February 19, 2001
Reagan, Kennedy and Lincoln Receive the Most Votes for "Greatest U.S. President" Lincoln would win out over Washington if either could come back as president
by Wendy W. Simmons
GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- Presidents Day -- Monday, February 19 -- gives Americans an opportunity to celebrate the February birthdays of George Washington, America's first president, and Abraham Lincoln, as well as all past United States presidents. The most recent CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll, conducted February 9-11, asked Americans to name the one man they consider to have been America's greatest president. The winner was neither Washington nor Lincoln, but Ronald Reagan, named by 18% of Americans. John F. Kennedy, with 16%, follows Reagan. Third place belongs to Abraham Lincoln, with 14%, and the most recent ex-president, Bill Clinton, comes in fourth with 9%. George Washington receives just 5% of all mentions, and is 7th on the list, behind not only Reagan, Kennedy, Lincoln and Clinton, but Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman as well.
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