Calthrina950
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« on: April 24, 2020, 02:02:43 PM » |
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Johnson: FF. While Lyndon Johnson's personal life leaves much to be desired, and his handling of the Vietnam War constituted one of the worst foreign policy agendas carried out by any President, I think Johnson deserves to be held as an FF overall because of his pivotal role in pushing through and enacting the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Johnson's Great Society programs were on the whole visionary, even if they weren't successful in all of their aims. The creation of Medicaid and Medicare deserve particular praise.
Nixon: HP. Richard Nixon was a sleazeball, personally bankrupt, and Watergate will forever tar the memory of his Presidency. He also initiated the "Southern Strategy" which has contributed to our current national polarization and hardened the racial divide in American politics. On the other hand, Nixon's foreign policies were generally successful (particularly his reopening of relations with China), and he was responsible for the establishment of the EPA, along with the enactment of several of our most critical environmental laws.
Ford: FF. Gerald Ford's pardon of Nixon, which has been discounted by many on here, was nevertheless a crucial step to moving us forward from Watergate, and I think it was a wise decision in hindsight. He was the last of the moderate, Northern "Eisenhower" Republicans to become President, and had things gone differently, should have won the election of 1976.
Carter: FF. I have a very high regard for Jimmy Carter as a person, given all of the good work which he has done since leaving office, and the relative grace with which he has conducted himself. However, I think his Presidency was one of the worst Presidencies in the past century. "Stagflation", the oil crisis, the Iran Hostage Crisis, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan-all of these were damaging to this country, and Carter did not have the skill necessary to effectively manage them. He accomplished little with his domestic agenda, and lacked the charisma necessary to inspire the American people. The only notable, and long-lasting, achievement of his presidency were the Camp David Accords-and for that, he does deserve praise.
Reagan-HP. My opinion of Ronald Reagan has declined in recent years. While on the one hand Reagan's Cold War policies were generally successful, and he deserves much of the credit for America's ultimate victory in that conflict, on the other hand, many of his other policies left much to be desired. His response to the AIDS epidemic was awful; his neglect of the cities, and contempt of minorities, was jarring; his sympathy towards the Apartheid regime of South Africa was certainly not something worthy of commendation. His fiscal policies helped exacerbate our national deficit, and his cuts to social programs have proven to have terrible consequences. This is to say nothing of the Iran-Contra affair and the Savings & Loans scandal.
H.W. Bush-FF. In my opinion, George H.W. Bush was a better President than Reagan, although he had his share of failures and ultimately lost reelection. Bush was not the most effective domestic policymaker, the NAFTA trade deal (for which both he and Bill Clinton share responsibility) did more harm than good, and his infamous "No New Taxes" pledge will always remain notable in the annals of our history books. At the same time, however, Bush successfully led America through the conclusion of the Cold War, launched a swift and decisive operation into Panama, and waged the similarly decisive Persian Gulf War. Overall, he had a very strong sense of foreign policy. Bush also had a relatively distinguished post-presidential life.
Clinton-HP. Bill Clinton is one of the most personally detestable Presidents we've had in recent decades, almost comparable to our current President. His long trail of scandals-Whitewater, Paula Jones, Gennifer Flowers, Kathleen Wiley, Juanita Broaddrick, and most infamously of all, the Monica Lewinsky affair that resulted in his impeachment-distracted from other, more substantive matters. He failed with healthcare reform early in his term, and after Republicans won control of both Houses of Congress, he acquiesced to their initiatives on crime "reform", welfare reform, telecommunications reform, and banking reform, policies that have consequences leading up to the present time. He also completed the implementation of NAFTA and pushed through the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. On the other hand, Clinton did have his successes, such as with the negotiation of the "Good Friday" agreement, the 1999 bombardment of Bosnia, and the obtainment of a balanced budget during his second term-along with such initiatives as CHIP and the Family/Medical Leave Act. But for me, nevertheless, his personal failures are most notable.
W. Bush-HP. George W. Bush was one of the worst Presidents we have ever had. He got us into two wars-Iraq and Afghanistan-costing thousands of American lives (and millions of Middle Eastern lives), yielding us little benefit. He implemented unnecessary and ineffective tax cuts, dragged us into an economic recession, and supported the creation of the No Child Left Behind Act, which did nothing to redress the inequalities in our educational system. He greatly escalated the surveillance state through his implementation of the Patriot Act, his expansion of Guantanamo Bay, and the use of the NSA to spy on Americans. His response to Hurricane Katrina was horrendous, and he was way over his head on a variety of other topics.
Obama-FF. Barack Obama had both his successes and his failures. Obama's implementation of Obamacare was a noble effort to implement some reforms to our healthcare system. He ended Don't Ask Don't Tell, deescalated our involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan (though not ending the wars entirely), made bold efforts to address the problems of climate change (as through the Paris Agreement), reopened relations with Cuba, and signed on to the Iran Nuclear Deal. On the other hand, Obama failed to close Guantanamo Bay, was unable to get a permanent immigration reform bill through, and did not rein in the excesses of the surveillance state. Obama was also not the most sophisticated political operator, causing his party to suffer extensive partisan losses during his term, and he engaged in the unlawful practice of drone strokes. Overall, however, I'll say that he was probably the best President since at least Lyndon Johnson.
Trump-HP. Donald Trump is one of the worst Presidents in American history, perhaps even worse now than George W. Bush, and certainly worse than Ulysses S. Grant, Warren G. Harding, and in many respects, even Herbert Hoover and Richard Nixon. His buffoonish antics and controversial comments have disgraced this country abroad; he has surrounded himself with corrupt and incompetent confidantes, advisers, and cabinet members; and he has greatly exacerbated polarization within this country. His attempt to destroy Obamacare was misguided, and his tax cuts benefited few. His reckless strike against Iran earlier this year almost brought us to the brink of war, and his policies regarding North Korea have generally been a failure. Trump's environmental, energy, and regulatory policies have also been regressive in many ways. Moreover, his impeachment, as well as the Mueller investigation and all associated with it, to say nothing of the sexual assault allegations against him, drag his name down further. His current handling of the coronavirus crisis is merely the latest nail in his coffin. Hopefully, he doesn't win reelection this year.
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