Who did I leave out? Were you surprised by anyone on my list? Here are my honorable mentions: James Blanchard Sam Houston Bill Weld Floyd Olsen George Clinton Mario Cuomo Pat Brown Epaphroditus Ransom - Shout out to Mr. Dunn for bringing him to my attention Gary Johnson Adelbert Ames Oliver Morton Terry Sanford Benjamin Gatz Brown Earl Long William Milliken Edwin Johnson Andrew Gregg Curtin Robert Docking
yeah I knew you were going to put him on the honorable mentions for NO .1 Mr Beat because as James Blanchard was governor of Michigan from 1983-1991 he turned around Michigan Finances by: Created a balanced budget, Created 700,000 Jobs and succeeded by cutting those who lived in poverty by half. so yeah James Blanchard has to be by far the best governor my home state of Michigan ever had but anywho thank you as well for this amazing video that I as well been waiting to Mr Beat thanks man.
No Culbert Olson, Earl Warren or Johm Milliken Parker? Is it because "despite their benefits two of them supported internment" and the other "Lynched 10 Italians". Cause those are probably good reasons
Fun fact: Literally anyone can run for Governor of Kansas. In 2018, a high school student who had never even been to Kansas ran for governor (of course, he didn’t get anywhere in the primaries) In fact, it’s unclear whether you even have to be a human to run.
Honestly, probably the only thing that can prevent anyone from running is they themselves are incapable of running for public office regardless of whether it’s theoretically possible. Which, uh… yeah, non-humans are excluded by that logic.
Huey Long is the prime example of 'the ends justify the means' for example, when he built the Mississippi river bridge, he deliberately built it too low so seafaring ships would be forced to stop in Baton Rouge, when he was impeached, he decided to build a whole new capitol because he never wanted to be in that building again. He put lots of funding into LSU and also abused a federal grant by making Tiger Stadium, but because he couldn't just make a stadium he also made the stadium itself a massive dormroom. Long was a very, very openly corrupt governor, but he got things done, and is, frankly the best Louisiana can hope for because it's either corrupt and selfish or corrupt and helps the people 99% of the time.
The problem is that the legacy, or one of the main ones, of Long-ism is the state homestead exemption, which is the highest one in the country, i.e. great for middle-class taxpayers but at the same time maybe, probably allowing corruption to take place that voters tolerate because of the deal that they're getting themselves. In another state middle-class voters would be paying property taxes and possibly more mindful about their elected officials are spending taxpayer dollars. Russell, who ultimately became a lot more powerful as a senator than Huey probably ever was, stated it best when he said "Don't tax you, don't tax me, tax the fellow behind the tree."
George Romney is still remembered fondly here in Michigan, with both liberals and conservatives. INTERESTING FACT: In the 40s, before he was governor, he was the man most responsible for converting auto plants the the war effort. He is considered the father of Detroit's :Arsenal of Democracy. THANKS FOR INCLUDING HIM.
I read a biography of Huey Long and one thing that struck me was that he had a fantastic memory, and when he campaigned he remembered the names of people he had met years before while working as a salesman
@Lorenzo Nivellini HOI4 or Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy game taking place from January 1st, 1936 to usually 1948. It's basically a WW2 strategy game. Kaiserreich is a mod for Hearts of Iron which is an alternative world based on in the germans won WW1. In the mod, Huey Long can become president of the U.S. and leads the American Union States during the 2nd American Civil war.
Jesse "The Mind" Ventura was the best governor Minnesota has ever seen. No one should make fun of you. He was the best of both world. Taxes went down and civil programs expanded. I even got surplus checks when Jesse was running the show. I meet him when i was 12 when he was my Mayor of Brooklyn Park, MN. Great guy and never knew he was a wrestler till my dad told me after.
I would never make fun of you for picking Jesse Ventura as a great governor. he won as an independent governor and got rid of lobbyists and fought for Native American Rights. So what he was a popular wrestler, he was the mayor of Brooklyn Park Minnesota the six largest city in Minnesota prior to becoming governor. I also appreciate him standing up to read Grant the owner of the Minnesota Vikings preventing him from taking public funds to renovate the Metrodome.
I wish you where my middle school teacher. Got a 4.0 last term when I went back to school after failing out awhile back, your supreme court briefs where a lifesaver for my US government class.
I absolutely will not make fun of you for Jesse Ventura. I supported him about as much a kid could, and sat next to him at a hockey game shortly after he left office. He was pretty awesome in terms of answering what questions I had, and even gave me some weight lifting tips.
Yeeeeaaaaahhhh, then he opened his mouth about organized religion, did the state of the state from the governors mansion because both the republicans and dfl hated him and he did that whole xfl thing. But i will say, at least you didnt need to be in the top 1 percent to go to the u of m and you could go over a bridge without it falling over(cough Pawlenty cough)
That's pretty neat. I assume you are from Minnesota then? Yeah, I think with Jesse, you just get a real human being, even with all his flaws. He's always been genuine, and like I said in the video, I agree with him on most issues.
Mr. Beat Yeah. His daughter and I were taking part in separate hockey tournaments in the same building. I had a couple hours between games so we were allowed some down time. I was content just going between games and having some lunch. The rumors spread pretty quick that he was there, so I made my way to where he was playing. It’s general admission so there’s no assigned seats. I approach Jesse and ask “Mr. Governor, is this seat taken?” He said that one side was saved for his wife, but I was welcome to sit with them. She comes back, and I’m introduced to her but she stayed quiet for most of the game, outside of cheering. It wasn’t just policy stuff, I asked about their daughter’s hockey career, and he asked about mine (Which is how the weightlifting came up). At the end of the game he wished me well in hockey and life, and they went on their way. My team won the championship, but part of the postgame talk was how I got to sit with Jesse Ventura.
A very underrated governor that should get more credit as a great one is Linwood Holton, who served as Governor of Virginia from 1970 to 1974. A moderate Republican, he fought in favor of racial integration, he increased employment for African-Americans and women, provided funds for community mental health centers and also supported environmental efforts. Fun fact: He's Tim Kaine's father-in-law and supported Obama in 2008.
Good list! As for someone i would have liked on the list, or at least the honourable mentions, would be Arkansas Governor Sid McMath. I will quote from Wikipedia, as it can explain it better than i can: "In defiance of his state's political establishment, he championed rapid rural electrification, massive highway and school construction, the building of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, strict bank and utility regulation, repeal of the poll tax, open and honest elections and broad expansion of opportunity for black citizens in the decade following World War II. " "As a former governor, McMath led the opposition to segregationist Governor Orval Faubus following the 1957 Little Rock school crisis." "McMath supported anti-lynching statutes and appointed African Americans to state boards for the first time. McMath worked tirelessly, often clandestinely, with Dr. Lawrence Davis, Sr. to save the state's all-black college, Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical, & Normal, now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. McMath also reformed the state's mental health system and increased the minimum wage. [T]he real test of courage was how he handled the defining issue of the century for every Southern political leader. [I]n a field crowded by frenzied men trying to outdo each other in their zeal to keep the Negro in his place, McMath deplored race-baiting. … Had one - just one! - major elected Southern official broken ranks on civil rights, early on, before the racist opposition began to metastasize, history might have been so different. The tragedy of Faubus and Fulbright was that they lacked the courage to do so. The tragedy of Sid McMath was that corporate vengeance denied him the opportunity to do what they would not." "If [McMath] had been able to take Arkansas further down the path to modernization and racial harmony, Arkansas history would have been quite different. Arkansas paid a big price when the public utilities muscled him out of office. [It is] still paying." "When Sid McMath stood for civil rights in the 1940s and 1950s he stood virtually alone among the South's political leaders, most of whom were waving the bloody shirt. By the 1970s every Southern poll was supporting full citizenship for African-Americans. It was by then politically correct. But for McMath, it took unprecedented courage. And in fact it later cost him whatever chance he had to salvage his political career. He certainly deserves a chapter in the next Profiles in Courage. He was a true hero, not only to the South, but also to the Nation." I hope that some people will agree with me when i say that Sid McMath could easily have been on this list. That's just my opinion though.
PurpleKU77 what “natural born citizen” specifically refers to in the constitution has been up for debate for a long time, so Romney was hoping being born to citizens, although in Mexico, would qualify. Ted Cruz has the same issue as he was born in Canada.
@@nathangale7702 It either means that you're born in the US or that your parents are citizens. If one or both qualifications fit, then they are "natural born citizens"
Ann Richards founding the lottery in Texas reminds me of Zell Miller from Georgia. He founded the Georgia Lottery and all of the funds go to what we call the HOPE Scholarship (I think there’s similar programs in different states). It’s because of him that I can go to school in state and not pay a cent of tuition, and I am forever grateful.
Jesse Ventura continued to work as an assistant football coach at my high school (in the city which he had previously been mayor) until his legislation on school funding caused the district to cut multiple assistant coaches. There was a special committee determining his fate as an assistant coach when he voluntarily stepped down from the role. Honestly I was too young at the time to know what to make of it and don't know enough now to form an opinion.
One governor you might have forgotten was Tom McCall of Oregon, who served as Governor of Oregon from 1967 to 1975. He was an early pioneer in state wide environmental policy and to this day is still one of the most popular politicians in Oregon history. He was a long time journalist before is days as Governor and had an award winning documentary about the environmental decline of Oregon in 1962 which was one of the first such journalistic documentaries about the environment that laid the ground work for other such efforts and Earth Day.
Fun fact: Gov. McCall helped to organize a music festival as a distraction from an event where Pres. Richard Nixon was supposed to appear. What was expected to be a clash between supporters of the Vietnam War and anti-war activists, the state government in preparation for Nixon's potential visit came up with the idea to have a festival at Milo McIver Park. To this day it remains the only government-sponsered concert in U.S. history. _The more you know!_
Another great video. As you've probably noticed from some of my previous comments, Louisiana is my home state, and yes, Huey Long is still widely praised throughout the state for his achievements as governor and later senator. He really transformed education, healthcare, and infrastructure in Louisiana during his tenure, and a lot of bridges, streets, etc. in Louisiana are named after him. Our current Governor, John Bel Edwards, is a good governor too. He's not legendary like Long by any means, but he has done a good job getting Louisiana's economy and social programs, especially education, back on track after 8 years of drastic cuts and failed reforms under our previous governor, Bobby Jindal. Jindal implemented his own version of the Kansas Experiment, which also led to a historic budget crisis. Maybe a "Kansas and Louisiana Compared" video in the future?
I know it was hard to pick just ten, but I would have included Oswald West, governor of Oregon from 1911 to 1915. He famously declared the Pacific Coast of Oregon below the high tide line to be a state highway, which prevented development and preserved a huge area in its natural state. In the 1960s developers tried to overturn his executive order, but the legislature passed a law making it stronger. On the other hand, he was a prohibitionist.
I think Bill Richardson is a really underrated governor of New Mexico. Sure, there were some corruption scandals, but if he didn’t get subsidies for the film and tv industry, Breaking Bad would have been made in California and half the country would still think New Mexico was a foreign territory. Plus I really the Rail Runner he got funding for.
Jesse Ventura is in my top 5 maybe 3 favorite people in history He was a Navy Seal in Vietnam the 1st Independent US Governor starred in multiple films with Arnold Schwarzeneggar was a bodyguard for the Rolling Stones and I think also fellow Minnesotan Prince rode bikes with the Hell's Angels tried to unionize pro wrestling is one of the few people to beat the tyrannical Vince McMahon in court for royalty fees for using his commentary which led WWE to redub classic PPVs lol
@@cheesemccheese5780 Those far right ancap libertarians typically get all the attention, but a lot of libertarians are actually pretty neutral about the government’s role in the economy and mainly prioritize the government staying out of social issues like guns, weed, war, etc. Gary Johnson was actually more of this type of libertarian too.
@@cheesemccheese5780 bruh look, there’s more than one political spectrum. Today in American politics, typically, however you feel about government intervention in people’s lives determines how authoritarian or libertarian you are, and however you feel about the way the economy should be run determines how left or right you are, or how communist or capitalist. It is possible to be farther to the left and still be a libertarian, because a society where more services are provided through tax dollars but the government no longer has the power to limit access to guns, throw you in jail for pot, criminalize abortion, send you to die in a foreign war, etc, would still be a lot more libertarian than the status quo. Hell, Karl Marx himself envisioned a libertarian utopia where the government withers away and everyone just shares shit without any state telling people what to do. So yes, it is indeed possible for someone to favor a smaller government and just not agree with you economically.
@@cheesemccheese5780 also side note, my comment about Gary Johnson was referring to his time as governor, not his presidential run, but even then, he actually also floated a UBI during his campaign
@@cheesemccheese5780 You’re all good big man. But I think this is just one of the issues where we’re going to have to agree to disagree. Oxford actually has two different definitions for ‘Libertarian’ the first being advocating for minimal state intervention in both citizen’s lives and the free market, and the other being a person who advocates for civil liberty. It seems each one of us are describing one of the two different definitions, and you seem to acknowledge that there are a sizable amount of people online who use the second definition as well.
I took a class from Jesse’s economic policy director. He was in charge of translating Jesse speak to actual implementable policy. He wasn’t a bad governor and the ideas were actually his. Mark Dayton was pretty good too. He expanded the light rail to St. Paul’s union depot and made sure the new St. Croix bridge wasn’t excessively destructive to the natural area. Additionally, he supported medical marijuana and gay and trans rights.
I don't know a lot about Dayton, honestly. I will say this...most Minnesota governors throughout the state's history have been fairly reasonable. There's something about that state where they seem to be immune to partisan bickering and actually get stuff done.
And as a true independent, Jesse Ventura never backs down on what he believes in! He's a true patriot who has criticized administration after administration regardless of the party, sticking to his constitutional-based principles. And to me, he's one of the last true statesman. He simply served and returned back to the private sector. George Washington would be proud of him!
Great Video Mr Beat! You should do Top 10 best Congressman next. Ann Richards stared in King of the Hill which is an awesome TV show Since Heuy Long got involved with LSU he probably is rooting for them in the National Championship.
10:45 I think what's legendary about Huey Long is that he fought for social politics while beeing against socialism/communism like in the Soviet Union. The U.S. needs more people like him. Bernie Sanders is propably very similar to him but he calls himself democratic socialist. But on the other hand he likes the nordic countrys, social democratic countries so that doesn't really make sense (because Bernie himself is propobly not a socialist but a social democrat). Weird but that's American politics.
Great list of governors! It was truly great to see some of the best governors in U.S. history. I also like your use of the Five Points illustration when talking about Seward.
Worth discussion: 1) A huge miss on your list - Stephen Hopkins, of R.I. (technically a colonial governor). Hopkins had an enormous impact on both R.I. and eventually the U.S. He was the personification of the enlightened American. - He was the deciding vote for independence in the Colonial Congress. - He helped found what is now called Brown University. - He was a person of science, helping Newton verify his theory of planetary motion by tracking the transit of Venus. - An owner of five slaves, he led R.I. to be the first colony to ban the importation of slaves. R.I. would become the first state to ban slavery, in part due to his legacy. - He wrote the Rights Of Colonies Examined, which was highly influential in persuading Americans to consider their rights and how they were being abused, with historians calling it the most influential political book in American colonial history. (Though I would personally credit Roger Williams as the most influentual author in colonial American history.) - He was also the chief justice of the R.I. supreme court, overseeing the trial of The Gaspee Affair, which was the event that triggered the clamp down of the Crown and ultimately launched The American Revolution on its path. (No, it was not a tea party nor a massacre in Massachusetts.) - While he was governor, R.I. founded the first American navy and was fighting His Majesty's Ships well before Lexington & Concord, having captured three ships, burned three ships and sunk three ships. Yes, the Revolution began in R.I. and Hopkins was the leading force of it. 2) Lawton Chiles, of Florida. I will let people delve into this one on their own.
Bit sad to not see Adlai Stevenson of Illinois here. Great reformer, fought against the Red Scare, promoter of intellectualism, and funny as all hell. Still, it's a short list, and I see why you had to make those calls. Nice work!
Welcome back Mr. Beat! I hope you had a good holiday, I've missed that voice! Funny story, I mentioned George Clinton a few years ago to a 17 year old when talking about funk music and he was like "Is he related to Bill and Hillary?"
@@iammrbeat Mine was good thanks. I took some time off, and I did end up binge watching (or binge listening to) the entire supreme court briefs series at work. Good stuff.
I'm from Wisconsin and live close to Minnesota. Great video. I was a junior in college when Jesse Ventura ran for governor in 1998. Glad to see Ventura and La Follett on this list.
You should look into Robert Ray of Iowa. One of Iowa’s longest serving Governor. As Governor Ray he was the only Governor to accept Vietnam refugees after the Vietnam war. Also under Ray Iowa became number one in education. Also his successor Terry Branstad became the longest serving Governor in American history.
I’m really surprised that Thomas Lawson “Tom” McCall, 30th Governor of Oregon (1967-1975) didn’t at least make your honorable mention list. A Republican, Gov. McCall was an environmental activist. During his administration he helped clean up the horribly polluted Willamette River, enacted the country’s first bottle bill requiring deposits on soft drink containers, shepherded a law to maintain public ownership of all Oregon beaches and instituted the state’s first land use planning system which included urban growth boundaries to help save Oregon farmland. One of his best achievements, however, was Vortex I. During the height of the Vietnam War controversy, The American Legion was scheduled to hold their 1970 convention in the state which was targeted for massive protests. Fearing violence similar to Chicago 1968, McCall helped organize Vortex I, a Woodstock-style rock festival to coincide with the convention. It was enormously successful and even today remains the only government sponsored rock festival in US history. Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a mile long park skirting the Willamette River in downtown Portland, is named for him.
Can't forget that Long built student dorms into Tiger Stadium so he could increase the capacity of the stadium. He also helped write Touchdown for LSU.
Love your research! Pete Dupont, Delaware was a very productive and altruistic governor during his 2 terms 👍 1977-1985.reduced taxes, increased employment in the State. Genuinely a man of integrity and humanity. Thanks for the post! • certainly glad I subscribed 👍
There was a book written back in the 1980s by an investigative reporter called, The Louisiana Hayride. Huey Long not only sold out to big oil and La is now broke because of it, he also started the Hit or Miss Oil Company for himself and his cronies. The Times Picayune estimated his personal wealth to be over 100 million, after he died. He actually started a legacy of corruption in the state that still continues. La actually should be a wealthy state and not neck and neck with MS for being poorest.
George Romney truly is the most underrated governor of the last 100 years... his son overshadowed anything he did, but damn he was truly amazing. My great grandfather knew him well. I intend to bring his leadership ideals back to Lansing one day.
I just came by to say I really like Supreme Court Briefs, I understand it's not the star theme in your channel but I would hate to have seen the last one.
Hey Mr. Beat! I think a video where you described the position of governor would be very informative. What does a governor actually do? What are their powers?
I'm from Wisconsin and I approve of Robert LaFollette being number one. He is one of the few Republican politicians I have a favorable opinion of someone who certainly would have no place in today's Republican Party. He would have too much integrity for them and would have stood up to Donald Trump.
One thing that was refreshing about Jesse Ventura was when reporters would ask him 'gotcha' questions about some minor policy or initiative, he would simply answer, "I don't know" or "I have no idea" and then ask the reporter to tell him about it. Usually, the reporter would balk and swallow his/her words. Ventura didn't engage in politician-speak where he would talk around or circumnavigate some ridiculous question with a non-answer.
Other possibilities: Al Smith (NY) - advocate of workplace safety, worker's rights, environmental conservation, civil service Thomas Dewey (NY ) - New York State Thruway, post-WW II veterans housing, creator of the State University of New York system Ernest Gibson Jr. (VT) - expanded and modernized state highways, improve health care, enhanced public education LeRoy Collins (FL) - Civil Rights advocate, expanded public education Michael Dukakis (MA) - Improvement to transportation infrastructure and mass transit, promotion of financial services and high-tech industry expansions William Scranton (PA) - Creation of state community college system, state board of education, and Higher Education Assistance Agency, Civil Rights advocate Jerry Brown (CA) - Environmentalist, mass transportation advocate, restorer of Califiornia's fiscal health following the Schwarzenegger debacle
Samuel Tilden should probably be on a list of best governors too. A serious anti-corruption advocate, defeated Boss Tweed of Tammany hall and New York's corrupt Canal Ring.
I've been looking for any good books on Huey P Long, does anyone have any books suggestions? He's been my favorite governor since I was a small child with a mix of mythology and reality of who he was & what he did. (Hell if anyone has any suggestions for books on Earl or Rose I'd love that too)
@@iammrbeat Awesome! Thanks! I honestly didn't even know that anyone had ever made a movie about him. Most of what I know about him is from family lore & my Louisiana history class in 7th grade. It's kind of funny, the family lore is unabashed love of the old Kingfish & the teacher that I had was an unabashed conservative that painted him as Louisiana's Hitler 🤣. I've tried researching on my own and ran into the same problem with nearly every source I looked at. It's funny how he can be so polarizing that its difficult to find any source that acknowledges yeah the man was bat $#i+ crazy at times, but at least he did a lot of great stuff for the people while he was in office.
King fish and fighting Bob and 1 and 2 are good choices. I really think you should have included Floyd Olson of Minnesota. He was from that same wave of agrarian progressivism that La Follett was from. Olson isn’t as well known as many of his contemporaries. He never ran for President and died before much of his work was done, but he was much of the reason why the Farmer Labor party was a force to be reckoned with in his day.
@@iammrbeat I don't know about him being a history dork, but I think he would be intrigued by a great deal of the content on your channel. Especially the state comparisons. Thanks for your like and reaction. Great channel by the way! Greetings from the Netherlands!
I’m surprised you didn’t include Andrew Gregg Curtin, (he fits all your criteria) in this list in place of Beaver. he was the Civil War governor who founded the Gettysburg national cemetery and invited Lincoln to come and give a few remarks. He was definitely the soldiers friend. He also started public school education improved improved it. But you were right about DeWitt Clinton.
I recently came across another great governor: Thomas R. Marshall. Slightly more known as Woodrow Wilson's vice president, he served as governor of Indiana in the years 1909-1913, and was way ahead of his time. For starters, he went against his own party and it's plans of appointing Democrats to patronage positions, instead allowing making sure to appoint people from different factions of the party, risking his own political future due to not having a strong base. But his biggest impact was with his progressive agenda. He managed to pass child labor (ending a lot of its worst cases) and anti-corruption laws (and was vocal against corruption in general), as well as the ratification of the 17th amendment, guaranteeing direct elections of U.S. senators. After he couldn't stop the Indiana legislature from passing eugenics and sterilization laws (a sentiment he still had as vice president), he signed an executive order that forbade state institutions from following those laws. He was also a big opponent of the death penalty, and pardoned or commuted the sentences of every felon sentenced to death in Indiana, making him the first governor of the state to do so. Perhaps his greatest endeavor was trying to create a new constitution for Indiana, which would have guaranteed initiatives and referendums. The new constitution was inspired by political activists like my boy Eugene Debs, and passed the legislatures. Unfortunately, the state supreme court struck it down due to it not being replaced by a formal constitutional convention. Marshall tried to appeal the decision to the U.S. supreme court, but they denied the motion. Overall, Marshall was a governor way ahead of his time who always put his principles before his selfish desires.
Thank you for include Terry Sandford in your list of honorable mentions, I was very little when he was Governor of NC but as a young adult I benefited from his tenure.
That bridge to the left that you showed during Huey Long's segment is the Long-Allen Bridge that connects Berwick to Morgan City. I actually drive on that bridge all the time.
As a Minnesotan, I will tell you that I was surprised how good Ventura was as a governor. He had very little political experience, but was outstanding as a governor!
Another great governor from Minnesota was Wendell Anderson (1971-1976). He presided over the "Minnesota Miracle" when the economy and quality of life of Minnesota was the best in the nation. He had also been an Olympic Hockey player and won a Silver Medal and played NCAA Division 1 Hockey. He was on the cover of Time Magazine which focused on his popularity and effectiveness as a governor.
Dusty Johnson was a recent and incredibly popular governor of SD. I also recently learned that he was a CODA, and so his first language isn't English, but ASL
Hi Mr Beat, can you do a top 10 video of the best mayors in US history? And then after that can you make a 30 min mini documentary on Frank Paul Ziedler? I'm from WI btw in case you couldn't tell (🧀🥛🐄)
If you’re from Minnesota, you know how awesome of a governor Jesse was. I’ll always remember wearing a a bright green t shirt to school with his slogan, “my governor can beat up your governor”, on it. Love your content Mr. Beat!
Nice to see Daddy Long on the list If only every American politician had the same passion he had for helping others, the US would be in a much better place.
When he said De Witt Clinton, I thought "Is he talking about early locomotives now?". Then I remembered that De Witt Clinton was named after the governor of the same name (If you don't know what I'm talking about, De Witt Clinton was the first locomotive built in New York,. It was constructed a few years after he died, and named after him).
Here are some additional facts about William Seward. 1. Although despite being anti slavery he wasn’t a abolitionist like his wife his legislation also protected abolitionists. 2. He and his wife’s home was a safe house on the Underground Railroad and although it was mainly his wife who helped African Americans who were enslaved escape to freedom he was aware of what she was doing and likely supported her efforts. 3. In 1859 he and his wife gave Harriet Tubman a home on a farm which would later become a safe haven for her family and friends and later became a safe place for African Americans who sought a better life in the Northern States. Harriet Tubman is of course well known to most people due to her role in the Underground Railroad and how she helped countless African Americans escape from slavery.
Though I do agree with you on Anne Richards, I am glad she only lasted one term. Mostly for the reasons you listed. But she was also quite smug and condescending. Her ego was infamous. Before their first debate, George W Bush wished her good luck, and said “May the better person win, eh?” Her reply was “I will George. Don’t worry.” And no, not in a joking way. That kind of bugs me. And thanks for taking my Jesse Ventura suggestion!
Who did I leave out? Were you surprised by anyone on my list?
Here are my honorable mentions:
James Blanchard
Sam Houston
Bill Weld
Floyd Olsen
George Clinton
Mario Cuomo
Pat Brown
Epaphroditus Ransom - Shout out to Mr. Dunn for bringing him to my attention
Gary Johnson
Adelbert Ames
Oliver Morton
Terry Sanford
Benjamin Gatz Brown
Earl Long
William Milliken
Edwin Johnson
Andrew Gregg Curtin
Robert Docking
Earl's legacy was hurt with his unabashed support for Japanese American internment.
RIP William Milliken
yeah I knew you were going to put him on the honorable mentions for NO .1 Mr Beat because as James Blanchard was governor of Michigan from 1983-1991 he turned around Michigan Finances by: Created a balanced budget, Created 700,000 Jobs and succeeded by cutting those who lived in poverty by half. so yeah James Blanchard has to be by far the best governor my home state of Michigan ever had but anywho thank you as well for this amazing video that I as well been waiting to Mr Beat thanks man.
What about the worst VP's
No Culbert Olson, Earl Warren or Johm Milliken Parker?
Is it because "despite their benefits two of them supported internment" and the other "Lynched 10 Italians".
Cause those are probably good reasons
Now do top ten most neutral governors!
Ummmm.....I'm sort of nuetral about that idea.
@@iammrbeat that should be easy
@@iammrbeat John st John
@J.J McCullough Do a video about the 10 best Canadian premiers!!
@@iammrbeat most controversial governors of the us
Fun fact: Literally anyone can run for Governor of Kansas. In 2018, a high school student who had never even been to Kansas ran for governor (of course, he didn’t get anywhere in the primaries)
In fact, it’s unclear whether you even have to be a human to run.
I am running for governor of Kansas in 22'
Ain't no rule says a dog can't be governor
@@kirstymax8273 how did you do?
Honestly, probably the only thing that can prevent anyone from running is they themselves are incapable of running for public office regardless of whether it’s theoretically possible. Which, uh… yeah, non-humans are excluded by that logic.
You gotta be American 😂
Huey Long is the prime example of 'the ends justify the means' for example, when he built the Mississippi river bridge, he deliberately built it too low so seafaring ships would be forced to stop in Baton Rouge, when he was impeached, he decided to build a whole new capitol because he never wanted to be in that building again. He put lots of funding into LSU and also abused a federal grant by making Tiger Stadium, but because he couldn't just make a stadium he also made the stadium itself a massive dormroom.
Long was a very, very openly corrupt governor, but he got things done, and is, frankly the best Louisiana can hope for because it's either corrupt and selfish or corrupt and helps the people 99% of the time.
I mean, power corrupts, and we should never forget it. He certainly abused his power, but you're right- he did a lot of good for the state.
The problem is that the legacy, or one of the main ones, of Long-ism is the state homestead exemption, which is the highest one in the country, i.e. great for middle-class taxpayers but at the same time maybe, probably allowing corruption to take place that voters tolerate because of the deal that they're getting themselves. In another state middle-class voters would be paying property taxes and possibly more mindful about their elected officials are spending taxpayer dollars. Russell, who ultimately became a lot more powerful as a senator than Huey probably ever was, stated it best when he said "Don't tax you, don't tax me, tax the fellow behind the tree."
Great seeing Huey Long on this list, he was also known for making his own campaign songs. Randy Newman did a cover of "Every Man a King" once.
I didn't even know about the campaign songs. Woahness.
Huey Long? You mean the president of the American Union State?
I'm a simple man, I see Huey Long, I March north a traitor, then come home a king.
H U E Y L O N G S C H L O N G
W E W I L L C R U S H T H E S Y N D I E S
La Follette as number one was a perfect choice.
Yeah he will likely also make my top 10 senators video. :)
You gave him too much credit for things he did while he wasn’t governor. Great video though!
yo im pretty sure im related to him he has the same last name as my great-grandmother
@@iammrbeat way ahead of time
@@lbintenew the ag of Wisconsin related to him
George Romney is still remembered fondly here in Michigan, with both liberals and conservatives.
INTERESTING FACT: In the 40s, before he was governor, he was the man most responsible for converting auto plants the the war effort. He is considered the father of Detroit's :Arsenal of Democracy. THANKS FOR INCLUDING HIM.
I wish Mitt should've been like this in the 2012 election.
Also Romney ran American Motors in the late 50 and keep it from going under by building the Rambler (AMC answer to the VW)
I read a biography of Huey Long and one thing that struck me was that he had a fantastic memory, and when he campaigned he remembered the names of people he had met years before while working as a salesman
Huey P. Long. A man so nice, the named not just one bridge after him, they named two bridges after him. Louisiana represents.
I named a bridge in my parents backyard after Theodore Roosevelt, so there's that.
Mr. Beat that and teddy has a his face literally set in stone
gotta be a...
long bridge
@@DangItshere Yes it is, indeed.
I mean the guy tried to distort and attack the media like trump does but he has good policies like bernie
"I'm Mr. Beard"
I couldn't find my razors.
@@iammrbeatI think the beard looks good, kinda looks like you went from HS History Teacher to College Professor
Lol, I had the same exact thought when I first saw this. I'm not used to seeing him with a beard.
There is a danish show called hr skæg. That is mr. Beard
TH-cam: Recommends this video
Literally the entire HOI4 Kaiserreich community: *I’LL TAKE YOUR ENTIRE STOCK*
Literally me
FUR HUEY LONG DONG!!!
@Lorenzo Nivellini HOI4 or Hearts of Iron IV is a grand strategy game taking place from January 1st, 1936 to usually 1948. It's basically a WW2 strategy game.
Kaiserreich is a mod for Hearts of Iron which is an alternative world based on in the germans won WW1. In the mod, Huey Long can become president of the U.S. and leads the American Union States during the 2nd American Civil war.
When i saw Huey i was like: Wait that guys is real ? AND HE IS SUPPORTING DEMOCRACY ?
@Lorenzo Nivellini That would be a understatement, but yeah, he was pretty good.
Bonus points for Ann Richards for guest-starring on King of the Hill.
Please suscribe to My chanel I Needham hwlp
i always think of that when i hear ann richards
Another reason why I am biased to like her. I loved that show and I love pretty much anything Mike Judge creates.
Your profile reads, "Sha", not Sam.
@@iammrbeat too bad Bush beat her
Jesse "The Mind" Ventura was the best governor Minnesota has ever seen. No one should make fun of you. He was the best of both world. Taxes went down and civil programs expanded. I even got surplus checks when Jesse was running the show. I meet him when i was 12 when he was my Mayor of Brooklyn Park, MN. Great guy and never knew he was a wrestler till my dad told me after.
Jesse "MIND CONTROL!" Ventura
How is it even possible to have taxes go down and more civil programs to expand. Wtf
12/5/23 10pm EST.
hes the best MN automatically for his answer for one of the southern states asking for their civil wsr flag back and Ventura responds "why? we won."
@@hadesedits1501 optimization
As a life-long Minnesotan I was happy to see Jesse Ventura show up. He was really very good and championed well-received policies.
What about Governor Dani Thompson
I would never make fun of you for picking Jesse Ventura as a great governor. he won as an independent governor and got rid of lobbyists and fought for Native American Rights. So what he was a popular wrestler, he was the mayor of Brooklyn Park Minnesota the six largest city in Minnesota prior to becoming governor. I also appreciate him standing up to read Grant the owner of the Minnesota Vikings preventing him from taking public funds to renovate the Metrodome.
Too bad governor Arnold Schwarzenegger didnt make thevlistvfrom when he was governor of California
He is the Reform Party’s only major winner for them.
Well heenan I’m a good mayor
I wish George Wallace would have made the list. Great governor. Definitely underrated.
@@leviturner3265…
I wish you where my middle school teacher. Got a 4.0 last term when I went back to school after failing out awhile back, your supreme court briefs where a lifesaver for my US government class.
Aw...well so glad they helped! At least I can be your internet teacher. :)
As a Wisconsinite, i approve of this video
Fighting Bob 2020
Please suscribe to My chanel
Represent! And a shout out to the Wisconsin Idea.
@@whodoobucrew2960 we all know who that is in this election
@@nerddragon2222 indeed we do. Bernie is the fighting bob for the modern era.
I'm a simple man, I see huey long dong, I click
I knew it was wise to put him on the thumbnail.
@@iammrbeat smh
I did not expect such a lovely surprise this early in the morning, Good Video
Please suscribe to My chanel
Well thank you!
You know we're in the endgame when Mr. Beat grows a beard.
I sure hope not.
@@iammrbeat same
Oh we really were
I absolutely will not make fun of you for Jesse Ventura. I supported him about as much a kid could, and sat next to him at a hockey game shortly after he left office.
He was pretty awesome in terms of answering what questions I had, and even gave me some weight lifting tips.
Yeeeeaaaaahhhh, then he opened his mouth about organized religion, did the state of the state from the governors mansion because both the republicans and dfl hated him and he did that whole xfl thing. But i will say, at least you didnt need to be in the top 1 percent to go to the u of m and you could go over a bridge without it falling over(cough Pawlenty cough)
That's pretty neat. I assume you are from Minnesota then? Yeah, I think with Jesse, you just get a real human being, even with all his flaws. He's always been genuine, and like I said in the video, I agree with him on most issues.
Mr. Beat Yeah. His daughter and I were taking part in separate hockey tournaments in the same building. I had a couple hours between games so we were allowed some down time. I was content just going between games and having some lunch.
The rumors spread pretty quick that he was there, so I made my way to where he was playing. It’s general admission so there’s no assigned seats. I approach Jesse and ask “Mr. Governor, is this seat taken?” He said that one side was saved for his wife, but I was welcome to sit with them. She comes back, and I’m introduced to her but she stayed quiet for most of the game, outside of cheering.
It wasn’t just policy stuff, I asked about their daughter’s hockey career, and he asked about mine (Which is how the weightlifting came up). At the end of the game he wished me well in hockey and life, and they went on their way.
My team won the championship, but part of the postgame talk was how I got to sit with Jesse Ventura.
Now Schwarzenegger on the other hand
@@iammrbeat when you said him I like omg then oh
A very underrated governor that should get more credit as a great one is Linwood Holton, who served as Governor of Virginia from 1970 to 1974. A moderate Republican, he fought in favor of racial integration, he increased employment for African-Americans and women, provided funds for community mental health centers and also supported environmental efforts. Fun fact: He's Tim Kaine's father-in-law and supported Obama in 2008.
Good list! As for someone i would have liked on the list, or at least the honourable mentions, would be Arkansas Governor Sid McMath.
I will quote from Wikipedia, as it can explain it better than i can:
"In defiance of his state's political establishment, he championed rapid rural electrification, massive highway and school construction, the building of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, strict bank and utility regulation, repeal of the poll tax, open and honest elections and broad expansion of opportunity for black citizens in the decade following World War II. "
"As a former governor, McMath led the opposition to segregationist Governor Orval Faubus following the 1957 Little Rock school crisis."
"McMath supported anti-lynching statutes and appointed African Americans to state boards for the first time. McMath worked tirelessly, often clandestinely, with Dr. Lawrence Davis, Sr. to save the state's all-black college, Arkansas Agricultural, Mechanical, & Normal, now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. McMath also reformed the state's mental health system and increased the minimum wage.
[T]he real test of courage was how he handled the defining issue of the century for every Southern political leader. [I]n a field crowded by frenzied men trying to outdo each other in their zeal to keep the Negro in his place, McMath deplored race-baiting. … Had one - just one! - major elected Southern official broken ranks on civil rights, early on, before the racist opposition began to metastasize, history might have been so different. The tragedy of Faubus and Fulbright was that they lacked the courage to do so. The tragedy of Sid McMath was that corporate vengeance denied him the opportunity to do what they would not."
"If [McMath] had been able to take Arkansas further down the path to modernization and racial harmony, Arkansas history would have been quite different. Arkansas paid a big price when the public utilities muscled him out of office. [It is] still paying."
"When Sid McMath stood for civil rights in the 1940s and 1950s he stood virtually alone among the South's political leaders, most of whom were waving the bloody shirt. By the 1970s every Southern poll was supporting full citizenship for African-Americans. It was by then politically correct. But for McMath, it took unprecedented courage. And in fact it later cost him whatever chance he had to salvage his political career. He certainly deserves a chapter in the next Profiles in Courage. He was a true hero, not only to the South, but also to the Nation."
I hope that some people will agree with me when i say that Sid McMath could easily have been on this list. That's just my opinion though.
Oh wow, I must have overlooked Sid. It seems like he was a fantastic governor. Thanks for bringing him to my attention!
@@iammrbeat anyone against oval is a friend of mine
Too bad Mitt couldn't be more like his father. As a Michigander, I am pleased about the highlight on George Romney!
Question: as George Romney was born in Mexico, why did he think that he would have been eligible to become President???? 😵
@@purpleku7768 His parents, Gaskell Romney and Anna Pratt-Romney were United States citizens.
Thus if one of your parents is already a natural born citizen, by extension you are too. If I do believe.
PurpleKU77 what “natural born citizen” specifically refers to in the constitution has been up for debate for a long time, so Romney was hoping being born to citizens, although in Mexico, would qualify. Ted Cruz has the same issue as he was born in Canada.
@@nathangale7702 It either means that you're born in the US or that your parents are citizens. If one or both qualifications fit, then they are "natural born citizens"
10:45 Is that a Kaiserreich reference?!
Yeah :)
Yes and it's glorious 😭😭
Ann Richards founding the lottery in Texas reminds me of Zell Miller from Georgia. He founded the Georgia Lottery and all of the funds go to what we call the HOPE Scholarship (I think there’s similar programs in different states). It’s because of him that I can go to school in state and not pay a cent of tuition, and I am forever grateful.
Jesse Ventura continued to work as an assistant football coach at my high school (in the city which he had previously been mayor) until his legislation on school funding caused the district to cut multiple assistant coaches. There was a special committee determining his fate as an assistant coach when he voluntarily stepped down from the role. Honestly I was too young at the time to know what to make of it and don't know enough now to form an opinion.
One governor you might have forgotten was Tom McCall of Oregon, who served as Governor of Oregon from 1967 to 1975. He was an early pioneer in state wide environmental policy and to this day is still one of the most popular politicians in Oregon history. He was a long time journalist before is days as Governor and had an award winning documentary about the environmental decline of Oregon in 1962 which was one of the first such journalistic documentaries about the environment that laid the ground work for other such efforts and Earth Day.
I was thinking the same
Fun fact: Gov. McCall helped to organize a music festival as a distraction from an event where Pres. Richard Nixon was supposed to appear. What was expected to be a clash between supporters of the Vietnam War and anti-war activists, the state government in preparation for Nixon's potential visit came up with the idea to have a festival at Milo McIver Park. To this day it remains the only government-sponsered concert in U.S. history. _The more you know!_
Another great video. As you've probably noticed from some of my previous comments, Louisiana is my home state, and yes, Huey Long is still widely praised throughout the state for his achievements as governor and later senator. He really transformed education, healthcare, and infrastructure in Louisiana during his tenure, and a lot of bridges, streets, etc. in Louisiana are named after him. Our current Governor, John Bel Edwards, is a good governor too. He's not legendary like Long by any means, but he has done a good job getting Louisiana's economy and social programs, especially education, back on track after 8 years of drastic cuts and failed reforms under our previous governor, Bobby Jindal. Jindal implemented his own version of the Kansas Experiment, which also led to a historic budget crisis. Maybe a "Kansas and Louisiana Compared" video in the future?
Ha! Maybe! Thanks for sharing all that. Yeah I was not a fan of Brownback.
Edwards outlawed abortion in Louisiana.
No one:
Huey Long: ✨You dropped this 👑✨
I know it was hard to pick just ten, but I would have included Oswald West, governor of Oregon from 1911 to 1915. He famously declared the Pacific Coast of Oregon below the high tide line to be a state highway, which prevented development and preserved a huge area in its natural state. In the 1960s developers tried to overturn his executive order, but the legislature passed a law making it stronger. On the other hand, he was a prohibitionist.
Ah the greatest sin an American could've made back then, banning alcohol 😂😂
I used to know a man who voted for La Follette, for Senate. His kind is needed today.
I think Bill Richardson is a really underrated governor of New Mexico. Sure, there were some corruption scandals, but if he didn’t get subsidies for the film and tv industry, Breaking Bad would have been made in California and half the country would still think New Mexico was a foreign territory. Plus I really the Rail Runner he got funding for.
There is also epstein island thing
Jesse Ventura is in my top 5 maybe 3 favorite people in history
He
was a Navy Seal in Vietnam
the 1st Independent US Governor
starred in multiple films with Arnold Schwarzeneggar
was a bodyguard for the Rolling Stones and I think also fellow Minnesotan Prince
rode bikes with the Hell's Angels
tried to unionize pro wrestling
is one of the few people to beat the tyrannical Vince McMahon in court for royalty fees for using his commentary which led WWE to redub classic PPVs lol
So basically most of them were cool before being cool was cool.
Exactly
Giving nods to BOTH Jesse Ventura & Gary Johnson?
This libertarian approves...
Having Huey Long and Robert La Follette in place 2 and 1?
This social democrat also approves.
@@cheesemccheese5780 Those far right ancap libertarians typically get all the attention, but a lot of libertarians are actually pretty neutral about the government’s role in the economy and mainly prioritize the government staying out of social issues like guns, weed, war, etc. Gary Johnson was actually more of this type of libertarian too.
@@cheesemccheese5780 bruh look, there’s more than one political spectrum. Today in American politics, typically, however you feel about government intervention in people’s lives determines how authoritarian or libertarian you are, and however you feel about the way the economy should be run determines how left or right you are, or how communist or capitalist. It is possible to be farther to the left and still be a libertarian, because a society where more services are provided through tax dollars but the government no longer has the power to limit access to guns, throw you in jail for pot, criminalize abortion, send you to die in a foreign war, etc, would still be a lot more libertarian than the status quo. Hell, Karl Marx himself envisioned a libertarian utopia where the government withers away and everyone just shares shit without any state telling people what to do. So yes, it is indeed possible for someone to favor a smaller government and just not agree with you economically.
@@cheesemccheese5780 also side note, my comment about Gary Johnson was referring to his time as governor, not his presidential run, but even then, he actually also floated a UBI during his campaign
@@cheesemccheese5780 You’re all good big man. But I think this is just one of the issues where we’re going to have to agree to disagree. Oxford actually has two different definitions for ‘Libertarian’ the first being advocating for minimal state intervention in both citizen’s lives and the free market, and the other being a person who advocates for civil liberty. It seems each one of us are describing one of the two different definitions, and you seem to acknowledge that there are a sizable amount of people online who use the second definition as well.
I took a class from Jesse’s economic policy director. He was in charge of translating Jesse speak to actual implementable policy. He wasn’t a bad governor and the ideas were actually his.
Mark Dayton was pretty good too. He expanded the light rail to St. Paul’s union depot and made sure the new St. Croix bridge wasn’t excessively destructive to the natural area. Additionally, he supported medical marijuana and gay and trans rights.
I don't know a lot about Dayton, honestly. I will say this...most Minnesota governors throughout the state's history have been fairly reasonable. There's something about that state where they seem to be immune to partisan bickering and actually get stuff done.
@@iammrbeat and democratic ?
Fun fact: Ventura was also a Navy veteran who served on the Underwater Demolition team.
I remember commenting on your top ten worst governors video "If you make a top 10 best, Jesse Ventura better be there" and you delivered!
You did? I don't remember that, but that's amazing.
And as a true independent, Jesse Ventura never backs down on what he believes in! He's a true patriot who has criticized administration after administration regardless of the party, sticking to his constitutional-based principles.
And to me, he's one of the last true statesman. He simply served and returned back to the private sector. George Washington would be proud of him!
Great Video Mr Beat! You should do Top 10 best Congressman next. Ann Richards stared in King of the Hill which is an awesome TV show
Since Heuy Long got involved with LSU he probably is rooting for them in the National Championship.
Thanks Ermes! Yeah I've seen that episode and loved it. :D Also, yeah eventually I'll do Representatives, but first I have to do my favorite Senators.
Huey P. Long put LSU football on a map.
You'd have my support if you did run for governor Mr. Beat.
Well that's good to know!
@@iammrbeat your Lt?since Kansas has ticket Lt/ governor
beat for governor 2022
@@ltbubbas your lt?
Ltbubas exactly
10:45 I think what's legendary about Huey Long is that he fought for social politics while beeing against socialism/communism like in the Soviet Union. The U.S. needs more people like him. Bernie Sanders is propably very similar to him but he calls himself democratic socialist. But on the other hand he likes the nordic countrys, social democratic countries so that doesn't really make sense (because Bernie himself is propobly not a socialist but a social democrat). Weird but that's American politics.
Lafollete ?
Yeah bernie is mislabeling himself since all of his policies fall in line with social democrats from europe
@Daniel von Strangle The market in Scandinavia is not deregulated I don't know where you got that from.
Sanders is a socialist. Long was socialist too.
@@garyjohnson4778 Guess everyone is a socialist. You are also a socialist then.
Huey "Long Dong" Long has approved this video.
Didn’t expect to be hearing math rock on a video about U.S. governors
My hope is that mine is the only channel on TH-cam to do this.
Great list of governors! It was truly great to see some of the best governors in U.S. history. I also like your use of the Five Points illustration when talking about Seward.
Thank you! :D
Worth discussion:
1) A huge miss on your list - Stephen Hopkins, of R.I. (technically a colonial governor).
Hopkins had an enormous impact on both R.I. and eventually the U.S. He was the personification of the enlightened American.
- He was the deciding vote for independence in the Colonial Congress.
- He helped found what is now called Brown University.
- He was a person of science, helping Newton verify his theory of planetary motion by tracking the transit of Venus.
- An owner of five slaves, he led R.I. to be the first colony to ban the importation of slaves. R.I. would become the first state to ban slavery, in part due to his legacy.
- He wrote the Rights Of Colonies Examined, which was highly influential in persuading Americans to consider their rights and how they were being abused, with historians calling it the most influential political book in American colonial history. (Though I would personally credit Roger Williams as the most influentual author in colonial American history.)
- He was also the chief justice of the R.I. supreme court, overseeing the trial of The Gaspee Affair, which was the event that triggered the clamp down of the Crown and ultimately launched The American Revolution on its path. (No, it was not a tea party nor a massacre in Massachusetts.)
- While he was governor, R.I. founded the first American navy and was fighting His Majesty's Ships well before Lexington & Concord, having captured three ships, burned three ships and sunk three ships. Yes, the Revolution began in R.I. and Hopkins was the leading force of it.
2) Lawton Chiles, of Florida. I will let people delve into this one on their own.
Bit sad to not see Adlai Stevenson of Illinois here. Great reformer, fought against the Red Scare, promoter of intellectualism, and funny as all hell. Still, it's a short list, and I see why you had to make those calls. Nice work!
Welcome back Mr. Beat! I hope you had a good holiday, I've missed that voice!
Funny story, I mentioned George Clinton a few years ago to a 17 year old when talking about funk music and he was like "Is he related to Bill and Hillary?"
lol ah yes. People forget how common of name Clinton is. And thanks for the welcome. It was a great holiday. How was yours?
@@iammrbeat Mine was good thanks. I took some time off, and I did end up binge watching (or binge listening to) the entire supreme court briefs series at work. Good stuff.
I'm from Wisconsin and live close to Minnesota. Great video. I was a junior in college when Jesse Ventura ran for governor in 1998. Glad to see Ventura and La Follett on this list.
You should look into Robert Ray of Iowa. One of Iowa’s longest serving Governor. As Governor Ray he was the only Governor to accept Vietnam refugees after the Vietnam war. Also under Ray Iowa became number one in education. Also his successor Terry Branstad became the longest serving Governor in American history.
And both of them were better than who we have now.
I’m really surprised that Thomas Lawson “Tom” McCall, 30th Governor of Oregon (1967-1975) didn’t at least make your honorable mention list. A Republican, Gov. McCall was an environmental activist. During his administration he helped clean up the horribly polluted Willamette River, enacted the country’s first bottle bill requiring deposits on soft drink containers, shepherded a law to maintain public ownership of all Oregon beaches and instituted the state’s first land use planning system which included urban growth boundaries to help save Oregon farmland. One of his best achievements, however, was Vortex I. During the height of the Vietnam War controversy, The American Legion was scheduled to hold their 1970 convention in the state which was targeted for massive protests. Fearing violence similar to Chicago 1968, McCall helped organize Vortex I, a Woodstock-style rock festival to coincide with the convention. It was enormously successful and even today remains the only government sponsored rock festival in US history. Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park, a mile long park skirting the Willamette River in downtown Portland, is named for him.
Is it just me who thinks Jesse Ventura looks like a *thicc* American version of Lenin?
It’s just you
Michael Thigpen Damn it, I meant to type Lenin. I’m still not sure if that adds any more validity, but what a typo lmao
Dang, first time seeing mr.beat with the beard. Looking sharp my guy
I'm a simple man, I see Huey Long, I click.
Can't forget that Long built student dorms into Tiger Stadium so he could increase the capacity of the stadium. He also helped write Touchdown for LSU.
Love your research!
Pete Dupont, Delaware was a very productive and altruistic governor during his 2 terms 👍
1977-1985.reduced taxes, increased employment in the State. Genuinely a man of integrity and humanity.
Thanks for the post!
• certainly glad I subscribed 👍
You look sharp Mr. Beat. Happy New Year!
There was a book written back in the 1980s by an investigative reporter called, The Louisiana Hayride. Huey Long not only sold out to big oil and La is now broke because of it, he also started the Hit or Miss Oil Company for himself and his cronies. The Times Picayune estimated his personal wealth to be over 100 million, after he died. He actually started a legacy of corruption in the state that still continues. La actually should be a wealthy state and not neck and neck with MS for being poorest.
Huey Long #2 yes!! He is in good company on this list!! He has done more for Louisiana in 4 years than any other Governor before or since!!!!
George Romney truly is the most underrated governor of the last 100 years... his son overshadowed anything he did, but damn he was truly amazing. My great grandfather knew him well. I intend to bring his leadership ideals back to Lansing one day.
Impressive list, Mr. Beat. Is there going to be a sequel to this?
Next up is best Senators!
@@iammrbeat even better!
I just came by to say I really like Supreme Court Briefs, I understand it's not the star theme in your channel but I would hate to have seen the last one.
Thank you so much! Don't worry...more are coming.
i would love to see your tier list of your opinion on kansas governors
I bet not many people would care to watch that video though :/
Bill Graves must have been somewhat good or at least a populist he got 75 percent of the vote in his reelection bid in 1998
Mr Beat, I'd watch it
Sam brownback is bottom tier
Not to sound conceited, but my grandad was one of the best governors Kansas had. Payne H Ratner 1939-1943.
Hey Mr. Beat! I think a video where you described the position of governor would be very informative. What does a governor actually do? What are their powers?
Well it does depend on the state, but I could still probably make something like that work.
Fun fact, many judges Jesse appointed are still on their seats in Minnesota and have helped keep our courts neutral instead of being a partisan mess.
I have a video idea, Best 10 American Senators
he did it
Leon Pearce No he only did worst 10
It's coming in a couple months or so. :D
Nic I would say Woodrow Wilson is the worst
I'm from Wisconsin and I approve of Robert LaFollette being number one. He is one of the few Republican politicians I have a favorable opinion of someone who certainly would have no place in today's Republican Party. He would have too much integrity for them and would have stood up to Donald Trump.
He'd be called a communist, cultural marxist and other buzzwords nowadays by Republicans.
@@TokyoBalletReprise Exactly!!!
Fun fact about ann richards I'm sure a lot of people know this but she also starred in a season 5 episode of king of the hill
I remember that episode!
One thing that was refreshing about Jesse Ventura was when reporters would ask him 'gotcha' questions about some minor policy or initiative, he would simply answer, "I don't know" or "I have no idea" and then ask the reporter to tell him about it.
Usually, the reporter would balk and swallow his/her words. Ventura didn't engage in politician-speak where he would talk around or circumnavigate some ridiculous question with a non-answer.
Hi from New Zealand 🇳🇿
Please suscribe to my chanel, I Neee help
Hello from Arizona!
Hi from the other side of the world, Ashley!
maxiriano LQ done ✅
Don't come here trust me
Other possibilities:
Al Smith (NY) - advocate of workplace safety, worker's rights, environmental conservation, civil service
Thomas Dewey (NY ) - New York State Thruway, post-WW II veterans housing, creator of the State University of New York system
Ernest Gibson Jr. (VT) - expanded and modernized state highways, improve health care, enhanced public education
LeRoy Collins (FL) - Civil Rights advocate, expanded public education
Michael Dukakis (MA) - Improvement to transportation infrastructure and mass transit, promotion of financial services and high-tech industry expansions
William Scranton (PA) - Creation of state community college system, state board of education, and Higher Education Assistance Agency, Civil Rights advocate
Jerry Brown (CA) - Environmentalist, mass transportation advocate, restorer of Califiornia's fiscal health following the Schwarzenegger debacle
Samuel Tilden should probably be on a list of best governors too. A serious anti-corruption advocate, defeated Boss Tweed of Tammany hall and New York's corrupt Canal Ring.
I've been looking for any good books on Huey P Long, does anyone have any books suggestions? He's been my favorite governor since I was a small child with a mix of mythology and reality of who he was & what he did. (Hell if anyone has any suggestions for books on Earl or Rose I'd love that too)
Kingfish: The Reign of Huey P. Long by Richard White is pretty solid. The movie about Huey Long was based off that book.
@@iammrbeat Awesome! Thanks! I honestly didn't even know that anyone had ever made a movie about him. Most of what I know about him is from family lore & my Louisiana history class in 7th grade. It's kind of funny, the family lore is unabashed love of the old Kingfish & the teacher that I had was an unabashed conservative that painted him as Louisiana's Hitler 🤣. I've tried researching on my own and ran into the same problem with nearly every source I looked at. It's funny how he can be so polarizing that its difficult to find any source that acknowledges yeah the man was bat $#i+ crazy at times, but at least he did a lot of great stuff for the people while he was in office.
@@RH-jb2oy awesome! Thanks!
It you find it, be sure to read A.J. Liebling's The Earl of Louisiana.
King fish and fighting Bob and 1 and 2 are good choices.
I really think you should have included Floyd Olson of Minnesota. He was from that same wave of agrarian progressivism that La Follett was from. Olson isn’t as well known as many of his contemporaries. He never ran for President and died before much of his work was done, but he was much of the reason why the Farmer Labor party was a force to be reckoned with in his day.
You've been playing Kaiserreich haven't you? Also yeah I know this is from 2 years ago.
Why do I think that Mr. Beat would be a great guest on Theo Von's podcast?
I'm a fan of Theo. Do you know if he is also a history dork?
@@iammrbeat I don't know about him being a history dork, but I think he would be intrigued by a great deal of the content on your channel. Especially the state comparisons.
Thanks for your like and reaction. Great channel by the way!
Greetings from the Netherlands!
I came here from a video you posted a few years ago and I really like how you say things in such an easy way for all kinds of audiences to understand
Thank you for the kind words and for watching. :D
Gets to #4: "They say your father was a great man, you must be what's left." -Barack Obama
I’m surprised you didn’t include Andrew Gregg Curtin, (he fits all your criteria) in this list in place of Beaver. he was the Civil War governor who founded the Gettysburg national cemetery and invited Lincoln to come and give a few remarks. He was definitely the soldiers friend. He also started public school education improved improved it. But you were right about DeWitt Clinton.
Mr Beat: mentions Huey Long
Every Kaiserreich fan within a 10 mile radius:
Did someone say *EVERY MAN A KING!?*
I recently came across another great governor: Thomas R. Marshall.
Slightly more known as Woodrow Wilson's vice president, he served as governor of Indiana in the years 1909-1913, and was way ahead of his time. For starters, he went against his own party and it's plans of appointing Democrats to patronage positions, instead allowing making sure to appoint people from different factions of the party, risking his own political future due to not having a strong base.
But his biggest impact was with his progressive agenda. He managed to pass child labor (ending a lot of its worst cases) and anti-corruption laws (and was vocal against corruption in general), as well as the ratification of the 17th amendment, guaranteeing direct elections of U.S. senators. After he couldn't stop the Indiana legislature from passing eugenics and sterilization laws (a sentiment he still had as vice president), he signed an executive order that forbade state institutions from following those laws. He was also a big opponent of the death penalty, and pardoned or commuted the sentences of every felon sentenced to death in Indiana, making him the first governor of the state to do so.
Perhaps his greatest endeavor was trying to create a new constitution for Indiana, which would have guaranteed initiatives and referendums. The new constitution was inspired by political activists like my boy Eugene Debs, and passed the legislatures. Unfortunately, the state supreme court struck it down due to it not being replaced by a formal constitutional convention. Marshall tried to appeal the decision to the U.S. supreme court, but they denied the motion.
Overall, Marshall was a governor way ahead of his time who always put his principles before his selfish desires.
Thank you for include Terry Sandford in your list of honorable mentions, I was very little when he was Governor of NC but as a young adult I benefited from his tenure.
That bridge to the left that you showed during Huey Long's segment is the Long-Allen Bridge that connects Berwick to Morgan City. I actually drive on that bridge all the time.
As a Minnesotan, I will tell you that I was surprised how good Ventura was as a governor. He had very little political experience, but was outstanding as a governor!
Ann Richards also voiced herself in an episode of King of the Hill where she had a short-lived relationship with Bill.
Another great governor from Minnesota was Wendell Anderson (1971-1976). He presided over the "Minnesota Miracle" when the economy and quality of life of Minnesota was the best in the nation. He had also been an Olympic Hockey player and won a Silver Medal and played NCAA Division 1 Hockey. He was on the cover of Time Magazine which focused on his popularity and effectiveness as a governor.
Dusty Johnson was a recent and incredibly popular governor of SD. I also recently learned that he was a CODA, and so his first language isn't English, but ASL
I'm the best governor of the U.S
You're pretty solid.
@@iammrbeat ish
Such a great video made my day to watch
Hi Mr Beat, can you do a top 10 video of the best mayors in US history? And then after that can you make a 30 min mini documentary on Frank Paul Ziedler? I'm from WI btw in case you couldn't tell (🧀🥛🐄)
If you’re from Minnesota, you know how awesome of a governor Jesse was. I’ll always remember wearing a a bright green t shirt to school with his slogan, “my governor can beat up your governor”, on it. Love your content Mr. Beat!
I go by Carrie Tingly hospital all the time actually here in Albuquerque was worried that Clyde Tingly wouldn’t make this list but he did!
La Follette is currently one of my favorite politicians in all of American history, so I definitely approve of his placement.
Nice to see Daddy Long on the list
If only every American politician had the same passion he had for helping others, the US would be in a much better place.
You, sir, have a new subscriber 😊🙌🏾👏🏾👋🏾
When he said De Witt Clinton, I thought "Is he talking about early locomotives now?". Then I remembered that De Witt Clinton was named after the governor of the same name (If you don't know what I'm talking about, De Witt Clinton was the first locomotive built in New York,. It was constructed a few years after he died, and named after him).
Kaiserreich Fans: OMG HUEY LONG
Me, an actual Longite: 👁 👄 👁
I learned of him through Kaiserreich which then lead me to look into him irl. Really fascinating dude. I'd probably have supported him
Here are some additional facts about William Seward.
1. Although despite being anti slavery he wasn’t a abolitionist like his wife his legislation also protected abolitionists.
2. He and his wife’s home was a safe house on the Underground Railroad and although it was mainly his wife who helped African Americans who were enslaved escape to freedom he was aware of what she was doing and likely supported her efforts.
3. In 1859 he and his wife gave Harriet Tubman a home on a farm which would later become a safe haven for her family and friends and later became a safe place for African Americans who sought a better life in the Northern States. Harriet Tubman is of course well known to most people due to her role in the Underground Railroad and how she helped countless African Americans escape from slavery.
I always hear
"Mr. Beast"
Which makes me want to check my ears
The Texan in me is so glad you included Ann Richards!!!
"If Huey Long ran for President today then he'd probably win."
Well I guess that bodes well for Bernie Sanders them.
Wellllllll
Not in the primary.
He wasn't really popular among black voters last time I checked
@@generalfred9426 Last time I checked he was popular with all young voters.
So sad how he had a heart attack
Would have been wayy better than Biden or trump
Got worried that I wasn’t seeing La Follette
Though I do agree with you on Anne Richards, I am glad she only lasted one term. Mostly for the reasons you listed. But she was also quite smug and condescending. Her ego was infamous. Before their first debate, George W Bush wished her good luck, and said “May the better person win, eh?” Her reply was “I will George. Don’t worry.” And no, not in a joking way. That kind of bugs me.
And thanks for taking my Jesse Ventura suggestion!
I just thought she was trying to be funny, though.