Just my thoughts on the “greatest president” thing. (Please note: If you have studied enough history to have an opinion, you have my respect.)

I respect both presidents greatly.

Take the one—a homely, motherless boy, with no encouragement to learn (he did his lessons with a burned stick on the back of a shovel), no rich relations to help him out, nobody that he could ever call his mentor, nothing but a burning desire to learn and to be somebody.

You’ve got to respect that.

Then the other—born into every privilege, given by nature every possible talent and attribute, entitled to think of himself as naturally born to rule, hanging on by a thread at Valley Forge, tricking the British with his misinformation, defeating what was then the world’s greatest army, and then…happily going home to farm.

Gotta like that, too.

On the one hand you’ve got the greatest speech given in this country, on the other you’ve got a man that could inspire by small act and word . You’ve got two wars that had to be won. You’ve got two men that did what they had to do, but which few others could have done, and in the doing brought liberty to millions.

I am proud to call myself an American if what they are is American.