Tough men, tough question..

As General George Washington took the oath of office in April of 1789, the fate of the newly formed United States was unclear. Washington’s popularity has never been matched (he still holds the distinction of being the only President elected unanimously by the electoral college- a feat he accomplished twice). The nation was bitterly divided, in tremendous debt, and was being held together by a remarkably weak Army and no real Navy. Washington had no precedents to follow, no judicial branch, and faced a looming conflict with various Indian tribes.

As Abraham Lincoln took the oath of office on March 4, 1861, America was far from a group of United States. South Carolina had seceded from the union, and, together with six other states, formed what became known to be The Confederate States of America. The nation was falling apart, ideologically and literally. Lincoln’s first executive decision was whether he should re-supply Fort Sumter, located along the Charleston Harbor. Doing so would be seen as an act of war. Avoiding the problem would be seen as granting legitimacy to the states in rebellion.

FDR took office in times of great peril as well. In 1933, the nation was in the heart of the Great Depression. Unemployment was astronomically high. As Banks closed, people lost their life savings, with farmers hit especially hard. In January of that year, a former WWI soldier named Adolf Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany. The very system of democracy and capitalism were at stake, as socialists gained power throughout Europe.

These three men took office during the nations most tumultuous of all times. However, let’s not underestimate the dangers our 44^th president will face upon his or her inauguration in 2009. There are no signs that Iraq is improving, income gaps are at their highest since The Gilded Age, forty-six million Americans are uninsured, and (perhaps most importantly) Iran will be very close to having nuclear capabilities. Needless to say, a nuclear Iran would pose a tremendous, even unprecedented, threat against the US and our allies.

Is there a Washington, Lincoln, or FDR out there?

Do men make history, or does history make men? Which of these four presidents assumed the office at the most dangerous time? You can make a case for all four. Who gets your vote?