' an unreachable standard, than many modern 'learned' leaders of the world. He did not begin any wars, served his nation bravely, worked for the common good of the citizens and did not unnecessarily tax his constituents. He is perhaps one of the best leaders of any country in the world.

Washington is the greatest President the Republic ever had for the reason that he chose not to be crowned king and that he gave up the Presidency after 2 terms. Very few national leaders up until that point had ever given up so much power voluntarily. The example always cited is that of the great Roman general Cincinnatus, who gave up power to retire to his farm. Like the great Roman general, Washington went back to him farm at Mount Vernon, Virginia. His example will live on through the ages. In many ways, all the Presidents have to live up to the standard that Washington set for the institution. A new national system of government is successful only if the first executive is a strong one who can bring all parties together; witness De Gaulle in France or Ataturk in Turkey. They are the personification of their nations like Washington is for ours. As President, Washington attempted to make the office above partisanship and he even picked out people from all political persuasions for his cabinet. Of course, he couldn't stay above the fray. The main struggle in the administration was between Alexander Hamilton, the Secretary of the Treasury and Thomas Jefferson, the Secretary of State. Washington actually approved more of Hamilton's stronger nationalism and support of the British as opposed to Jefferson's support of the French and limited government. Jefferson was the odd man out so he left the cabinet and established the Democratic Party. He ran for and won a second term, but it was far less successful than his first one. He was criticized for his aristocratic roots and his lack of devotion to democratic ideas. Washington's reaction to the Whiskey Rebellion was seen as extreme by many, but it was necessary as means to demonstrate that the government was going to enforce the laws it passed. He also had Indian troubles in the West. Washington ended his political career by issuing his Farewell Address. In it, he warned future American leaders not to establish permanent alliances with foreign powers. His advice I believe is still applicable today. Washington was by no means implying that we should pursue an isolationist foreign policy, rather, he was telling us not to establish special connections with other countries that ignore realpolitik. He believed that our foreign relations should be even handed and considerate of American interests. Washington was one of America's wisest leaders who lead the nation through the treacherous waters of the late-18th Century. I believe this nation wouldn't have survived had Washington not exerted his leadership at that critical time.

As Americans, we all owe a profound debt of gratitude to this man. While certainly not a perfect leader, he exhibited the moral leadership that guided our young republic through a period of great uncertainy regarding its future. Having served his country for nearly two decades prior, Washington clearly had the option of returning to Mount Vernon and leaving the enormous task of establishing a government to others. However, he had such a profound belief in our country's opportunity to be a great shining beacon of freedom and democracy in the world. In presiding over the Constitutional convention and assuming the daunting task of serving as our nation's first Chief Executive, Washington exhibited tremendous leadership skills. As president, he established the modern Judicial system and signed the Bill of Rights into law, thereby establishing the inalienable rights of America's citizens. In declining to run for a third term, Washington set an important precedent that the American presidency was bigger than one man. In answering a tremendous call to service and relinquishing his sword when he knew it was time to do so, he set a profound example for future presidents to follow. Objectively, he had some rather substantial failures in dealing with the emerging issues that faced the great republic. By the end of his term, France and the United States were nearly at war, largely due to Washington's ineffective management of the growing crisis. Furthermore, Washington was perhaps the only man that would have been able to negotiate a reasonable compromise on the issue of slavery and perhaps spare the thousands of lives that would be lost in the Civil War. However, Washington's greatness is quite evident. He led our nation through a period of great uncertainty and because of him our nation has endured for over two centuries. Like all leaders, he had his faults, but he was a deeply humble man whose greatest attribute was his profound faith and belief in the promise of a young republic to be a beacon of freedom and democracy throughout the world.

For some reason I don't remember him? lol I cannot really rate the Man, too long ago. That was a whole different time.

George Washington was a great general in the Revolutionary War, but his presidency was sort of mediocre. He did help to hold the country together though--at least through his term.

Set the tone and presidence for future presidents.

I think it is quite obvious that he was a great man. Such a powerful, strong leader. He definately deserves his portrait on the dollar bill.

His greatest achievement wasn't so much what he did, as what he didn't do. He could have been king, yet he choose accept equality with the people.

Only man for the job. . .who knows how our history would have been different if he didn't do such a good job. Unlike Caesar, Napoleon, et.al. Washington left power at the right time and never betrayed the principles of the revolution.

To put it simply, he was a great man. How could anyone give the father of our country anything less than a 5? He was a great general, playing a vital role in our independence from Britain, and he was a tremendous leader, full of hope and nobility in a time of uncertainty and vulnerability.

The person we needed for the time a great President and General.

George Washington was the perfect first President of the United States. He was a wonderful leader to both his men and to his country. He was also a Christian with a strong faith in God. I read recently that as an aide to Gen. Edward Braddock, he escaped injury although four bullets ripped his coat and two horses were shot from under him.

simply the best

Yes the man set the path for the future American presidents..."expansion through extermination". The man also really did nothing in office, the only thing about him during his presidency is that he was the first, of a long line of horrible, violent people. I don't really get the raping slaves thing. Maybe it's true but Washington was kinder to his slaves then most other presidents. None the less he owned slaves, rampaged through Native towns slaughtering all. But I suppose the majority of you find this excusable because of the time. Since that's what most European decendants where doing.