The Discovery Channel ran a show where Americans could call in/text/online vote for 'The Greatest American." The winner...

Ronald Reagan.

Here are the names that made the top 100:
http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/greatestamerican/top100/top100.html

notable "what the hell?!?!" picks:
Bush, George W.
Bush, Laura
Cruise, Tom
Clinton, Bill
Clinton, Hillary
DeGeneres, Ellen
Edwards, John
Gibson, Mel
Giuliani, Rudolph
Jackson, Michael
Kennedy Onassis, Jacqueline
Lucas, George
McGraw, Dr. Phil
Obama, Barack
Moore, Michael
Stewart, Martha
Tillman, Pat

Other than Maya Angelou, NO literary figures, NO visual artists (unless you want to count Lucas...)

Some of the names I listed above I do like and appreciate, but I don't understand how Americans could have possibly voted George Lucas over, say, Buster Keaton or Charlie Chaplin. Michael Jackson over Bob Dylan? Barack Obama over Henry Clay? Jackie Kennedy was awesome, but how did she contribute to the greatness of America? I didn't see the last name "Adams" on there - neither John, John nor Ansel. Albert Einstein is by far amazing, but he's not an American!

US history classes (US schools in general) suck ass. As much as I try to deny it, every day I am presented with more proof that the majority of Americans are, indeed, stupid.

Here's what those of you across the pond think of this contest:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/wtwta/2997144.stm

Wow and I thought our list had embarrassing moments. Excusing Diana our top ten was pretty decent.

I should probably have expected it but not one of the souls involved in modern synthesis or palaeontology are there, which is a shame because American palaeontology used to be all Indiana Jones style stuff.

God it's hilarious how many of those are crushingly racist

Mark Twain's another literary fellow

Charlie Chaplin isn't on there because he was British

I think there were only like 6 scientists... didn't count - it's what the tv show said.

It's a popularity contest.

Ronnie was most in the minds of the portion of those who watch the Discovery Channel, go to their website and vote.

Since those who have cable are middle class and above and more likely to be more conservative in their views and to agree with Reagan's speeches, since they were written for the middle class, there's no surprise.

Carl Sagan, Nikola Tesla (who's from one of the USSR countries IRC), Thomas Edison, Alexander Bell, Albert Einstein (God I hate you America)

I suppose all the computer chaps in there might count, I don't know much about them

A few astronauts on there

John...John Edwards

I...I'm actually hoping it's the unimportant politician and not the medium

oh at least Graham Bell's on there

I only saw a little bit of this a week ago, where they decided on the final 5 and somehow George W. Bush got 6th, despite the fact that ...nevermind.

My favorite part of this escapade was Ann Coulter alleging to an audience that's split evenly between Abraham Lincoln, Ben Franklin (who cared about america much less than most would admit), George Washington, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Ronald Reagan (who wasn't so much great as modern.) that she would have been a slave were this 1800. And then we laugh.

It's clear why most of those names that don't make sense are on there. People voted for them. And yes, that John Edwards is the guy that served one term in the senate and failed in a bid to both the presidency and the vice-presidency.

Dr. Phil is on there because we, as a country, are batshit insane.

I wasn't necessarily surprised, either. I was hoping that Americans could think a bit more logically, rationally and objectively. Oh well.

When have you known any of those 3 words to apply to americans in general, or even humans in general.

yeah they completely ommited the founding fathers and all that good shit, I think it's safe to say there's no debate about how awful this list is.

*sighs* How wonderful that, once again, the American public is painted in such flattering colors. Let no doubts linger - on average, WE ARE A BUNCH OF TRIGGER-HAPPY, UNEDUCATED FAT ASSES WHO HAVE NO GRASP OF THE SHORT HISTORY OF OUR OWN COUNTRY.

I'm surprised that Jerry Springer and motherfucking Mark Burnett (one of the founding fathers of "reality tv") were not included.

Burnett's best work was on the Letterman show.

says it all, really.

Yet anouther reason why I do not watch TV.

Why did Eleanor Roosevelt make it when she was the keynote speaker at the 2nd Comintern? And what did Christopher Reeve do?

Where the hell are Ernest Hemingway, Emily Dickinson, and Jack London?

Truely TV is "The Vast Wasteland."

On behalf of the United States of America, I apologise to those of you from other countries for truly embodying the above statement.

Now we will invade your country and send more of our deficit over to China.

Dear sweet Isis...this makes me cry really hard. On the upside, even my dad realized it was crap, so one day he may see the light.

This may have been a contributing factor in my voting three times for the man. Zoos! Libraries! Printing! France!

He came in last of the "Top Five."

Mel gibson, is Australian

This is a very good point.

GET OUT MEL!!

I find this list amusing and largely irrelevant. And better informed than what I was expecting.

Large lists like this are a fad currently. They will always be there, but especially now they are large.
But even with their near ubiquity, plenty of people are off doing other things, aren't paying attention to things such as these, or generally don't care enough to cast any sort of ballot or vote.

I wouldn't put so much stock in this list being terrible and unrepresentative of this countries' history and those who helped develop the country to what it is today.

Although if your opinion is that the country is terrible, then this list may be for you.

IMO, Bill Bellamy and Pauly Shore did more for the greatness of America than most of the politicians listed.

Now...who voted on those people? I guess it's obvious that we didn't. It looks like middle-class, middle-aged white wives did. Go Jesus!

Greatest American

by force of will alone...Bob Sagat

Three words to describe this

1)various

2)animal

3)excrement

*in that order*

This list just proves that people here just don't know this country, even though they have little flags on there cars, and bumper stickers, and "I *heart* America" hats. Nobody realizes that this country truly does suck, and the only reason why we are still a country is because of the nukes. Lots and lots of nukes. And tanks.
America is the greatest melting pot of the world. We've got great scientists, authors, civil rights leaders, doctors, and artists. We also have a shit load of drugs, single parents, and poverty, among other things.

I hate America! There I said it. I'm gonna go free Puerto Rico now.

That name went unnoticed in '05.

If anyone said, back then, he'd be the next president, they'd be nuts.