Readers’ Choice

In addition to the Person of the Year online poll, TIME.com offered a contest in which readers could explain their choice of POY in 50 words or less, with the best entry to be published in TIME. While there is no tally for these votes, they generally mirror the online results, but with fewer frivolous entries — apparently, wasting our time is less appealing when you have to waste yours too.

Predictably, the vast majority of submissions were related to 9/11, but not everyone drew the same conclusion from the event. The two highest vote-getters by far were George W. Bush and New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, who were both praised for “stepping up to the plate” and being “the right man at the right time.”

Bush supporters asserted that he had “proven himself under the white-hot spotlight of crisis,” and weren’t afraid to “thank God we have a Man of Faith in the White House” who “handpicked the very best people for his cabinet.” Some liked “the way he has matured as a leader of our country,” while others appraised his development more bluntly: “Prior to 9-11, he was perceived as a bumbling idiot, incapable of true leadership. His response to 9-11 has proven to the world that he is a man of compassion, patience, and action.” … “The dummy act was over and the strong, unintimidated commander in chief, rose to the occasion.” … “We weren’t sure about him until the attacks. Now, wow!”

Many contrasted Bush with his predecessor: “President Bush has brought dignity and morality back to the position of President of the United States”;”the world’s only remaining superpower is not having to waste precious time contemplating what ‘is’ is.”; “understands that the presidency and the country are not about him. No scandals, no impeachments, no stain.” Nor was the praise confined to Republicans: “I’m not a Bush fan, I voted for Gore, but clearly President Bush is the Person of the Year.” And if some already put him in the presidential pantheon (“His leadership has inspired this country to come together like the leadership of Franklin D. Roosevelt did during the dark days of World II”), most were simply grateful that “an average pol confronted the very difficult situation he found our nation in … and did a great job”; “he did what many people didn’t think he was capable of, lead” and that “a person who was taken so lightly has led us so greatly.”

Rudy Giuliani’s performance elicited enthusiasm extending far beyond New York’s borders from readers who saw “a modern-day Churchill” ; “a true leader. Calm, cool, and collected” who “soothed the country when we needed it most.” Once wary of Rudy’s town, Americans “all became New Yorkers that day. He was our mayor.” Several opined that “he even outshone our president in that he put his personal safety aside and jumped right in.” A number of you recalled the mayor’s personal setbacks prior to the event (“Enduring personal disgrace, prostate cancer, a terrorist attack of catastrophic proportion, his courage never wavered”; “He showed us how to rise to an occasion of crisis and, in doing so, to redefine one’s life”), while others contrasted his grace under fire with his previous, harsher image as “a bully for most of his two terms”; “ruthless, uncaring … not a very nice guy,” who “rose to his moment magnificently. He gave voice to our city, and it was the right voice, at the right time.” Giuliani “became the leader we always wanted and brought New Yorkers, and I think Americans, together.” And most important, “Dude put a city back together and still made it to Yankee Stadium before the end of the third inning.”

Although he trailed far behind the two leaders, Osama bin Laden came in third, with many readers brandishing Henry Luce’s guidelines of “greatest impact, for good or ill” as a moral shield to deflect criticism for a vote they felt forced to make. Their rueful entries concurred that “although bin Laden deserves no praise for his role, he has been the only person that has proven capable of uniting the world together in a common goal — the pursuit of justice and of safety for all peace loving people.” … ” Osama bin Laden has proven to all doubters that one person really can change the world forever.”

Many readers saw the attack as “this generation’s wake-up call” to a world that was “unfocused, entrenched in self-serving politics,” and that bin Laden “shifted our attention away from our ‘Survivor’ self-absorbed selves to ‘Hey, there’s problems in other parts of the world!'” — Some concluded that “we have finally realized we need each other. Badly.” … “While bin Laden may not have changed the world, he made it clear how much the world had changed with out us knowing it.” … “We are, sadly, just as safe as we were on Sept. 10. Now we know how safe that really was.”

A good number of bin Laden entries pointed out that “Bush and Giuliani are being considered only because of what Osama did,” while some suggested that “Bush and Osama should share the distinction in confrontational profile. Each would be reduced in stature without the other.” One simply said, “Let’s face it, no one has rocked this world more in the past 50 years.”

After the top three, a huge pack of nominees vied for attention. Most prominent were people recognized collectively: the citizens and the city of New York (“I know that it isn’t a person — it’s a persona” … “Often touted as the icon of the impersonal, New York showed the world what it truly means to be human”); its rescue workers, police and firemen (” No foe could ever hope to vanquish a nation capable of producing men and women such as these”); the victims of the attack (“They showed us the American spirit even as they died: bravery, love of family, selflessness”) and the typical American (“the average, everyday, ordinary person who gives without question”… “We stand as a family united for the first time in decades”).

The anonymous terrorist also got his grim deserts, “because, wherever he is, whether in Belfast or Bethlehem or our own backyard — he has fundamentally changed not just the way we live our lives, but how we view life itself.”

Several individuals stood out in the middle of the pack. Many of you liked the fact that Senate majority leader Tom Daschle “fought off some of the worst proposals of the Bush administration as well as showing real character by keeping the Senate open for business when his Senate office was attacked with anthrax,” and “has caused legislation to be carefully considered instead of being steamrolled through by an uncaring and corporate-biased President.”

However, Attorney General John Ashcroft, “the man who trashed the Bill of Rights,” — “should be POY for actually resurrecting Sen. Joseph McCarthy” — “Ashcroft is leading policies that in the name of security will keep future generations of Americans ignorant of the freedom we once had.”

Donald Rumsfeld got warm recognition for making it “okay to like John Wayne again” … “Rumsfeld remained in the Pentagon as it was being blown up” and “has kept our country safe and secure in the most trying moment in our history.” His counterweight, Colin Powell, also got nods: “Colin Powell has for years demonstrated leadership with his incisive intellect, astute geopolitical foresight, compelling eloquence, and commanding dignity” … “Behind the scenes, but the glue and foundation of the administration in the current situation.”

Republican turned independent Senator Jim Jeffords was praised for a party switch that “changed the way business will be done in Washington for years to come. The shift in the balance of power has, fortunately, compelled some politicians, President Bush included, to become statesmen.” And speaking of statesmen, Tony Blair had a good turnout, not only for being a good ally, but mostly “for doing a better job speaking than G.W. Bush ever could” while doing so.

Todd Beamer and the three men who are assumed to have challenged the hijackers of Flight 93, perhaps saving the White House, was hailed by readers who called him “a real guy who put others first,” who “disputed the thoughts that we are fat, spoiled, shallow, and complacent.”

And then the rest — Pervez Musharraf, Bono, the pope, Lance Armstrong, Al Gore for disappearing gracefully, and the inevitable parade of crank candidates who are about as interesting as the dimwits who proposed them.

And finally, as if in tribute to an age that now seems so innocent, a few thoughts for George Harrison, who, “in a time where celebrity is synonymous with narcissism … reminded us through his life and actions that it does not have to be so.”

And that was the year that was. Thank you for participating. See you all next year.

QUOTES:

Prior to September 11, 2001, the United States, indeed the world, was unfocused, entrenched in self-serving politics. Osama bin Laden’s actions unintentionally caused a worldwide coalition and cooperation never before seen, except perhaps during World War II. We have finally realized we need each other. Badly.
— Philip Downey, Redlands, Calif.

While bin Laden may not have changed the world, he made it clear how much the world had changed with out us knowing it.
— Eric Christiansen, Johannesburg

Because, wherever he is, whether in Belfast or Bethlehem or our own backyard, and by whatever method he uses, from anthrax to hijacked planes, he has fundamentally changed not just the way we live our lives, but how we view life itself.
— Kathleen Beckett, New York

Passengers of Flight 93: Knowing what had happened with the other hijacked planes, they made the selfless decision to save others from the same possible fate by taking the plane down themselves. That wasn’t their job, that was their choice.
— S. LeVay, Centreville, Va.

The Person of the Year should inspire and raise us up to be better than we are. Who more fitting of this than 343 firefighters ascending into hell one beautiful September morn?
— Alice Seidel, Manchester, N.J.

Know your enemy! Even though I am sure it will upset many people, he more than anyone caught our attention this year. He and his followers successfully shifted our attention away from our “Dr. Phil” and “Survivor” self-absorbed selves to “Hey, there’s problems in other parts of the world!” We stopped worrying about who our leaders were sleeping with and started worrying about what kind of leaders we have elected.
— Melinda Hilterbrand. Pensacola

George W.Bush: Unequaled leadership through unparalleled worldwide turbulence and uncertainty. Restored the honor and dignity of the presidency without once biting his lip. Understands that the presidency and the country are not about him. No scandals, no impeachments, no stains.
— Daniel D’Alessandro, Jersey City, N.J.