5 BEST REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS - A TEMPLATE FOR THE CURRENT GOP CANDIDATE

5 Best Republican Presidents

Known widely as the greatest leaders of their eras, these 5 best Republican presidents served their country not only in the Oval Office. Some were military, some were governors and politicians. All 5 of the best Republican Presidents have one thing in common: respect.

1. Abraham Lincoln Still beloved by many to this day, Abraham Lincoln, the 16^th President, was the first official Republican president, elected into office in 1860. He bravely led the country through the Civil War and abolished slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. He also passed the 13^th Amendment to the Constitution, which legally abolished slavery in the country. Lincoln gave one of the most famous speeches in history, the Gettysburg Address (in 1863). He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth while attending the Ford’s Theatre on April 14, 1865. Historians widely agree that Lincoln was one of the best Republican presidents in our history, if not the best.
2. Ulysses S. Grant The 18^th President of the United States served his country well before taking the highest office in the land. He led the North to victory in the Civil War as the General-in-Chief, an aggressive leader who took no prisoners. President Lincoln appointed him Lieutenant General in 1864. He was appointed by President Andrew Johnson to the brand-new rank (at the time) of General of the Army of the United States. After his Civil War victory, his popular standing with many Americans elevated him to the presidency in 1869, where he served two terms. As one of the best Republican presidents, he fought hard against KKK violence and riots, helped rebuild the Republican Party in the South, and presided over the Reconstruction era.
3. Theodore Roosevelt This two-term 26^th President of the United States was a man’s man: macho, energetic and a bit of a cowboy. He loved to hunt, write, box and explore. Roosevelt attended Harvard University, where he became interested in the Navy. He was elected Governor of New York and only two years later was elected Vice President. In 1901, when President McKinley was assassinated, Roosevelt, at the age of 42, became the new president. His philosophy was progressive by nature, and he believed it was necessary to regulate business heavily. He was popular and well-spoken with the press, even giving them their own room inside the White House during a rainstorm. This essentially started the modern-day presidential press briefing. He won the Nobel Peace Prize for his part in ending the Russo-Japanese War.
4. Dwight D. Eisenhower The 34^th President of the United States, this Army 5-star General served two terms between 1953 and 1961. Before his presidency, he is credited with planning and supervising the invasion of France and Germany during World War II. In 1951, he became the very first Supreme Commander of NATO, an extremely high honor. During his time as one of the best Republican presidents, he expanded Social Security and even helped create the Department of Health, Education and Welfare. His most familiar achievement was authorizing the Interstate Highway System in 1956. He believed it was necessary both for military usage as well as continued country growth. Eisenhower was the first President in history to be “forced” out of office by serving two terms, the maximum allowed by the U.S. Constitution.
5. Ronald Reagan Known for his charisma and endearing charm, Reagan served two terms as the 40^th Pr esident of the United States from 1981-1989. Before his rise to the Oval Office, he served as Governor of California from 1967 to 1975. Before his political career, he was an actor both on the big screen and on television; at the age of 69, he was the oldest man ever elected President. Known for his “Reaganomics,” Reagan stimulated the economy, suffering from the 1970s inflation, by implementing large tax cuts. He was known as a firm but fair leader who increased defense spending, including bringing back the B-1 bomber program as part of the U.S. buildup during the Cold War. During his second term, he vowed to fight for drug-free schools and workplaces with his War on Drugs. He also helped negotiate the end of the Cold War, declaring “Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” These accomplishments firmly place him among the five best Republican presidents.

By: KJ Constance
Break Studios Contributing Writer
Mar. 25, 2010







http://beyondrisk.wordpress.com/2012/08/27/5-best-republican-presidents-a-template-for-the-current-gop-candiate/

TO SMILE OR NOT TO SMILE?

 

Want to be powerful?

Study says don't smile

Smile and the world smiles with you, goes the familiar phrase. It's a lovely idea. And perhaps it's true. But it may be that the world isn’t smiling with you as much as it's laughing at you for being such a softie.

A handful of new studies (via The Vancouver Sun) suggest that smiles are for low-status individuals. If you want to appear powerful, confident and successful, don’t smile.

Researchers reviewed four studies that examined the power of facial expression. All of the studies asked people to look at images of various faces, from models to football players, who were either smiling or not smiling, and then to rate their expressions.

One study asked people to look at head shots of football players and, from those limited views, guess the man's size and personality. The players who didn’t smile were consistently rated as being bigger physically, less social and more hostile. In contrast, the smiling players were viewed as being less dominant and more social.

Study co-author Timothy Ketelaar, associate professor of psychology at New Mexico State University, explained the findings in a statement. Said Ketelaar: "Smiles can put you in a positive light by signalling that you're friendly and trustworthy, and that you aren't a threat to others. But higher-status individuals often want to appear in charge and as a threat, and they lose some of that power by smiling."

The researchers argue that less dominant human beings have relied on smiles to appease stronger, more hostile individuals for as long as we have been able to lift the corners of our mouths.
"Across the few animal species that smile, [the smiles] seem to be advertising that the displayer is not a threat to more dominant individuals. In the case of social prestige, smiles seem to be providing a similar function, provoking strategic deference," Ketelaar explained.

So when you nervously smile at your boss when you're late for the third time in a row, you're duplicating an action that your forebears relied on to get out of a sticky situation. And when she gives you a stony look in return, she's mentally high-fiving her hostile, high-status ancestors.

Chatelaine
Flannery Dean
Aug 21 2012