Teachable Moment: The 7 Coolest Presidents

This is the writer's opinion (from NPR) and choices, but it still is kind of fun at this moment when emotions are very high entering the last six weeks of the election campaign just to relax for a minute.

Shades, and is that a Blackberry?

The 7 Coolest Presidents In American History

http://www.npr.org/2012/09/06/160679959/the-7-coolest-presidents-in-american-history  

I am not putting these pics in the order that the writer did; you'll have to read the article. 

President Obama plays basketball, too.

Yep, that's a saxophone.

 

 

Must've beeen the 'stach

President Bill Clinton was the first candidate to go on late night television. Now it is common. At the time (1992), it was considered cool.

 

Teddy Roosevelt was so cool on so many levels, but the 'stache must have really been it.

First TV debates--Kennedy on the left.

 

 

 John F. Kennedy was young, charismatic and many thought handsome like a movie star; especially when standing next to Nixon, who probably would have won the election if not for television.

He chopped his own wood, too.

 

 

 Reagan had actually been a movie star before being elected. It is said he could put anyone at ease in his presence; and had a good sense of humor. The Irish gift of gab.

Thomas Jefferson, you charming fellow.

Jefferson brought ice cream, republicanism, and the democratic style handshakes to the White House, which, apparently, Americans thought all that very cool after stuffed shirts like Adams and Washington. And, from that painting, I'm thinking blue hair wasn't for old ladies at that time.

FDR with friends.

 

And another Roosevelt. The writer has other reasons than I do for including him. To overcome debilitating polio and encourage the world through a major economic depression and then WWII--wow, that's quite a man. And he had to deal with Churchill and Stalin as allies, Hitler as an enemy. That's amazing; and he says, "You have nothing to fear but fear itself." On December 7, be sure to listen to the recording of his address to Congress on American Rhetoric.

The writer had a runner-up, which I now include because this is such a great picture. George Bush.

President George W. Bush dances with members of the KanKouran West African Dance Company during a Rose Garden event to mark Malaria Awareness Day at the White House on April 25, 2007.