George Washington for President in 2008

Breed's Hill Institute ^ | 02-22-2008 | Breed's Hill

[stand_your_ground]

WHY ARE YOU SUPPORTING GEORGE WASHINGTON FOR PRESIDENT?

ANSWER: People are always complaining that there are no great leaders today. The truth is that the only reason we don't have great leaders is because we don't demand them. By supporting George Washington....

[stand_your_ground]

I don’t care if you insult me, but insulting George Washington seems a tad ungrateful on his birthday, don’t you think? I think it’s also fair to point out that virtually EVERYONE in the academy makes it their business to “demythologize” the founders every day. (They wouldn’t want modern secularist college students having any heroes, now would they?) It’s that kind of thinking I find insulting and spoiled.

[x]

I'm convinced we have a diluted view of most historical characters. George Washington was probably as bit of an opportunist as anyone else. When I was in college, I became aware of a book named George Washington's Expense Account.

But Washington didn't "run for President." He didn't put himself forward for the office.

Or for top commander. Or for chairman of the Constitutional Convention. His peers demanded that Washington serve.

So in that very important way he was probably less of an opportunist than other politicians or maybe even the rest of us.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Below is from George Washington’s Farewell Address!

Warns against the party system.
“It serves to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration....
agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one....
against another....
it opens the door to foreign influence and corruption...
thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.”

Stresses the importance of religion and morality.
“Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths,
which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice?”

On stable public credit.
“...cherish public credit.
One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible...
avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt....
it is essential that you...bear in mind, that towards the payments of debts there must be Revenue,
that to have Revenue there must be taxes;
that no taxes can be devised, which are not...inconvenient and unpleasant...”

Warns against permanent foreign alliances.
“It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world...”

[Mrs. B.S. Roberts]

I also did a report on “Washington’s Expense Account” in college...fascinating subject! It was amazing how he offered his services for free and that all he requested was that his expenses were paid for. How generous of him!
In fact this turned out to be the beginning of excessive government spending.

You know the old saying, “George Washington slept here...”
The real reason he slept in so many inns during the revolutionary war instead of in troop housing (tents etc) was that the tab was being picked up by the new taxpayers.

I also marvelled at the entries regarding his misplacement of his pistol.

[stand_your_ground]

You know the old saying, “George Washington slept here...” The real reason he slept in so many inns during the revolutionary war instead of in troop housing (tents etc) was that the tab was being picked up by the new taxpayers.

It was not at all clear that the new "taxpayers" would be prevailed upon to pay anything at all. Many of the Pennsylvania farmers were in fact selling produce to the British for English gold, as opposed to our troops for Continental credit. You obviously haven't spent much time in 18th century day books, because tavern expenses were very common for Continental officers. Washington was paying for these expenses out of his own pocket, with the very dim hope that someday, a free republic would pay him back. Many of the colonial gentry, considerably less comfortable than Washington in civilian life, were hedging their bets and not participating in the struggle that gave you, among others, a free nation. Your commentary is the prattling of an ingrate.

[Verginius Rufus]

It’s good someone remembered that Feb. 22 is George Washington’s birthday (New Style, anyway). (He was born before the calendar reform of 1752, and I read somewhere that he continued to think of Feb. 11 as his birthday).

[Ptaz]

I never insulted you and I never insulted George Washington. I was just stating a quirk of history that I found interesting and you took it in an insulting manner and started all this. I know some people on FR enjoy fighting but I’m not one of them. I have felt a little insulted by your responses and I guess you enjoy that.

[Ptaz]

Yep, he’s a wonderful man, but he’s human too. If more people could find the human side of history, we probably wouldn’t see so many distortious or re-writing of history today.

[stand_your_ground]

You called the father of our country “an opportunist,” and you don’t expect to get your nonsensical, junior-college evaluation fired back at you? You shouldn’t be in the kitchen if you don’t like the heat.

[fortheDeclaration]

Yes, for some on FR, he wouldn’t be conservative enough!

[fortheDeclaration]

I’m not going to argue with you. You’re not hearing me. He was a man—and I didn’t say he was a bad man. He was just human. Don’t make him a saint.

He was a great man.

[fortheDeclaration]

The NY Times would be running stories about his wooden teeth 24-7.

LOL!

[Keith Brown]

“When I was in college, I became aware of a book named George Washington’s Expense Account. Here is a snippet of the editor’s review of that book—judge for yourself.”

Ok I am not starting a flam war, but I have heard that even though that book was de bunked the leftys keep using it as another reason to insult Washington.

[Washington in 08]

I am the campaign director for Washington 08 and I am very pleased to see so many citizens debating the General’s record. I encourage you all to go to the “You” page on our campaign website at GeorgeWashington08.org and send your questions directly to the General. Answers will be posted as he is able to give time to them.
I’m sure that there will be positions that you both agree with and disagree with in our campaign but Washington is the only candidate that has first hand knowledge of the Constitution’s intentions when written. It’s our Constitution not the Government’s.

Success to Liberty and Victory to Washington,
D.H.T. Shippey
Campaign Manager
Washington 08