Politicians – from the small-time to the big-time – have garnered various levels of support, opposition, respect, and hatred throughout American history. Sometimes they have been most famous (or infamous) for their policies and positions; other times, their reputation has been built on their personal life and choices.

You may or may not personally know of or appreciate all the people I will list today. But, politics aside (!), please indulge me while I share the reasons why I’m thankful for them…and feel free to add comments about politicians/leaders you are thankful for.

Ten People Connected to America’s Political Past or Present I’d Like to Thank – and Why (in no particular order)

1. Governor William Bradford: not just because he’s said to be one of my ancestors, but also because he led his community through years of survival in a challenging environment while never giving up on his faith.
2. First Lady Laura Bush: thank you for your advocacy of literacy programs and your quiet strength and dignity as a wife and mother.
3. President Abraham Lincoln: for his bravery, vision for freedom and equality, and how he never lost sight of what he believed in.
4. President George W. Bush: thank you for leading our country through another hard time of loss, fear, and conflict, and for doing so with strength and confidence.
5. The “Founding Fathers” as a group: because they cooperated to achieve a common goal – the formation of a place where we could thrive if we would try.
6. Dr. Condoleezza Rice: thank you for demonstrating how power does not have to corrupt, how age does not have to define ability, and how a woman can be intelligent, beautiful, modest, graceful, witty, wise, and successful all at the same time.
7. Congressman Don Bacon: thank you for many years of military service to our country, and for remaining a genuinely loving person in the midst of our current political landscape.
8. Vice President Mike Pence: thank you for living a personal life of integrity and for quietly holding on to and living out your beliefs through your professional actions.
9. President Ronald Reagan: for his deep personal faith and his longing to stick to his plans simply because he believed they were best for the country he loved.
10. Dr. Ben Carson: thank you for being a tremendous example of overcoming adversity in respectable ways and using your talents and knowledge to heal, to bless, and to speak truth to a divided society.