On President’s Day, we asked POPVOX users which Founding-Father President they thought would most likely be a POPVOX Power User. (Yes, we know that the Internet didn’t exist when our Founding Fathers were huddled in Philadelphia hammering out the foundation of our country. But still…) We wanted to have a little fun and invite our users to flex their historic knowledge. Here are the results, and the clever and thoughtful comments from POPVOX users. (Read Founding Father Fun Facts.)
President Thomas Jefferson Wins!
Thomas Jefferson
- I can just see him with a glass of red wine writing the most eloquent personal comments in his letters to Congress.
— Anonymous
- I read that he was very organized like me. He applied logic unlike any politicians today.
— Anonymous
- Why not ? There weren’t that many founding father’s 🙂 He was the author of the Declaration of Independence and a wheeler dealer with France 🙂
— Dennis
- Ah, because he said, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants” – and, if not blood, at least POPVOX spills digital ink! 🙂
— Christopher
- Braininess, endless curiosity and red wine: such a combination would find PopVox irresistible.
— Larry
- Jefferson was curious, cerebral, and an inventor. He, like Ben Franklin, developed and used technology to enhance his life and the lifestyle of others.
— Anonymous
- Anybody that can sit down and write out our laws that have stood for over 200 years (well till Obama and his cronies came along) would in my opinion use everything at his disposal including POPVOX to protect our valued laws!
— Anonymous
- Jefferson signed the Declaration of Independence with the biggest handwritten signature. Having no qualms about anyone knowing who was a signator. he would use POPVOX today but probably more prolifically than many of the users.
— William
- Because he was a cool dude who had a pulley behind the fireplace in the dining room. It went straight down to the wine cellar. He would ring a bell and lower the pulley and the guys down there would load her up and send it back up to Jefferson. That happened a lot. No wonder he painted that room chrome yellow. (Yuck!)
— Meryl
- He was an inventor, scientist, and years ahead of his contemporaries.
— Anonymous
- If Thomas Jefferson wrote the declaration of independence he sure hell would be sitting here clicking away at the voting buttons and hammering out letters to congress…
— Alin
- Because he was a scientist and a reformer.
— David
- Thomas Jefferson was a man ahead of his time & well versed in science & a rational thinker.
— Roger
- The founders generally had a healthy skepticism about the opinions and political inclinations of the “masses.” The Constitution is designed to prevent the “tyranny of the majority” as someone called it. But Jefferson was much more of a populist than the others. He was the only one who supported the French Revolution for example. If any of the founders would’ve used Popvox it would’ve been him.
— Anonymous
- Educate and inform the whole mass of the people… They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty. Thomas Jefferson Sometimes it is said that man cannot be trusted with the government of himself. Can he, then be trusted with the government of others? Or have we found angels in the form of kings to govern him? Let history answer this question. Thomas Jefferson I was bold in the pursuit of knowledge, never fearing to follow truth and reason to whatever results they led, and bearding every authority which stood in their way. Thomas Jefferson Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blindfolded fear.
— Roy
- I am sure Tom would have a lot to tweet about on the internet being the author of the Declaration of Independence and Minister to France.
— Joan
- Was most concerned about Federal Overreach.
— Anonymous
- I think Jefferson had such a range of interests and loved to be up-to-date. He was an inventor at heart and would have loved using the internet to research. With his well-developed sense of politics, he would have used POPVOX all the time. If he wasn’t making the news, he’d be keeping tabs on the latest developments. And he’d have an opinion (or two) about them to share.
— Anonymous
- Thomas Jefferson believed in the writing of the U.S. Constitution and the freedoms it evokes. Jefferson was the last President that believed that the Constitution was for and by the People.
— Cathy
- Jefferson was a kind of Renaissance man; he was well read and well educated. He was not a proponent of a strong central government; he believed the States should have more say. He would have embraced the genius of POPVOX, bringing the Bills up for vote in Congress directly to the American people so they may have their say.
— Mary
- Educated, deliberate, involved, patriotic.
— Jim
- He was always willing to try something new — whether it was sending Louis and Clark on an expedition across uncharted territory or living in Paris. Monticello was open to all visitors, especially if you were just a regular American wanting to chat with him. And he loved red wine!
— Rachna
- Apparently President Thomas Jefferson was never a fan of formal affairs, and was often reported to have worn his pajamas while meeting with Foreign dignitaries. More power to PAJAMAS!!
— Namratha
James Madison
- Mr. Madison was very curious and eager to learn, and tried to base his decisions on the best available information.
— Doug
- Young and involved
— Lindsey
- Having drafted the Constitution for Virginia, he already had a pretty good handle on what to paint on a larger canvas. It seemed to be working fairly well for Virginia, let’s try it for a few more states and see what it does NATIONALLY.
— Gary
- I wonder how many people know George Washington was AGAINST a bill of rights?
— Anonymous
- Why not? Seriously, being a strong proponent of the Constitution — demonstrated not only through his previous experience with governing documents but also his authorship of some of the Federalist Papers — and the rights guaranteed within for individuals, the “men [and women] on the street,” if you will, would make him an ideal user for POPVOX.
— Anonymous
- I know that there is a University in Virginia relation to the $5,000 bill so it was either Thomas Jefferson (although as a Hokie I can’t seem to recall which University our beloved Jefferson was involved in 😉 or James Madison. Fun. Thanks! Cheers.
— Jonathon
- Child prodigy. Would have Zen-like understanding of POPVOX.
— Anonymous
Alexander Hamilton
- Of all the F.Fs. listed above, I think A.H are most analytical in decision making.
— Andy
- Because he was interested in informing the public about what government was doing.
— Jim
- Alexander Hamilton possessed fewer credentials than his competitors, and POPVOX would enable him to promote his beliefs.
— RY
- Because he was the author of the Federalist Papers and worked hard to get support of the new Constitution.
— Mona
- As author of the Federalist Papers Hamilton would never be at a loss for words. He’d be ready to both describe and defend point by point all aspects of the Constitution and make it understandable for any American who would listen.
— Robert
George Washington
- Which of our Founding-Father Presidents would most likely be a POPVOX Power User and why? In my opinion George Washington would most likely be a POPVOX Power User. Why would George Washington most likely be a POPVOX Power User? George Washington was the first President of the United States, the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. As one of the Founding Fathers of the United States he presided over the convention that drafted the United States Constitution which made him acutely aware for what we patriots were fighting for. The first veteran with a pension and 100% service connected health benefits. He was, in my opinion, the first exceptional American and therefore, the most exceptional Founding-Father. He was the right man, at the right time, for the right reason. Listen to his words. It was not his duty that drove he will against the odds; it was love for America, as a father of the nation. He is an exceptional President who was first an American. For example, in Washington’s Farewell Address of 1796, he recommended that we frequently reviewed, some of his sentiments, as if on POPVOX. He said, these sentiments, are the result of much intense reflection between offensives, of no inconsiderable observations, and which appear to him “all-important to the permanency of your felicity as a people”. As a 100% service connected disable veteran, I can testify to the fact that this is a common thought of soldiers preparing for battle. The American people, as one people with unity of our government and our love of liberty is the main pillar in the edifice of our real independence “; as this is the point in your political fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will be most constantly and actively (though often covertly and insidiously) directed, it is of infinite moment that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national union to your collective and individual happiness; that you should cherish a cordial, habitual, and immovable attachment to it; accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the palladium of your political safety and prosperity; watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety; discountenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion that it can in any event be abandoned; and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties which now link together the various parts.” The Senate is now considering restoring military pension cuts, S 1963. And this was the most popular issue on POPVOX this past week. I can see many Gorge Washington like Power User, as I read their comments. The “melting pot”, originally was a metaphor used poetically to address the question, “What then is the American, this new man?” answered in 1782. Today, I belief it is a historical reality base on fact that, Capitalism as a renewable fuel that is the most responsible for producing a most unique heterogeneous society of exceptional people of all cultures. These were what our Founding-Father, surrounded, suppressed and exploited by imperialistic big government exceptional British-American dreamers. Becoming more successful with the diversity of cultures, from around the world, blending into a new harmonious society was not equivalent to a new race, but unique and exceptional to its progenitor’s entire common unified dream. America was, as a melting pot of constitutional metal, over a flame of liberty, ignited from a spark of independent flint stone and fueled by a uniquely exceptional renewable energy. This Renewable American energy is generally defined as energy that comes from resources which are bicultural and are focused by a common believes in a creator. A truth , like beam of light, as a God given rights or naturally occurring events on a human timescale like sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, geothermal heat and all of its newly constitutionally free and independent people whose cultures aetiology is replenished naturally via constitutional legal Immigration. Like moths to a light, legal immigrants are renewed with the words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Independence and legal immigration is a result of a number of common factors, including economic and/or political reasons, family reunification, natural disasters or the wish to change one’s standard of living voluntarily and against man will to suppress in others, everywhere else. Legal Immigrants want, respect and defend a Constitutionally protected American Capitalism. This gives us, from a common trait of self-interest the ability to pursue happiness, an, “all-important to the permanency of your felicity as a people” a common self-reliant culture of independent and indivisible individuals called “Americans”, found exceptionally only in America. President George was the first patriot to earn the title of the first American. Washington was hailed as “father of his country” even during his lifetime. Washington is an idol of Americanism that can stand, timelessly as a representative of what an American patriot will always fight to be, A FREE MAN! Americans will always be contrasted, not by their skin, size, sex, age, etc., etc…but by their will from his principles as a self-reliant independent and indivisible individuals who fight for liberty. It is the content of their character. General Gorge Washington led the first volunteer special forces troops that represented those that supported the Declaration of Independence, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence. What POPVOX Power User today, is not willing to mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor to appealing to the American people for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these States, solemnly publish and declare, That these United States are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States. Let Gorge Washington be the President most likely to be the first original POPVOX Power User.
— Francisco
John Adams
- After reviewing the fun facts you provided, I chose John Adams because he clearly understood what most of us would like to believe defines our government – that is that the government should exist to serve the general public and not just the people who can afford a seat at the table.
— Jane
- Love of country , Country more important than self.
— John
- Research and getting to the bottom of the true issues.
— Anonymous
Benjamin Franklin
- Franklin was just a citizen, however, he was very active in his government. I believe that he would use POPVOX as the easiest way to convey his wishes to his senators and congressmen.
— Jonathan
- Inventor, creator, innovator – as a newspaper printer, he’d appreciate instant communications!
— Anonymous
- He was a scientist & innovator. Not President, but certainly a founding father.
— Anonymous
Gouverneur Morris
- Though little remembered today, Morris actually drafted most of the text of the Constitution, particularly the preamble, which begins, “We the people.” If there’s a more “popvox” phrase, I’d like to know what it is.
— Anonymous
Ronald Reagan
- The best president I know of.
— Diane
Abraham Lincoln
- He’s gifted.
— Anonymous
Other Comments
- America’s Founding Fathers were loyal to the country they set up to live under a Constitution that provided establishing freedom, peace, and liberty for all individuals equally. The amazing equality about the US Constitution is the right to defend oneself against the enemy and to own private property, both of which is unheard of under a monarchy and a dictatorship.
— Kay
