George Washington: As the first President, he faced circumstances no US president ever would. People forget that when Washington reluctantly took office, no American had ever known an elected leader (having always been under a King), and Washington had no precedents to follow in how he behaved, made decisions, and ran the office.
He had to justify his position to Americans and prove to the skeptical world that the US concept of self-government could work. In addition, this was done at a time of and without compromising the reputation and character of the new repbulic, and for this amazing achievement, Washington stands at the top of the list.
my favorite note of Washington: In 1799, six months before his death, some fellow Federalists urged him to come out of retirement and run for a third term, which he refused, saying that present conditions of politics int eh US made his candidacy irrelevant. In other words, individual character and influence no longer mattered as party politics took over, and a party could "set up a broomstick" and get it elected. This is a fascinating story, becasue it shows that the greatest leader the US has ever seen was already annoyed twenty years in with the political party system's ability to elect a figurehead instead of the best person for the job. Imagine what he would be saying today?
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