Right Wing News has just completed its “Worst Person in America†contest, compiled from nominations by right-of-center bloggers. You’ll have to go over there to see their picks. Mostly unsurprising—the usual suspects. Nancy Pelosi among the worst people in America? Puh-leeze. Not even close—she’s mostly just irritating, particularly to opposing partisans.
Frankly, I’m a little surprised and disappointed by the list. I think it consists mainly of near-term political opponents, people of little or no actual influence, and blowhards. That exhibits a remarkable lack of imagination or actual understanding of what’s happened in America over the last, say, 40 years.
Here’s my choice for worst person in America: Robert S. McNamara.
Discuss.
It’s too vague a question: someone with huge positives can have huge negatives in another area. Kissinger was one of the most damaging of our statesmen to our long term interest; on the other hand, realism arguably was a major factor in winning the Cold War. And that’s just in the same sphere. Ann Coulter’s public persona is a horrid person, as with most demagogues, but she brings up many good points that other people just don’t talk about without her impetus. That you have vacuous pop idols and mass murderers and people like Noam Chomsky and we could just go on and on. I would make a good argument, in terms of civil destructiveness, for Thomas Dewey. “Worst” in what way?
We’re limiting ourselves to Americans now living. Otherwise I might mention John Dewey. 😉
Did I actually type Thomas Dewey? In my defense, I was in a hurry to go pick strawberries, cherries and sweet peas from a nearby farm. They are good. (Better, apparently, than my on-the-fly proofreading skills.)
How’d the picking go?
BTW along the Lake Michigan shore there are the most incredible U-Pick blueberry farms. Without doubt the best blueberries I’ve ever tasted and, of course, there’s nothing like fresh. I really should post on this subject.