The Presidents Ranked by Historians

[Brittain33]

I hope this country gets over its JFK obsession relatively soon.

I wonder if you're exposed to more of it than most people because you spend so much time with older, politically active Catholics who either are or used to be Democrats. There's a natural generational limit to the JFK obsession. Amazing to think it has been nearly 50 years and we're still talking about it. Part of the reason I don't get nostalgic for the '80s is because when I was a kid, we were so heavily inundated with nostalgia for either the '50s or the late '60s by the media. (No one ever wanted to talk about the period from about '62 to '68.)

[paul718]

Nixon was good on foreign policy, but clueless on the economy.  Kennedy was a more complete President, in my opinion.  Good on the economy, and his leadership during the missile crisis more than made up for the BoP.  Kennedy is actually one of my favorite Presidents. 

[Psychic Octopus]

Kennedy's my second favorite democratic president. It's too bad Johnson killed him.

[Mint]

Kennedy's my second favorite democratic president. It's too bad Johnson killed him.

[Citizen James]

Here's the website (complete with subrankings)

I think Ike deserves the respect he gets here.

Kennedy is a bit too high, as are Truman, Jackson, and Grant.

Nixon could probably be a smudge higher.

Notes on the largest moves from 2000:

Grant (Up 10 positions.  Why?  There haven't been any major historical discoveries about the reconstruction era recently, have there?)

Hayes (down 7.  Again, not recent history - so I doubt many new facts could come to light).

Clinton (Up 6.   Half of that is probably nostalgia after contrasting him with Bush though)

[Reaganfan]

My opinion:

Abraham Lincoln
Ronald Reagan
George Washington
Harry Truman
Theodore Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Richard Nixon
James K. Polk
James Monroe
Calvin Coolidge
James Madison
George H.W. Bush
John Adams
George W. Bush
William McKinley
Andrew Jackson
Thomas Jefferson
Dwight Eisenhower
John Kennedy
Woodrow Wilson
John Quincy Adams
Bill Clinton
Grover Cleveland
Zachary Taylor
William Henry Harrison
Gerald Ford
Chester Arthur
William Taft
Herbert Hoover
James Garfield
Rutherford Hayes
Benjamin Harrison
Ulysses S. Grant
Jimmy Carter
Lyndon Johnson
Warren Harding
John Tyler
Franklin Pierce
Martin Van Buren
Andrew Johnson
James Buchanan

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

My opinion:

Abraham Lincoln
Ronald Reagan
George Washington
Harry Truman
Theodore Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Richard Nixon
James K. Polk
James Monroe
Calvin Coolidge
James Madison
George H.W. Bush
John Adams
George W. Bush
William McKinley
Andrew Jackson
Thomas Jefferson
Dwight Eisenhower
John Kennedy
Woodrow Wilson
John Quincy Adams
Bill Clinton
Grover Cleveland
Zachary Taylor
William Henry Harrison
Gerald Ford
Chester Arthur
William Taft
Herbert Hoover
James Garfield
Rutherford Hayes
Benjamin Harrison
Ulysses S. Grant
Jimmy Carter
Lyndon Johnson
Warren Harding
John Tyler
Franklin Pierce
Martin Van Buren
Andrew Johnson
James Buchanan

[Nixon in '80]

My opinion:

Abraham Lincoln
Ronald Reagan
George Washington
Harry Truman
Theodore Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Richard Nixon
James K. Polk
James Monroe
Calvin Coolidge
James Madison
George H.W. Bush
John Adams
George W. Bush
William McKinley
Andrew Jackson
Thomas Jefferson
Dwight Eisenhower
John Kennedy
Woodrow Wilson
John Quincy Adams
Bill Clinton
Grover Cleveland
Zachary Taylor
William Henry Harrison
Gerald Ford
Chester Arthur
William Taft
Herbert Hoover
James Garfield
Rutherford Hayes
Benjamin Harrison
Ulysses S. Grant
Jimmy Carter
Lyndon Johnson
Warren Harding
John Tyler
Franklin Pierce
Martin Van Buren
Andrew Johnson
James Buchanan

Grow some balls and put Reagan ahead of Lincoln... we all know you want to.

[Lunar]

1. REPUBLICANS
2.  DEMOCRATS

It's quicker

[Keystone Phil]

Grow some balls and put Reagan ahead of Lincoln... we all know you want to.

Not necessarily. We know Naso loves Reagan a lot but Reagan is my favorite President as well and I still consider Lincoln to be the best.

[Keystone Phil]

I hope this country gets over its JFK obsession relatively soon.

I wonder if you're exposed to more of it than most people because you spend so much time with older, politically active Catholics who either are or used to be Democrats. There's a natural generational limit to the JFK obsession. Amazing to think it has been nearly 50 years and we're still talking about it. Part of the reason I don't get nostalgic for the '80s is because when I was a kid, we were so heavily inundated with nostalgia for either the '50s or the late '60s by the media. (No one ever wanted to talk about the period from about '62 to '68.)

Maybe. The area of the world that I'm from (the white/Irish area) considers the man to be a saint. It gets even worse when you enter the political circles. The man is even beloved by our city Italians (though not as much as our hero, Frank Rizzo, Sr.).

I still think that this nation as a whole is obsessive. It's spread around the world, too...

I was looking at a Google street map of Naples, Italy. I'm browsing around, stumbled across something and was instantly disgusted...

"Via John Fitzgerald Kennedy"

Again, this is in Italy, not Ireland.

[Psychic Octopus]

I very much like Reagan, in fact, he's my favorite president since Truman and Economically my political hero. Now he doesn't deserve number one. He deserves number 7 or 8. Swap Eisenhower and Reagan and it'll be fine. (except for Kennedy, who was a great president, but deserves the top 15, not 10)

[paul718]

I hope this country gets over its JFK obsession relatively soon.

I wonder if you're exposed to more of it than most people because you spend so much time with older, politically active Catholics who either are or used to be Democrats. There's a natural generational limit to the JFK obsession. Amazing to think it has been nearly 50 years and we're still talking about it. Part of the reason I don't get nostalgic for the '80s is because when I was a kid, we were so heavily inundated with nostalgia for either the '50s or the late '60s by the media. (No one ever wanted to talk about the period from about '62 to '68.)

Maybe. The area of the world that I'm from (the white/Irish area) considers the man to be a saint. It gets even worse when you enter the political circles. The man is even beloved by our city Italians.

The women in my family have always been obsessed with John F. Kennedy.  It's like in the movie Mean Streets, there's a scene in a Little Italy caffe where they have a picture of JFK behind the bar, right next to the Blessed Mother, lol. 

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What's your beef with JFK?  Just think he's overrated? 

[Rob]

What's your beef with JFK?  Just think he's overrated?

He had way too much sex to be a faithful Catholic.

[Brittain33]

I still think that this nation as a whole is obsessive. It's spread around the world, too...

No doubt. You just may have the good fortune to be marinating in it more than most people.

[Landslide Lyndon]

What's your beef with JFK?  Just think he's overrated?

He had way too much sex to be a faithful Catholic.

And with adult women to boot.

[The Duke]

1.   Theodore Roosevelt
2.   Abraham Lincoln
3.   Ronald Reagan
4.   George Washington
5.   Dwight Eisenhower
6.   John Adams
7.   John F. Kennedy
8.   Calvin Coolidge
9.   Chester A. Arthur
10.   Harry Truman
11.   John Quincy Adams
12.   George Bush
13.   Grover Cleveland
14.   William McKinley
15.   Warren Harding
16.   James Monroe
17.   James Madison
18.   Thomas Jefferson
19.   Bill Clinton
20.   Franklin D. Roosevelt
21.   Ulysses S. Grant
22.   John Tyler
23.   George W. Bush
24.   James K. Polk
25.   Richard Nixon
26.   Zachary Taylor
27.   William Howard Taft
28.   William Henry Harrison
29.   James Garfield
30.   Jimmy Carter
31.   Woodrow Wilson
32.   Benjamin Harrison
33.   Rutherford B. Hayes
34.   Gerald Ford
35.   Millard Fillmore
36.   Martin Van Buren
37.   Herbert Hoover
38.   Franklin Pierce
39.   James Buchanan
40.   Lyndon B. Johnson
41.   Andrew Johnson
42.   Andrew Jackson

[Psychic Octopus]

1.   Theodore Roosevelt
2.   Abraham Lincoln
3.   Ronald Reagan
4.   George Washington
5.   Dwight Eisenhower
6.   John Adams
7.   John F. Kennedy
8.   Calvin Coolidge
9.   Chester A. Arthur
10.   Harry Truman
11.   John Quincy Adams
12.   George Bush
13.   Grover Cleveland
14.   William McKinley
15.   Warren Harding
16.   James Monroe
17.   James Madison
18.   Thomas Jefferson
19.   Bill Clinton
20.   Franklin D. Roosevelt
21.   Ulysses S. Grant
22.   John Tyler
23.   George W. Bush
24.   James K. Polk
25.   Richard Nixon
26.   Zachary Taylor
27.   William Howard Taft
28.   William Henry Harrison
29.   James Garfield
30.   Jimmy Carter
31.   Woodrow Wilson
32.   Benjamin Harrison
33.   Rutherford B. Hayes
34.   Gerald Ford
35.   Millard Fillmore
36.   Martin Van Buren
37.   Herbert Hoover
38.   Franklin Pierce
39.   James Buchanan
40.   Lyndon B. Johnson
41.   Andrew Johnson
42.   Andrew Jackson

Theodore Roosevelt is my favorite President. But what's your beef with Ol' Hickory?

[The Duke]

1.   Theodore Roosevelt
2.   Abraham Lincoln
3.   Ronald Reagan
4.   George Washington
5.   Dwight Eisenhower
6.   John Adams
7.   John F. Kennedy
8.   Calvin Coolidge
9.   Chester A. Arthur
10.   Harry Truman
11.   John Quincy Adams
12.   George Bush
13.   Grover Cleveland
14.   William McKinley
15.   Warren Harding
16.   James Monroe
17.   James Madison
18.   Thomas Jefferson
19.   Bill Clinton
20.   Franklin D. Roosevelt
21.   Ulysses S. Grant
22.   John Tyler
23.   George W. Bush
24.   James K. Polk
25.   Richard Nixon
26.   Zachary Taylor
27.   William Howard Taft
28.   William Henry Harrison
29.   James Garfield
30.   Jimmy Carter
31.   Woodrow Wilson
32.   Benjamin Harrison
33.   Rutherford B. Hayes
34.   Gerald Ford
35.   Millard Fillmore
36.   Martin Van Buren
37.   Herbert Hoover
38.   Franklin Pierce
39.   James Buchanan
40.   Lyndon B. Johnson
41.   Andrew Johnson
42.   Andrew Jackson

Theodore Roosevelt is my favorite President. But what's your beef with Ol' Hickory?

Indian removal and his destruction of the banking system.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

I've always liked JFK, but he is very overrated.  He wasn't even a great President, like Lincoln or FDR.  I just don't see why people love him so much.

[Keystone Phil]

  I just don't see why people love him so much.

You had to go there, didn't you? 

OMG CATHOLIC

OMG YOUNG

OMG HANDSOME

OMG YOUNG

GREAT SPEAKER

HE WAS SO HANDSOME

HE CUT TAXES...!  (Even some of my fellow Republicans have to find reasons to go crazy for him.)

Ask people why they like JFK and I will guarantee most will start and roughly end with everything I posted above.

[Lunar]

I think everyone really admires the Cuban Missile Crisis too, that whole episode is very romanticized in the American mythology

[SPC]

For my ranking, I will first subdivide them based on whether they had a major war/foreign conflict while in office (key word is major). Then, I'll list the main domestic or foreign problems with each administration:

NO MAJOR WARS:
Washington (Federalist economic policies)
Adams (Alien and Sedition Acts)
Jefferson (Louisiana Purchase, Embargo Act)
Monroe (Monroe Doctrine)
Adams (Federalist economic policies)
Jackson (opposition to secession, treatment of Indians)
Van Buren (treatment of Indians, otherwise great)
Harrison (too short to tell)
Tyler (great)
Taylor (economic policies)
Fillmore (immigration policies)
Pierce (don't see any major problems)
Buchanan (See Pierce)
Johnson (Reconstruction)
Grant (See Johnson)
Hayes (See Pierce)
Garfield (See Pierce)
Arthur (immigration policies)
Cleveland (great)
Harrison (Hawaiian annexation)
Taft (progressivism)
Harding (Fed policies, otherwise great)
Coolidge (See Harding)
Hoover (economic intervention during Great Depression)
Ford (economic intervention)
Carter (economic intervention, environmental policies)

MAJOR WARS:
Madison (reinstituted National Bank)
Polk (Manifest Destiny)
Lincoln (destroyed Constitution, etc.)
McKinley (imperialism)
Roosevelt (imperialism, Progressivism, anti-trust laws, etc.)
Wilson (established Fed, income tax, involved America in WWI and aftermath, abolished free speech, etc.)
Roosevelt (New Deal, WWII and aftermath, etc.)
Truman (economic intervention)
Eisenhower (nationalized roads, problems in Iran, Guatemala)
Kennedy (economic intervention, Bay of Pigs)
Johnson (Great Society, Vietnam and aftermath, etc.)
Nixon (economic intervention, bombing SE Asia, etc.)
Reagan (economic intervention, intervened in Iraq, Afghanistan, Grenada, Nicaragua, and aftermath, etc.)
Bush (ADA, other economic intervention, Iraq, Panama, and aftermath)
Clinton (Waco, Brady, intervention in Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, and aftermath, etc.)
Bush (PATRIOT Act, Bailout, intervention in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Pakistan, and aftermath, Katrina, economic intervention, etc.)

[The Mikado]

The list is horrible.

What the hell is with the love for Woodrow Wilson?  The man was, even by the standards of his time, a vehement racist (and in the 1910s that took some doing), had to be almost literally dragged into supporting women's suffrage, put the country into an unnecessary war that he campaigned to keep us out of, and completely screwed up the peace settlement, right up to his attitude leading the Senate voting down the Paris Peace Accords.

[Keystone Phil]

I think everyone really admires the Cuban Missile Crisis too, that whole episode is very romanticized in the American mythology

Eh, ok, but that probably only really matters to the older people that lived through it and really remember it.

Listen, I think most people admire Presidents and other leaders for very vague reasons. It's just that JFK seems to take the cake.