Closing Arguments: 2009′s Biggest Hero?
EmailOn Tuesday, we asked you to pick the biggest villain of 2008.
We offered up some candidates — like John Edwards, Bernie Madoff, and Rod Blagojevich — but we also received several write-in nominations.
And nearly 50 percent gave the dubious distinction to outgoing president George Bush — with Congress in the runner-up slot.
Well, out with the old and in with the new. Tonight, we ask: Who will be the biggest hero in 2009?
Tell us what you think.
And here is our admittedly unscientific tally of responses (as of this afternoon):
George W. Bush: 73
Congress: 17
Bernie Madoff: 12
Americans themselves: 11
Dick Fuld: 6
Greed/Arrogance: 5
Barack Obama: 5
The Media: 5
John Edwards: 3
Alan Greenspan: 2
Henry Paulson: 2
AIG: 2
CEOs: 2
SEC: 2
Rob Blagojevich: 1
Kwame Kilpatrick: 1
Eliot Spitzer: 1
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edward cullen
Posted by: victoria | January 2, 2009, 12:42 am 12:42 am
I know this article is rigged. Its basically impossible that Jeremiah Wright is not on the list.
Posted by: sam | January 2, 2009, 12:42 am 12:42 am
Barack Obama
Posted by: dartmouth726 | January 2, 2009, 12:44 am 12:44 am
…seriously? Edward Cullen?
Please. Give me a break.
Posted by: anonymous | January 2, 2009, 12:45 am 12:45 am
Barrack Obama
Posted by: bill | January 2, 2009, 12:48 am 12:48 am
My hero is Barack Obama for sure!!!!
God Bless America.
Posted by: Diana | January 2, 2009, 12:49 am 12:49 am
My biggest hero for 2009 is Jesus, our worlds only wayl
Posted by: Lee | January 2, 2009, 12:49 am 12:49 am
2009′s Biggest Hero is Barack Obama of course
Posted by: Foxxi1 | January 2, 2009, 12:49 am 12:49 am
I vote for Barack Obama, biggest Hero in 2009.
Posted by: Patricia Cannon | January 2, 2009, 12:51 am 12:51 am
We the people are the heros of 08, we stuck together though the hard times. Left or right we all helped one another.
Posted by: fonso | January 2, 2009, 12:51 am 12:51 am
Every single U.S. soldier. They all truly depict the definition of hero.
Posted by: Amanda | January 2, 2009, 12:52 am 12:52 am
2009′s biggest hero….Sarah Palin!
Posted by: Diane | January 2, 2009, 12:53 am 12:53 am
barack obama
Posted by: mary | January 2, 2009, 12:55 am 12:55 am
Barack Obama, he will unite this country.
Posted by: Sheilla Johnson | January 2, 2009, 1:01 am 1:01 am
Barack Obama
Posted by: Dave | January 2, 2009, 1:09 am 1:09 am
Hero of 2009? Barack Obama. Things may get worse before they get better, but we have a new Captain at the helm that eventually, will be able to get things done to stimulate the economy and get us percolating again, so that we can get out of the iceburg laden waters we have been in for the last six years! Goodbye Bush
p.s. Up until January 2007, if one Googled ‘Miserable Failure’, it would return a picture of George W. Bush, sitting at a desk in the oval office with a brief biography.
Posted by: Merle | January 2, 2009, 1:10 am 1:10 am
Barack Obama! May 2009 be much better than 2008, with him in charge!
Posted by: Pam | January 2, 2009, 1:11 am 1:11 am
The USA. After we really see our true potiental their will be a great call for to give up somethings that we really want for our selvies that we can give to someone other than our fellow man, but to a poor country.
Posted by: Ronnie | January 2, 2009, 1:11 am 1:11 am
Sarah Palin.
Posted by: Tracy Lynn | January 2, 2009, 1:14 am 1:14 am
Barack Obama will be our biggest hero because he will make us believe in the better sides of ourselves. We will experience a collective attitude change.
Posted by: Terry Ervin | January 2, 2009, 1:15 am 1:15 am
Barack Obama will definitely be the biggest hero of 2009!
Posted by: Betsy | January 2, 2009, 1:17 am 1:17 am
Barrack Obama is my hero.
Posted by: Vetty | January 2, 2009, 1:18 am 1:18 am
Perhaps Sheila Bair and Barney Frank. But I really pulling for Tiger Woods to be the biggest hero of 2009!!!
Posted by: Daniel | January 2, 2009, 1:20 am 1:20 am
I choose Ron Paul, Peter Schiff or Barack Obama.
Posted by: Ben Straub | January 2, 2009, 1:22 am 1:22 am
I would like to think, that the American people would be our Hero, AND STAND UP TO TYRANNY AND OPPRESSION, that our own government puts HER own people threw. GIVE US OUR COUNTRY BACK!!
Posted by: paul | January 2, 2009, 1:24 am 1:24 am
We – the people who voted for, or contributed to the election of Barack Obama, the first black american to become President of the United States. We are the biggest heroes to show the rest of the world that America can overcome racism. Better times are yet to come, America will regain its deserving respect and place in the world. God bless!
Posted by: AlomaGirl | January 2, 2009, 1:25 am 1:25 am
Barack Obama
Posted by: Colleen Mathis | January 2, 2009, 1:41 am 1:41 am
I believe our biggest American hero of 2009 will be President Barack Obama!
Posted by: ronald | January 2, 2009, 1:49 am 1:49 am
I think that the biggest hero of 2009 will be the American people, who, if acting responsibly will take back our erroded Constitutional Rights and responsibilities. We will correct our course, fix our sails and point out ship back on the true foundation of America. It is truly up to us to have a government that works for all of us, all the time, in all the areas that need attention.
Posted by: Julia McMurrey | January 2, 2009, 2:07 am 2:07 am
Barack Obama is an obvious choice but we shouldn’t forget the people who worked on his campaign as well, especially the first ones. I don’t think we’ve ever seen such spirit before in a political campaign. They worked in spite of the long odds and naysayers who mocked the very thought of a black president. Just goes to show when people get together they can perform miracles.
Posted by: Pat | January 2, 2009, 2:44 am 2:44 am
Barack Obama!!! Yes we did!
Posted by: Ted McKnight | January 2, 2009, 3:13 am 3:13 am
Barack Obama will be the hero of 2009, not only because he will be an excellent president, but because he will remain true to himself and will do his best to fulfill his promise to the American people and to the world.
Posted by: Kathleen Epstein | January 2, 2009, 3:16 am 3:16 am
OPRAH WINFREY for making so many American women feel good in tough times; and BEER for making so many American men feel good in tough times.
Posted by: 4nr | January 2, 2009, 3:23 am 3:23 am
Hero of 2009 could well be Barak Obama if he can start to get us out of the mess we are in. All we need is a sincere leader who makes rational decisions
Posted by: Patrick | January 2, 2009, 3:24 am 3:24 am
I also agree that Barack Obama will hopefully be a uniter in 2009. I also hope that any prominent people that publicly come out as atheists will be heroes in 2009 :-)
Posted by: Mick | January 2, 2009, 4:15 am 4:15 am
Brad Pitt and his “Make It Right” program for the forgotten in New Orleans. It indicates he is more than a pretty face.
Posted by: jan | January 2, 2009, 5:06 am 5:06 am
Randy Pausch — the last lecturer is a perfect example of a hero and what people should aspire to be
Posted by: jason | January 2, 2009, 7:55 am 7:55 am
Barack Obama, hands down . . .
Posted by: Gnarly Erik | January 2, 2009, 8:27 am 8:27 am
WOW,…a lot of people are going to be so so disapointed when Obama takes over and nothing changes. Perhaps at that point they will begin to realize that he is just another politician, and not the anoited messiah they seem to think he is.
The Heros of 2008 are every single member of the American Armed Forces.
Right behind them is the Bush Administration. Hate them if you want, but NO ONE can deny the fact that together they have kept this country safe. In the days folling 9/11, Not a single person I know, liberal or conservative, felt that the attacks had stopped. We all were sure there would be more of them. Thank Mr. President & the men & women of our Armed Forces for keeping the US attack free ever since that fateful day.
Posted by: Mike_C | January 2, 2009, 9:16 am 9:16 am
Ordinary Americans of conscience who will together expose the neo-fascist coup that has all but ruined the Republic.
http://michaelfury.wordpress.com/2008/12/10/forgive-and-forgetforget/
Posted by: ghost | January 2, 2009, 9:28 am 9:28 am
I am sick of hearing about Barack Obama… and what a “hero”, “messiah”, “pop icon” etc he is.. I voted for him, but this is just getting ridiculous.. I would wait until the end of 2009 to say who the real hero was…
Posted by: DMK | January 2, 2009, 9:42 am 9:42 am
Why in the world would anyone think Obama is a Hero, he hasn’t done anything in his entire life but run for president, no skills other than community organizing.
Nothing will change, he has proven that with his cabinent picks. He has proven that by putting his kids in private school rather than public school and living in hotel suites, hopefully taxpayers are not footing that bill.
He will do what all democrats do, reduce national security to pay for free programs so the democrats can continue to be a leach on society.
Lord help us all if he follows through on his promises of higher taxes that will force more companies out of business. Once the republicans are out of work where will the tax dollars come from to pay for his spending???
Anyone that thinks he will be a hero is delusional, same as thinking he has a magic wand that will change anything.
Posted by: HH | January 2, 2009, 10:58 am 10:58 am
Barack Obama of course. He will bring the change to the country that we need and he will unite the country.
Posted by: Sharon | January 2, 2009, 2:19 pm 2:19 pm
We the people of these United States, obviously!
Posted by: S. Inghram | January 2, 2009, 6:03 pm 6:03 pm
I wouldn’t consider him a hero, HH. I didn’t vote for him either, and there are a lot of legitimate issues you can hammer him about but the private school versus public school thing and living in hotel suites is a bum rap.
I have always supported public schools but I wouldn’t want any president of either party to put his kids in public school due to security reasons for their own safety and the safety of the kids who share the classroom with them.
The only reason he’s in a hotel suite instead of Blair House is because Bush won’t make it available. Obama’s wish to see the girls start school with the rest of their classmates at their new school is reasonable and what responsible parents do.
Posted by: jan | January 2, 2009, 8:59 pm 8:59 pm
We,the God-Fearin’ American,
Posted by: Sabrina | January 2, 2009, 10:21 pm 10:21 pm
I think Mike Huckabee is the biggest Hero of 2009. A man with the integrity of Ronald Reagan who never compromised his principles.
Posted by: keith | January 2, 2009, 11:46 pm 11:46 pm
I think that We the american public, the voters, the tax payers, are the heroes of ’08. Our hope for better, our tolerance, our passion, and our ability to change makes us the heroes of 2008. We need to lead by example.
Posted by: nathan barker | January 3, 2009, 3:43 am 3:43 am
The biggest Hero ever are the three of us; me myself and I because:
I manage to survive, in New York,one of the most expensive cities in the country, with a salary less than $40k a year with no outside help.
Even though I gave $700 billion dollars to Mr. Bush to pay for his adventure game, the Iraq war.
I bailed out lots of big corporations and banks.
I pay thousands of dollars, yearly to broke systems like the Welfare, Affordable Housing, Housing Court, Disabilities and Health Care.
I did all that even after learning that my salary would be frozen, my health plan will be going up along with the co-payments, my rent went up more than the usual and the price of my food has being going sky-high daily. But amazingly I am still alive!
Now who’s the HERO? I am a genius!
Posted by: Eny Hanson | January 5, 2009, 12:29 am 12:29 am