Historical rankings of presidents of the United States former director of the University of Maryland's African American Leadership Institute, stated that Presidents ranked by how each one balanced the interests of majority interests and the interests of excluded groups was practical in respect to American debate on racial politics. Presidents have traditionally been ranked on personal qualities and their leadership ability to solve problems that move the nation in a positive direction. Walters stated there was a qualitative difference between white and African American intellectuals in evaluating presidents. In the 1996 "New York Times" poll by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., 31 white historians and one black historian ranked
Presidents Race House, including the annual Easter Egg Roll, and the Independence Day fireworks. In 2008, Racing President Teddy Roosevelt entered and finished D.C.'s Marine Corps Marathon in full costume. The presidents have also appeared at several presidential inaugural balls and were in the January 20, 2009, inaugural parade for President Barack Obama. The Presidents Race has also received acclaim throughout the sports promotions industry. Some awards the Presidents have garnered: Presidents Race The Presidents Race (known as the GEICO Presidents Race for sponsorship reasons) is a promotional event held at every Washington Nationals home game at Nationals Park, and previously at