I'm reading "Washington: A Life" by Ron Chernow and wanted to share this quote with you.
The presidential legacy he left behind in Philadelphia was a towering one. As Gordon Wood has observed, “The presidency is the powerful office it is in large part because of Washington’s initial behavior.” 36 Washington had forged the executive branch of the federal government, appointed outstanding department heads, and set a benchmark for fairness, efficiency, and integrity that future administrations would aspire to match. “A new government, constructed on free principles, is always weak and must stand in need of the props of a firm and good administration till time shall have rendered its authority venerable and fortified it by habits of obedience,” Hamilton wrote. 37 Washington had endowed the country with exactly such a firm and good administration, guaranteeing the survival of the Constitution. He had taken the new national charter and converted it into a viable, elastic document. In a wide variety of areas, from inaugural addresses to presidential protocol to executive privilege, he had set a host of precedents that endured because of the high quality and honesty of his decisions."
Daryl - Despite much rancor and political dissention (Washington and Hamilton vs Jefferson and Madison), Washington's presidential leadership legancy is amazing and worthy of special recognition. He had his faults, but without his leadership at the from the beginning we wouldn't be the nation we are today.
