I was heartened today to find the following after being led to believe that admiration of Thomas Jefferson as a past-president has decreased dramatically in recent years.

From the many polls taken by different organizations since the 1980's through the years 2006-2008, where the adult public is asked to name the greatest president in US history, Thomas Jefferson has been consistently near tenth position -- with his percentage of being named hanging consistently near the 3% level.  Comparably, George Washington has consistently been near the 5th position, being named by roughly 10% of those polled. 

This indicates that the demonizing efforts against TJ during the past 15 years or so have had little if any impact in the general public's mind. 

This of course doesn't make the tactics of such efforts right or inconsequential though.

Neil McDonald

PS - FYI, those consistently named near the top have been Lincoln, Kennedy, Reagan and F. Roosevelt with percentages ranging through the teens, and top position at about 19-20%.   

An aside:
(Anne, please don't start an issue of whether it would have been more correct for TJ 'not' to have pounced on an opportunity and left our US western boundary at the Mississippi River while allowing France and Spain the power to block American trade-access to the port of New Orleans and Natchez.  And, at 4 cents per acre?  Wow!  Additionally, I don't see 'Virginia history' in this topic at all.) 



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