Ten more again

  1. Jimmy Carter — a successful man in everything except the presidency
  2. Jimmy Stewart — not even among the greatest actors
  3. John Edwards — is there some other John Edwards? surely this isn’t the one-term senator
  4. John Glenn — marine officer, game show contestant, astronaut, Senator, back in space in his seventies
  5. John F. Kennedy — lots and lots of points for not ending the world during the Cuban missile crisis but name something else he accomplished
  6. John Wayne — actors become the best by pretending to be other people; can an actor be a great American?
  7. Johnny Carson (John William Carson) — another tough one (and another I’ve seen in person); does he get credit for keeping the national discourse on a higher plane while he was such an influence?
  8. Jonas Edward Salk — NewMexiKen saw enough of polio as a child to know what Salk did
  9. Joseph Smith Jr. — Brigham Young surely, but not Smith
  10. Katharine Hepburn — fine actress; what else?

3 thoughts on “Ten more again”

  2. Yeah, but they’re two of the 13 on the list I’ve seen in person. To think that I’ve seen 13 of the greatest Americans.

    Besides, I’ve eliminated 35 out of 60 at this point, what do you want from me?

  3. I think you have to keep Glenn. His persona was pretty important to the early success of NASA.

    Carson….well, I know you have a soft spot for him, NewMexiKen….but TOP 100?

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