Best/Worst Presidents

[Direckshun]

I've been watching the History Channel a lot this week on their special highlighting all 47 Presidents we've had. It calls itself the "ultimate guide" to the Presidents, but it's mostly a great primer on all the Presidents.

Anyway, it's been a while since we've done this.

But who are the best 5 Presidents in American history in your opinion, and who were 5 of the worst? Do your best to explain.

Also, where would you place our most recent Presidents (because why not): Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter

[Otter]

I'm certainly no fan of bum **** barry but he's a product of his environment. It's like blaming the tumor while living in a radioactive, glow in the dark land.

The tumors are gonna keep coming until the radioactivity is gone. Our political system is poisoned.

[FishingRod]

I have a largely favorable opinion of JFK but, if not for some cool heads by a couple of lowly Russian sailors and Cuban field officers, he would have been the POTUS that 10’s of millions of Americans died on his watch in a nuclear war with the USSR. A conflict that could have been avoided had he taken a different path early in his administration. Had JFK not been assassinated many things probably would have been better in this country but I have no doubt his image would be less shiny.

[the steam]

My lifetime

1. Clinton
2. Reagan
3. Bush 1
4. Ford
5. Carter
6. Nixon
7. Bush 2
8. Johnson
9. Obama

[donkhater]

I think Obama's legacy as a president is impacted by the divisiveness in the country and the ability of the minority party to check his agenda (Thank God). I also think that his lack of skills in deal making has contributed heavily to the divisive atmosphere he currently operates in. So for people who put an asterisk by Obama's name because the mean 'ol Republicans wouldn't play ball are ignoring his role in this, IMO.

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Don't preach to me. I'm not a fan of Bush. But it shows what kind of overreactionary people we can have on here if people think Bush or Obama are anywhere near the bottom 5.

Again... Warren Harding did nothing and led one of the most corrupt administrations in office. You have 3 Presidents who expanded slave trade in the United States and built up to the Civil War. And you have a 5th President who was impeached and rendered completely powerless as he completely botched up a massive reconstruction effort.

It's comical when people try to compare today's problems with the massive problems of the past. Regardless of your view of the Middle East, we had a period of time where we had politicians encouraging the trading and slavery of men. And that period led to infighting that had Americans killing other Americans. We've gone through a recession, while other periods have gone through depressions and, post civil war, went through a period of cleaning up after mass devastation.

But by all means... wmd and the war in afghanistan and a recession... those are the most turbulent times in American history.

Back then....it wasn't illegal to own/trade slaves. They drafted amendments into the consititution eventually stop it and then it became illegal.

Now you have even more corrupt govts than ever before that do nothing but rob it's own people and stomp all over the constitution like it doesn't even exsist.

[gblowfish]

Five Best (In no particular order):
Washington
Jefferson
Lincoln
FDR
Truman

Five Worst (In no particular order):
Hoover
Pierce
Buchanan
Harding
Nixon

Ranking the Prez's of my lifetime:
I was born in 1959, best to worst:
JFK
Ike
Clinton
Reagan
Obama
Bush 41
Ford
Carter
LBJ
George W Bush
Nixon

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

Back then....it wasn't illegal to own/trade slaves. They drafted amendments into the consititution eventually stop it and then it became illegal.

Now you have even more corrupt govts than ever before that do nothing but rob it's own people and stomp all over the constitution like it doesn't even exsist.

Is that your blanket statement for everything? Constitution. Government abuse.

You're comparing stonewalling on the fiscal cliff to the massive bungling of the impeachable Andrew Johnson reconstruction efforts. You're comparing mandating health insurance to mandating northern states to return slaves to their southern owners. You're talking about stomping over people who are less free to choose their own health care to people who weren't free to do ANYTHING because they were SLAVES. You're comparing the corruption of Solyndra to Watergate.

I just don't know if there's enough head-shaking on this one. The slavery issue, by the way, was a combination of federal abuses to force union states to adopt slavery practices they didn't believe in or expanding state's rights to enforce cruel, disgusting slavery laws as they chose.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I think a case could be made for Bush being in the bottom five. Not a very good one -- we've had some atrocious Presidents -- but he's comfortably in my bottom 10, and it wouldn't take that much imagination to conceive of him as among the very worst.

When you factor in the Great Recession, which came very close to being a Great Depression, and two unwinnable wars we were embroiled in, once of which was in the historical Empire-killer of Afghanistan, the other was based on a false security threat, I think history will be very unkind to Bush II.

I agree. I think history will be very unkind to him. But, that post civil war era of Buchanan, Taylor and Polk etc. will probably never be beat as the worst we ever had.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I agree. I think history will be very unkind to him. But, that post civil war era of Buchanan, Taylor and Polk etc. will probably never be beat as the worst we ever had.

I think history will be very unkind to George W. I think it will be unkind to Obama as well, even if less so.

[FD]

Good thread, lets hope it doesnt get bogged down in arguments about Obama and Bush, the 2 presidents we are least capable of judging at this point.

Top 5:
1a) Lincoln
1b) Washington
3) Teddy
4) Truman
5) Reagan

Lincoln over Washington is tough, Washington was indispensable as they say, but Lincoln was truly our finest president.

Worst 5:
1) Buchanan
2) Nixon
3) Harding
4) Grant
5) Pierce

Modern:
Obama - too soon to judge
Bush II - too soon to really judge, but probably bottom half
Clinton - Around average but probably top half, presided over peace and prosperity
Bush I - Top half but around average, prudent foreign policy but otherwise clueless
Reagan - Top 5
Carter - Bottom half, not suited for the modern presidency

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

Best

Washington
Jefferson
Jackson
Lincoln
Arther

Worst

Lincoln
Madison
Grant
Hoover/Harding/Cooliage
Carter

Absolute worst President ever is US Grant.

Lincoln in best and worst?

[La literatura]

PBS is showing a 3-part analysis of Reagan's presidency beginning tonight.

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by La literatura

PBS is showing a 3-part analysis of Reagan's presidency beginning tonight.

Part 1 - Tax cuts, huge deficits and exploding debt
Part 2 - Oops, better do some huge tax increases
Part 3 - Illegal arms trade with our enemy; not recalling illegal arms trade with our enemy

[Aries Walker]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I agree. I think history will be very unkind to him. But, that post civil war era of Buchanan, Taylor and Polk etc. will probably never be beat as the worst we ever had.

Polk was actually brilliant. You're thinking of Taylor-Fillmore-Pierce-Buchanan, which was a mess.

[DementedLogic]

I don't understand the love affair with Lincoln. He completely ignored the constitution. The man treated the executive branch as a dictatorship. He pushed the country into a civil war. He completely disregarded civil liberties. Lincoln's presidency was the closest this country has ever been to tyranny. Had he not been assassinated, we probably wouldn't be a free country today.