Quote:
Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth
if you can't get in the first 10 or 15 times it seems to me there is probably a good reason not to let you in.
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I used to hold that point of view, but I came to realization that a person's reputation is not static. A person's significance may not be recognized in their own time, but later generations may hold a different view. Harry Truman is a perfect example of this. He was not well regarded at the end of his presidency, but historians generally consider him far more significant today. This can certainly be said for some of those of the ballot today. Why did it take a William Hulbert so long to get elected?
Also, let's not forget the flipside of this argument. Just because someone was elected in 1940 doesn't mean that we would consider them today. We can all name several of the enshrined who would never get a moment of consideration today.