Who is "The Greatest?"
I've been working on a project involving all of South Dakota's Governors, and as I was reading something about Governor Janklow tonight, it got me thinking. If we were to try to quantify that something special about our chief executives - who would we consider South Dakota's "greatest" Governor?
So, as any modern politico would, I'm doing a poll -
Who do you consider South Dakota's greatest Governor? And is this list just way too short?
So, as any modern politico would, I'm doing a poll -
Who do you consider South Dakota's greatest Governor? And is this list just way too short?
Comments
Do you really think Janklow would bother or have time to check out this blog alone have someone else do it for him... i laugh at the thought!
Oh yeah, I forgot about the tveidt's. They must be bucking to get their dog hired and in the top salary list as well.
Khafra was a great leader. His name literally means “Appearing like the sun god Ra.” I’m sure you’ve heard of him. He ruled Egypt about 4,500 years ago. Still no clue? He built the Great Sphinx; it’s his face that probably appears on the monument. The funny thing is that even with a cool name and a famous statue, people still don’t know for certain when exactly he lived and the length of his reign. There’s still an Egypt, but will there be a South Dakota in 4,500 years? Will the capitol be a pile of ruins in 450 years? Which governor will be considered great then?
Your question about great governors, Patrick, is vague at best. It can last no more than a few generations at best. The notion of greatness, however you may wish to define it, is ultimately meaningless.
I'd agree that greatness only lasts a few generations, hence the preponderance of modern Governors.
I personally look at Janklow as our greatest in terms of his accomplishments in commerce and modernization. Where would we be today without the railroads and wiring the schools?
Some might choose him for longevity, and yet others might because he had an innate ability to manage the great bureaucratic monster we call state government.
But we also have greats such as Peter Norbeck, and Coe Crawford (one of my personal faves) who held many state offices early in the century.
Don't forget that some of the greatest contributors to South Dakota Government, such as General Beadle or our recently departed Dr. Farber, never held the office. But we see their contributions every day.
For purposes of this benchmark, I hope people judge with their own standards.
You go guy!
Anybody ever heard of Nils Boe?