Presidents Day is one of those half holidays, sort of like
Martin Luther King Day. Banks, schools and government offices are closed but in
the private sector, commemoration of the holiday is not universal. From my own experience, I’d
guess that only about a third of our HoCo loco non retail businesses gave their
employees the day off.
That would include my own company.
For those of us who were trying to conduct business today it
can be challenging. In my own personal experience, more often than not the
person I really need to speak to will inevitably be one of those who have the
day off.
That’s not to say that nothing gets done. There is even a
certain bravado expressed among those who had to work. When a meeting is held
on day like today there is certain to be someone who points out that “at least
somebody is working today,” as if being stuck at work today was some sort of badge of
honor.
Then there is the whole homogenization of what once was
celebrated only on the 22nd, no matter what day of the week it fell
on. Congress gave that up in 1971 after deciding that a wandering holiday was
inconvenient. It makes you wonder how long they’ll tolerate the 4th of
July.
I did find a couple of Presidents Day items in The Washington Post this morning. First there was this column by John Kelly about a book entitled “The Smithsonian Book of Presidential Trivia” It includes
multiple choice quiz for serious history buffs. Until today I never knew that
Grover Cleveland was called the Buffalo Hangman by some critics.
Then there is this feature by Chris Cillizza in which
readers are asked to weigh in on the most underated and most overrated
presidents. This is a political minefield and picks are bound to reflect
personal political affiliations. One reader, identified as “blackwell575” tried
to achieve balance.
"Over-rated by the right – Ronald Reagan
Over-rated by the left – LBJ
Under-rated by the right – FDR
Under-rated by the left – Warren G. Harding"
Happy Presidents Day!
