President's Day

Today was President's Day. When I was a kid February included Washington's birthday and Lincoln's birthday. Now, having added more national, state and local holidays to the calendar, we are forced to roll the celebration of the two greatest Presidents into a day to recognize all 44 chief executives.
Hey liberals: today is a day to honor George W. Bush. Bet that ticks you off.
Not so fast with the chuckle Republicans, it is also Jimmy Carter's big day.
Today we celebrate Martin Van Buren, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Herbert Hoover and, yes, Richard Nixon. In politics they talk about riding the coattails of a more popular President. On President's Day a bunch of them ride Washington and Lincoln's coattails.
What makes a great President? To me it is someone who changes the thinking of the body politic. Washington created the institution and changed the notion of an infallible, appointed for life, chief executive or monarch, to an elected official answerable to the people who still must, at some point, give up power.
Lincoln changed the thinking that the Union could somehow exists with two sets of rules for basic human rights. The nation, and in some sense the world, was never the same.
In the 20th Century Franklin Roosevelt persuaded the electorate that the government could and should be the engine for driving the economy and providing a social safety net. The nation's view of the role of government continues to be debated even as recently as last week.
Ronald Reagan changed the idea that the Cold War had to continue with a series of concessions and accommodations to the Soviet Union. The United States emerged as the lone global superpower, a role that we have struggled with ever since.
These four Presidents dramatically changed the thinking and conventional wisdom of their times.
Other Presidents have left indelible impressions, even if not as significant. Teddy Roosevelt created the President and his family as a personalies to be reported on by the press. Nixon reminded us the election to the nation's highest office can occur in spite of deep personal demons. Clinton forced a national conversation on what the definition of "is" is. Clinton also got us talking about a few other definitions, but that is a topic for a later day.
Some were not there long enough for us to fully assess. William Henry Harrison only had a month. John F. Kennedy served a mere thousand days. Gerald Ford was not elected and did not serve a full term.
Others we appreciated more after they left. History has been kinder to Harry Truman than his time in office was. Eisenhower has been shown to be much more shrewd than was thought at the time. John Quincy Adams fought slavery in the House of Representatives for many years after he left the White House.
While I would still like the second holiday back this month, it is good to pause, remember and thank the 44 who have served in the nation's highest office. Yes, that means W and Jimmy too.