Best President of the 20th Century

[Deldem]

Who is the best president of the 20th century, and why? Discuss.

My vote:
FDR: While many would level (somewhat) fair criticism at the New Deal, what FDR managed to achieve domestically is the restoring of confidence and a few programs now considered essential (like Social Security). In addition, he successfully guided his nation through what was the worst war in history. In short, while most presidents only deal with merely a crisis at home or an international one, FDR managed to execute an excellent response for both.

Honorable mentions:
1. Teddy Roosevelt: First president to acheive some sort of social/progressive reform since Lincoln, though he loses points for imperialism. Best Republican of the Century
2. Harry S. Truman- expertly led us through the beginning of the postwar era. Supremely underrated.
3. JFK- Managed to stand up to the Soviets, and defused the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also, created NASA, and has provided inspiration for many a young person since his time in office.
4. LBJ- Though he badly botched Vietnam, he deserves credit for reinvigorating social reform, and also for his push for equal rights.
5. Richard Nixon- Yes, the Watergate guy deserves an honorable mention. He was a foreign policy god. Oh, and he did crazy things like help protect the environment. Indeed, had it not been for scandal, he would have been remembered as one of the best moderates ever to sit in the Oval Office.

[Хahar 🤔]

Roosevelt

JFK is badly, badly overrated. He was largely a failure as President.

5. Richard Nixon- Yes, the Watergate guy deserves an honorable mention. He was a foreign policy god.

He was responsible for the famine of 1974. I don't like mass murderers.

[President Mitt]

He was a foreign policy god.

[Deldem]

He was a foreign policy god.

China and Soviet detente. All I'm going to say.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

He was a foreign policy god.

China and Soviet detente. All I'm going to say.

Beside things like Chile, Nixon was the best President in foreign affairs in the entire century. Tousands times better than Democratic "heroes" like Kennedy.

[Хahar 🤔]

He was a foreign policy god.

China and Soviet detente. All I'm going to say.

He was nearly as bad as Winston Churchill.

[Obnoxiously Slutty Girly Girl]

Winner: Calvin Coolidge

Runner-up: Warren G. Harding

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

[Bo]

Winner: Teddy Roosevelt
First Runner-Up: FDR
Second Runner-Up: LBJ

[President Mitt]

He was a foreign policy god.

China and Soviet detente. All I'm going to say.

Those nice things are overshadowed by, you know, him being a mass murderer.

[Bo]

He was a foreign policy god.

China and Soviet detente. All I'm going to say.

Those nice things are overshadowed by, you know, him being a mass murderer.

Giovanni, I overtook your post count.

[President Mitt]

I'm not worried.

Your post count is not your penis size.

[Bo]

I'm not worried.

Your post count is not your penis size.

lol

[WillK]

3. JFK- Managed to stand up to the Soviets, and defused the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also, created NASA, and has provided inspiration for many a young person since his time in office.

Eisenhower created NASA.

[Bo]

3. JFK- Managed to stand up to the Soviets, and defused the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also, created NASA, and has provided inspiration for many a young person since his time in office.

JFK screwed up the Bay of Pigs invasion and also caused the Cuban Missile Crisis by foolishly placing American missiles in Turkey and provoking the U.S.S.R., causing them to place missiles in Cuba in exchange. Also, JFK threatened to place sanctions on Israel (an American ally) for building nuclear weapons even though its enemies were threatening to destroy it and "throw all the Jews into the Mediterranean Sea." In contrast, JFK allowed the U.S.S.R. and China to build and have nukes.

[President Mitt]

Calvin Coolidge by the way.

[Deldem]

3. JFK- Managed to stand up to the Soviets, and defused the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also, created NASA, and has provided inspiration for many a young person since his time in office.

Eisenhower created NASA.

By create I mean really pushed for it. There was no sense of urgency until he spoke about putting the man on the moon. The program in the late 50s was very haphazard, and accomplished little.

3. JFK- Managed to stand up to the Soviets, and defused the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also, created NASA, and has provided inspiration for many a young person since his time in office.

JFK screwed up the Bay of Pigs invasion and also caused the Cuban Missile Crisis by foolishly placing American missiles in Turkey and provoking the U.S.S.R., causing them to place missiles in Cuba in exchange. Also, JFK threatened to place sanctions on Israel (an American ally) for building nuclear weapons even though its enemies were threatening to destroy it and "throw all the Jews into the Mediterranean Sea." In contrast, JFK allowed the U.S.S.R. and China to build and have nukes.

And yes, I know the Cuban Missile Crisis beginning was mostly the fault of JFK, but he managed to avert disaster once it began. Notably, much of the issue was taking the advice of his military advisors and going through with the Bay of Pigs. His ability got noticeably better after that.

You also seem to imply that JFK really had control over the internal workings of China and the USSR. I believe that he was justified to keep nukes out of Israeli hands- they should not have them even today.

[Vepres]

Gerald Ford: He had the guts to pardon Nixon and pulled us out of Vietnam

Honorable Mentions: FDR, Reagan, Eisenhower, Teddy Roosesvelt

[President Mitt]

Gerald Ford: He had the guts to pardon Nixon and pulled us out of Vietnam

Honorable Mentions: FDR, Reagan, Eisenhower, Teddy Roosesvelt

No he didn't, Ford wanted to stay in Vietnam, Congress just wouldn't allot him the money to do so.

[Psychic Octopus]

Best President: Theodore Roosevelt

Honorable Mentions: Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan,  Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower.

[President Mitt]

Best President: Theodore Roosevelt

Honorable Mentions: Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan,  Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower.

NiK, all of those were terrible presidents.

[Bo]

3. JFK- Managed to stand up to the Soviets, and defused the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also, created NASA, and has provided inspiration for many a young person since his time in office.

Eisenhower created NASA.

By create I mean really pushed for it. There was no sense of urgency until he spoke about putting the man on the moon. The program in the late 50s was very haphazard, and accomplished little.

3. JFK- Managed to stand up to the Soviets, and defused the Cuban Missile Crisis. Also, created NASA, and has provided inspiration for many a young person since his time in office.

JFK screwed up the Bay of Pigs invasion and also caused the Cuban Missile Crisis by foolishly placing American missiles in Turkey and provoking the U.S.S.R., causing them to place missiles in Cuba in exchange. Also, JFK threatened to place sanctions on Israel (an American ally) for building nuclear weapons even though its enemies were threatening to destroy it and "throw all the Jews into the Mediterranean Sea." In contrast, JFK allowed the U.S.S.R. and China to build and have nukes.

And yes, I know the Cuban Missile Crisis beginning was mostly the fault of JFK, but he managed to avert disaster once it began. Notably, much of the issue was taking the advice of his military advisors and going through with the Bay of Pigs. His ability got noticeably better after that.

You also seem to imply that JFK really had control over the internal workings of China and the USSR. I believe that he was justified to keep nukes out of Israeli hands- they should not have them even today.

JFK did not have control over China and the USSR, but he did not compalin about the U.S.S.R. having thousands of nukes or about China building nukes, even though both of them were American enemies. In contrast, JFK told Israel (an American ally, even back then) that they should not have nuclear weapons. By the way, what is wrong with Israel having nuclear weapons? Having nukes might have ensured Israel's continued existence. If Arab countries continued making comments like" we're going to throw all the Jews (not Israelis) into the Mediterranean Sea", then Israel had every right to build nuclear weapons. Also, no other Middle Eastern country felt provoked enough to successfully build nuclear weapons in the next 45 years, even though Iran is currently coming close. Threatening to place sanctions on an American ally for building nukes is just plain wrong (especially during the Cold War), when an American enemy (China) was building them without any complaints/problems from the U.S. whatsoever.

[Psychic Octopus]

Best President: Theodore Roosevelt

Honorable Mentions: Franklin Roosevelt, Ronald Reagan,  Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower.

NiK, all of those were terrible presidents.

*heart attack*

[Magic 8ball]

I couldn't choose just one. Some of my favorites are:

Teddy Roosevelt
Coolidge
Eisenhower
JFK
Reagan

I don't like Nixon. Most of the good things he did can be attributed to Henry Kissinger.

[k-onmmunist]

Calvin Coolidge.