Well, he made it . . . twice.

And now he can rightfully brag that he shares Time’s spotlight with such eminences as Sir Winston Churchill (1940) and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (the only three-time recipient, who received the honor in 1932, 1934 and 1941).

But before we begin showering him in rose petals, we should all keep in mind the basis for Time’s choice of Person of the Year, which is:

“ . . . who they believed had a stronger influence on history and who represented either the year or the century the most.”

Their words: “stronger,” and “most.” Not necessarily the “best” or “most beneficial.”

And this year’s recipient should also remember that he shares this award with two other world leaders from the past:

Finally — before exaggerating this “honor” too far out of proportion, he should look back at his previous vilification of Time for all of those honors they bestowed in the years he was not chosen . . . even saying that the magazine had “lost all credibility” for failing to name him among its 100 most influential people of the year.

So, in his place, I might think twice about adding this to my c.v. — unless, of course, I were one of those people who believe that all publicity is good publicity.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
12/12/24