The Best and Worst of the Presidency

[TolkienFan]

Who do you think has been our greatest president so far? Who do you think has been our worst president so far?

To me, the best one would have to be Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The man came into office at the worst part of the Great Depression and he led us out of it. The man's courageous, perceptive, action-oriented, and durable character made him the perfect president for the time.

The worst one would probably be James Buchanan. Why him? He was the one that came in right before Lincoln and he did nothing to stem the tide. It was probably inevitable that our country would eventually divide itself and fight, but at least Buchanan could have tried to do something. He was an impotent president at a time when we couldn't afford to have such.

[NeilUnreal]

I would have to vote for Lincoln as the best. He has been a bit lionized by the lens of popular history, but still, he managed to pull the country back together at a time when we very nearly became two countries. In a sense, he took a confederation and made it a nation (no pun intended).

Jefferson is a close second. He provided much of the guiding wisdom that still keeps our country great today.

Nixon, for all his faults, was a very effective modern president. True, the paranoid actions of his adminstration did damage our country that is still being felt, but he was also much more progressive and liberal president than populary history remembers him as being. I think had it not been for the Vietnam conflict (though not of his genesis, he didn't handle it well during his terms), he would be remembered as a much greater president.

I don't really have an opinion on the worst.

-Neil

[TolkienFan]

Just curious, shouldn't this be in the Political History forum? If so, how do I move it?

[historic salve]

Nixon, for all his faults, was a very effective modern president. True, the paranoid actions of his adminstration did damage our country that is still being felt, but he was also much more progressive and liberal president than populary history remembers him as being. I think had it not been for the Vietnam conflict (though not of his genesis, he didn't handle it well during his terms), he would be remembered as a much greater president.

I agree. Apart from Vietnam and Watergate, Nixon was a very good president. I'm not sure how he was liberal, though.

[NeilUnreal]

I agree. Apart from Vietnam and Watergate, Nixon was a very good president. I'm not sure how he was liberal, though.

Among other things:

He saw past the cold war and opened up America's relations with China and tried to improve relations with the Soviet Union.

He sought to find a middle ground in integration that would be acceptable to Southern conservatives. (It turns out more was possible than he thought.)

Worked towards achieving universal health insurance through employer mandates.

Wanted to revise welfare by assuring a living wage for working class people.

-Neil

[Jimmy Higgins]

Among other things:

He saw past the cold war and opened up America's relations with China and tried to improve relations with the Soviet Union.

Saw past the Cold War? Meeting with China was a calculated Cold War move to keep the Soviet Union paranoid about China. [/quote]
Lyndon Johnson launched the Civil Rights movement in Congress. Sure, he does have that whole Vietnam thing though.

And George W. Bush united the world... against us, but he did unite the world.

[Philosophickle]

I think Jefferson was the best, and I lean towards Lincoln being the worst.

[norwegen]

I like Ronald Reagan best. His belief in individualism, limited government, and strong defense embodied historic American values. Under Reagan, conservatism – essentially the classic liberalism of the founding fathers – revisited on the American spirit the concepts of self-reliance and hard work and also of courage and strength in the face of a communist threat. With Reagan in office, the country prospered. Substantial tax cuts and an economic laissez-faire philosophy - no wonder a landslide victory his second term.

Contrast this with FDR, who implemented government work programs, many of which were ruled unconstitutional. His ideas that “direct recruiting by the Government itself”* for a workforce and of “national planning for and supervision of all forms of transportation and of communications and other utilities”* were socialistic. With him and a Democratic Congress in control of such a large part of the workforce, the Great Depression lasted ten years. Ten long years of businesses closing and of people losing their jobs and homes and begging for food. No thanks, Franklin.


* From FDR's First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1933

[historic salve]

Among other things:

He saw past the cold war and opened up America's relations with China and tried to improve relations with the Soviet Union.

Hmm, liberals are usually protectionist. This was not a liberal thing to do, although at the time it was unprecedented.

He sought to find a middle ground in integration that would be acceptable to Southern conservatives. (It turns out more was possible than he thought.)

Since everybody is pro-integration now... I don't think this is liberal...

Worked towards achieving universal health insurance through employer mandates.

Wanted to revise welfare by assuring a living wage for working class people.

This is liberal. I think revising welfare is better than using employer mandates, but at least Nixon had the right idea.

[NeilUnreal]

Hmmm, good points. Nevertheless, I didn't say Richard Nixon was a liberal, I said: "...but he was also much more progressive and liberal president than populary history remembers him as being."

-Neil

[Zeluvia]

hmm even though I am old, and lived through many presidencies, I don't feel qualified to judge this...

Also, the effectiveness of a president depended alot on Congress and the rest of the world, and our economy.

Certainly, Lincoln made one of the hardest decsions....I think Reagen gets too much credit....Roosevelt too....

Better questions: What were some of our best Congresses and Supreme Courts?

[Augustine2004]

Grover Cleveland: best.
Worst - not decided yet. Lincoln, FDR, Bush 2. Probably the latter.

Grover wasn't perfect, but came closer to the ideal of Liberty and Justice for All than even Jefferson.

FDR didn't lead us out of the Great Depression. It continued through World War II and ended only when we finally went against his policies. He made America somewhat fascistic (ironically), and destroyed a good deal of the free market. That's why the Great Depression lasted so long - all through the duration of his 'rule.'

[Ryokan]

Lincoln best, Andrew Jackson the worst, imo. I am shocked people have picked Lincoln as the worst, honestly.

[Augustine2004]

Lincoln best, Andrew Jackson the worst, imo. I am shocked people have picked Lincoln as the worst, honestly.

I'm shocked that a president that started a war costing the most American lives ever, all time, over 600,000 lives . . . Slaves freed, yes, but they were third-class citizens until the Civil Rights Revolution. Not only was the South enslaved, but all of USA also. Why was Andrew Jackson the worst? In any case it's clear Ryokan is not really libertarian.

[Tfbandie]

I'm shocked that a president that started a war costing the most American lives ever, all time, over 600,000 lives . . . Slaves freed, yes, but they were third-class citizens until the Civil Rights Revolution. Not only was the South enslaved, but all of USA also. Why was Andrew Jackson the worst? In any case it's clear Ryokan is not really libertarian.

You're blaming Lincoln for the civil war?