Rate the Presidents, Installment #31: Herbert Hoover

[JonathanSwift]

Herbert Hoover, 1929-1933

Previous Results
Abraham Lincoln: 4.45 Stars
George Washington: 4.42 Stars
Chester A. Arthur: 3.8 Stars
Thomas Jefferson: 3.65 Stars
Theodore Roosevelt: 3.59 Stars
James Monroe: 3.57 Stars
John Quincy Adams: 3.5 Stars
Grover Cleveland: 3.46 Stars
Grover Cleveland: 3.46 Stars
James Madison: 3.23 Stars
William Howard Taft: 3.15 Stars
Zachary Taylor: 3.15 Stars
James A. Garfield: 3.14 Stars
Calvin Coolidge: 3.12 Stars
Ulysses S. Grant: 3.06 Stars
Martin Van Buren: 3.04 Stars
James K. Polk: 2.85 Stars
John Adams: 2.58 Stars
Warren Harding: 2.48 Stars
William McKinley: 2.47 Stars
Andrew Jackson: 2.43 Stars
William Henry Harrison: 2.38 Stars
Woodrow Wilson: 2.36 Stars
Millard Fillmore: 2.33 Stars
Benjamin Harrison: 2.33 Stars
Rutherford B. Hayes: 2.15 Stars
John Tyler: 2.11 Stars
Andrew Johnson: 1.72 Stars
Franklin Pierce: 1.6 Stars
James Buchanan: 1.41 Stars

[Antonio the Sixth]

2 stars. Not as bad as a certain historiography made him out to be, and certainly not the main cause of the Great Depression. Still, his attempts at resolving it were a complete failure.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

2 stars. Not as bad as a certain historiography made him out to be, and certainly not the main cause of the Great Depression. Still, his attempts at resolving it were a complete failure.

[Clark Kent]

Bad. His mishandling of the stock market crash nearly single handedly caused the Depression. 2/5 stars.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Smoot-Hawley lmao

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

An inherently decent man who was President at the wrong time and couldn't handle the massive crisis that emerged. Two stars because while he fell down on the job, most of the problems couldn't have been prevented.

[OSR stands with Israel]

1 star one of the worst presidents ever as he let a reccession or panic(29 crash was less severe then the 08, and 87 crash) into a full blown great depression as he led multiple crashes happen during his presidency  which could have led to a fascist or communist revolution(fdr stopped that from happening)

[PJ]

1 star. Grossly incompetent handling of the great depression, support for prohibition, no redeeming qualities.

[SWE]

Second best president of the past 100 years. Two stars.

[RogueBeaver]

2 stars. Not as bad as a certain historiography made him out to be, and certainly not the main cause of the Great Depression. Still, his attempts at resolving it were a complete failure.

[Mr. Smith]

Two stars, excellent foreign policy and an excellent response to the stock market crash.

The real problem is that he didn't push the needle enough, and grossly screwed up the Bonus Army affair.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Two stars, excellent foreign policy and an excellent response to the stock market crash.

The real problem is that he didn't push the needle enough, and grossly screwed up the Bonus Army affair.

Doing nothing until it gets too late for him to earn any of his reputation back is a good response?

[Frodo]

It's a pity PBrunsel is no longer with us -he made it his personal mission on this forum while he was here to rehabilitate Herbert Hoover's reputation.

[ElectionsGuy]

Two stars, excellent foreign policy and an excellent response to the stock market crash.

The real problem is that he didn't push the needle enough, and grossly screwed up the Bonus Army affair.

Doing nothing until it gets too late for him to earn any of his reputation back is a good response?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Hoover#Great_Depression

Maybe you should do some research, even a Wikipedia article will tell you Hoover passed the highest tax raise in US history, created several federal works projects, passed a higher tariff on imports, and several other things that used the government to intervene in the economy. The idea that Hoover didn't do anything, or enough, is ludicrous.

Also, lol at this:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

The common wisdom perception that people have of Hoover vs Roosevelt is not what it seems to be.

[RINO Tom]

Two stars, excellent foreign policy and an excellent response to the stock market crash.

The real problem is that he didn't push the needle enough, and grossly screwed up the Bonus Army affair.

Doing nothing until it gets too late for him to earn any of his reputation back is a good response?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Hoover#Great_Depression

Maybe you should do some research, even a Wikipedia article will tell you Hoover passed the highest tax raise in US history, created several federal works projects, passed a higher tariff on imports, and several other things that used the government to intervene in the economy. The idea that Hoover didn't do anything, or enough, is ludicrous.

Also, lol at this:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

The common wisdom perception that people have of Hoover vs Roosevelt is not what it seems to be.

This is very true.  Now, I'd never argue that - even at the time of that election - FDR was "to the right" economically of Herbert Hoover, but the Democrats definitely blasted anything and everything Hoover did in that campaign, opportunistically striking a tone that sounds hilariously like modern Republican talking points.

[Cryptic]

2 stars. Not as bad as a certain historiography made him out to be, and certainly not the main cause of the Great Depression. Still, his attempts at resolving it were a complete failure.

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Two stars, excellent foreign policy and an excellent response to the stock market crash.

The real problem is that he didn't push the needle enough, and grossly screwed up the Bonus Army affair.

Doing nothing until it gets too late for him to earn any of his reputation back is a good response?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Hoover#Great_Depression

Maybe you should do some research, even a Wikipedia article will tell you Hoover passed the highest tax raise in US history, created several federal works projects, passed a higher tariff on imports, and several other things that used the government to intervene in the economy. The idea that Hoover didn't do anything, or enough, is ludicrous.

I'd argue that protectionism and higher taxes were exactly the opposite of what the US needed during the Depression. Contrary to popular belief, the latter is not a standard progressive position (ie: Democrats don't vote for candidates because they will raise taxes).

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

I didn't say Hoover did nothing, I said he acted too late.

[Zioneer]

Reminder, Hoover is the one who promised African-American leaders that he'd help the black community after the 1927 Mississippi flood, then did nothing.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

Passing a massive tax rise and a huge archaic tariff amidst the frickin Great Depression? FF, what a smartie!

[JonathanSwift]

Final Result: 2.11 Stars

[Anti-Bothsidesism]

Reminder, Hoover is the one who promised African-American leaders that he'd help the black community after the 1927 Mississippi flood, then did nothing.

As if anyone remembers that.

[ElectionsGuy]

Two stars, excellent foreign policy and an excellent response to the stock market crash.

The real problem is that he didn't push the needle enough, and grossly screwed up the Bonus Army affair.

Doing nothing until it gets too late for him to earn any of his reputation back is a good response?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Hoover#Great_Depression

Maybe you should do some research, even a Wikipedia article will tell you Hoover passed the highest tax raise in US history, created several federal works projects, passed a higher tariff on imports, and several other things that used the government to intervene in the economy. The idea that Hoover didn't do anything, or enough, is ludicrous.

I'd argue that protectionism and higher taxes were exactly the opposite of what the US needed during the Depression. Contrary to popular belief, the latter is not a standard progressive position (ie: Democrats don't vote for candidates because they will raise taxes).

Yes, I know. I'm simply trying to disprove this 'Hoover did nothing' perception a lot of people tend to have, not that he was some progressive president (he certainly wasn't). He did a lot, for better or worse.