As with most bell curves, the broad middle interested me less, though, having come through the lower grades being indoctrinated with the hoary truism that we as Americans should treasure Honest Abe and The Father of Our Country above all other mortals, I was perplexed to find Washington in there with a shedload of Averages. Much, much later (like a couple of years ago), I learned from a semi-academic writer that this was attributable to his second term, when the departure of the great minds from his cabinet left everybody a peek behind the curtain and when he went all Dick Nixon against those who disagreed with his policies.
Read More