Presidential Rankings

[Nym90]

1. Franklin Roosevelt
2. Lincoln
3. Wilson
4. Clinton
5. Washington

42. Harding
41. Grant
40. Hoover
39. Buchanan
38. Coolidge

[© tweed]

1. Franklin Roosevelt
2. Lincoln
3. Wilson
4. Clinton
5. Washington

42. Harding
41. Grant
40. Hoover
39. Buchanan
38. Coolidge

Reasonable list.  Clinton and Wilson are too high.  Wilson was good, but I don't like the way it all went down, leaving his wife in charge.   Truman should be higher.

[jravnsbo]

no Bush has done a lot and as been very successful, but now with the loss of the Presidency, both houses of Congress and a majority of state legislatures and governors the Dems are swinging farther to the left and just anti-bush and filled with a lot of hate.  kind of sad really.

[Gustaf]

OK, I am confused...if I have understood it correctly, there has been 42 American presidents, but GWB is the 43d. Or am I missing something? Does Cleveland count for two or what?

[© tweed]

JFK was not the most imcompetent president of alltime. He was a hero. He stop a war from happening and saved millions of lives.

And that makes him incompetent?  Go away.

[Gustaf]

JFK was not the most imcompetent president of alltime. He was a hero. He stop a war from happening and saved millions of lives.

And that makes him incompetent?  Go away.

Ehh...he does say NOT the most incompetent, you know. He isn't all bad!

[© tweed]

JFK was not the most imcompetent president of alltime. He was a hero. He stop a war from happening and saved millions of lives.

And that makes him incompetent?  Go away.

Ehh...he does say NOT the most incompetent, you know. He isn't all bad!

Damn!  Now I look like the jerk.

[CHRISTOPHER MICHAE]

Here is my list: It is pretty thorough, and in part I have referenced my list using the following book:  

Kunhardt, Philip B., Jr., Philip B. Kunhardt III, Peter W. Kunhardt. The American President. Riverhead Books, New York, NY

The Following Eight Presidents were placed under the Category: The Candidate in the above referenced material.

Chapter One lists those Presidents who had a Heroic Posture:

1. George Washington: America's First Hero.
2. William Henry Harrison:  A Manufactured Hero.
3. Ulysses S. Grant: In over his head.
4. Dwight D. Eisenhower: The Heroic Image.

Chapter Two:  Compromise Choices

5. Franklin Pierce: The Dark Horse Candidate.
6. James A. Garfield: Awaiting Destiny.
7. Warren G. Harding: "I should never have been here."
8. Gerald R. Ford: Healing the Nation.

Politics and The Presidency-

Chapter Three: The Professional Politician-

9. Martin Van Buren: "The Little Magician.
10. James Buchanan: "Avoiding Conflict."
11. Abraham Lincoln:  Politics with a Purpose.
12. Lyndon B. Johnson: The Art of Political Bluster.

Chapter Four: An Independent Cast of Mind-

13. John Adams: Going it Alone.
14. Zachary Taylor: "Old Rough and Ready."
15. Rutherford B. Hayes: "No Fondness for Political Life."
16. Jimmy Carter: The Outsider.

A Matter of Destiny-

Chapter Five: Family Ties-

17. John Quincy Adams-His Father's Son.
18. Benjamin Harrison: "Nobody's Grandson."
19. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Possession by Right.
20. John F. Kennedy: Vindicating the Irish.

Chapter Six: Happenstance-

21. John Tyler: Establishing the Precedent.
22. Millard Fillmore: "Called by a Bereavement."
23. Andrew Johnson: "Elect of an Assassin."
24. Chester A. Arthur: "Gentleman Boss."
25. Harry S. Truman: American Optimist.

Executive Vision-

Chapter Seven: The American Way-

26. Thomas Jefferson: His "Empire of Liberty."
27. Calvin Coolidge: Preacher of Prosperity.
28. Herbert C. Hoover: American Individualist.
29. Ronald Reagan: An American Dreamer.

Chapter Eight: The World Stage-

30. James Monroe: A vision for the New Hemisphere.
31. William McKinley: Reluctant Apostle.
32. Woodrow Wilson: American Idealist.
33. George [Herbert Walker] Bush: Personal Contact.

An Office and its Powers-

Chapter Nine: Expanding Power-

34. Andrew Jackson: The Power of the People.
35. Grover Cleveland: Ugly Honest.
36. Theodore Roosevelt: "Rough Rider."
37. Richard M. Nixon: Abuse of Power.

Chapter Ten: The Balance of Power-

38. James Madison: Creating the Balance.
39. James K. Polk: "Young History."
40. William Howard Taft: Preserving the Balance.
41. William Jefferson Clinton: Second Chances.


Since my book was published just after the Impeachment and Acquittal of William J. Clinton, I will place George W. Bush under the following Category, even though his Presidency is not over!

I place George W. Bush under Chapter One's: Heroic Posture Sub-Category; also, under: Chapter Four's: The Independent Cast of Mind; also, under: Family Ties;  under the Happenstance Sub-Category of Chapter six; Under Eight's World Stage Sub-Category of Presidents; and last but not least: Chapter Nine's: Expanding Power Sub-Category.

Why does a Democrat put G.W.B. under so many different sub-categories? I only call them as I see them, and this is how I see G.W.: As a Heroic Figure, He has an Independent Mind, he has Family Ties to the Oval Office, Happenstance? The 2000 Election Debacle, the World Stage-Look what he's done as far as his foreign accomplishments so far! Also, I place him under the Expanding Powers Sub-Category: He wanted a new Cabinet: Department of Homeland Security-He Got It!

I hate to admit: He falls under so many Categories and Sub-Categories.

Questions/Comments? Want to chat: AOL: micma9

My Favorite Ten in the order of Reverence to me:

1. George Washington
2. Abraham Lincoln.
3. Thomas Jefferson.
4. Franklin D. Roosevelt.
5. Ronald W. Reagan.
6. William J. Clinton.
7. Grover Cleveland.
8. Richard M. Nixon.
9. John F. Kennedy.
10. George Walker Bush.

     There you have my top 10! And David Letterman should Boast! Ha

Very well thought out

Thank You, Thank You Very Much!

[Gustaf]

JFK was not the most imcompetent president of alltime. He was a hero. He stop a war from happening and saved millions of lives.

And that makes him incompetent?  Go away.

Ehh...he does say NOT the most incompetent, you know. He isn't all bad!

Damn!  Now I look like the jerk.

Yep, I'm afraid you do! Maybe you could be a good troll if you wanted to!

[© tweed]

JFK was not the most imcompetent president of alltime. He was a hero. He stop a war from happening and saved millions of lives.

And that makes him incompetent?  Go away.

Ehh...he does say NOT the most incompetent, you know. He isn't all bad!

Damn!  Now I look like the jerk.

Yep, I'm afraid you do! Maybe you could be a good troll if you wanted to!

Thanks....
LETS GO HURRICANES

[Gustaf]

JFK was not the most imcompetent president of alltime. He was a hero. He stop a war from happening and saved millions of lives.

And that makes him incompetent?  Go away.

Ehh...he does say NOT the most incompetent, you know. He isn't all bad!

Damn!  Now I look like the jerk.

Yep, I'm afraid you do! Maybe you could be a good troll if you wanted to!

Thanks....
LETS GO HURRICANES

Oh, never mind!

Btw, does anyone intend to answer my little question? Why is GWB the 43d president when there seem to have been only 42?

[© tweed]

JFK was not the most imcompetent president of alltime. He was a hero. He stop a war from happening and saved millions of lives.

And that makes him incompetent?  Go away.

Ehh...he does say NOT the most incompetent, you know. He isn't all bad!

Damn!  Now I look like the jerk.

Yep, I'm afraid you do! Maybe you could be a good troll if you wanted to!

Thanks....
LETS GO HURRICANES

Oh, never mind!

Btw, does anyone intend to answer my little question? Why is GWB the 43d president when there seem to have been only 42?

This is because grover Cleveland was elected twice.  He was elected, defeated, and then elected again.  He is the 22nd and 24th presidents.

[Gustaf]

JFK was not the most imcompetent president of alltime. He was a hero. He stop a war from happening and saved millions of lives.

And that makes him incompetent?  Go away.

Ehh...he does say NOT the most incompetent, you know. He isn't all bad!

Damn!  Now I look like the jerk.

Yep, I'm afraid you do! Maybe you could be a good troll if you wanted to!

Thanks....
LETS GO HURRICANES

Oh, never mind!

Btw, does anyone intend to answer my little question? Why is GWB the 43d president when there seem to have been only 42?

This is because grover Cleveland was elected twice.  He was elected, defeated, and then elected again.  He is the 22nd and 24th presidents.

OK, that's what I thought. It seems a little weird to me, but what the heck, most things here do...

[© tweed]

No problem.

[sdu754]

Here is my list: It is pretty thorough, and in part I have referenced my list using the following book:  

Kunhardt, Philip B., Jr., Philip B. Kunhardt III, Peter W. Kunhardt. The American President. Riverhead Books, New York, NY

The Following Eight Presidents were placed under the Category: The Candidate in the above referenced material.

Chapter One lists those Presidents who had a Heroic Posture:

1. George Washington: America's First Hero.
2. William Henry Harrison:  A Manufactured Hero.
3. Ulysses S. Grant: In over his head.
4. Dwight D. Eisenhower: The Heroic Image.

Chapter Two:  Compromise Choices

5. Franklin Pierce: The Dark Horse Candidate.
6. James A. Garfield: Awaiting Destiny.
7. Warren G. Harding: "I should never have been here."
8. Gerald R. Ford: Healing the Nation.

Politics and The Presidency-

Chapter Three: The Professional Politician-

9. Martin Van Buren: "The Little Magician.
10. James Buchanan: "Avoiding Conflict."
11. Abraham Lincoln:  Politics with a Purpose.
12. Lyndon B. Johnson: The Art of Political Bluster.

Chapter Four: An Independent Cast of Mind-

13. John Adams: Going it Alone.
14. Zachary Taylor: "Old Rough and Ready."
15. Rutherford B. Hayes: "No Fondness for Political Life."
16. Jimmy Carter: The Outsider.

A Matter of Destiny-

Chapter Five: Family Ties-

17. John Quincy Adams-His Father's Son.
18. Benjamin Harrison: "Nobody's Grandson."
19. Franklin D. Roosevelt: Possession by Right.
20. John F. Kennedy: Vindicating the Irish.

Chapter Six: Happenstance-

21. John Tyler: Establishing the Precedent.
22. Millard Fillmore: "Called by a Bereavement."
23. Andrew Johnson: "Elect of an Assassin."
24. Chester A. Arthur: "Gentleman Boss."
25. Harry S. Truman: American Optimist.

Executive Vision-

Chapter Seven: The American Way-

26. Thomas Jefferson: His "Empire of Liberty."
27. Calvin Coolidge: Preacher of Prosperity.
28. Herbert C. Hoover: American Individualist.
29. Ronald Reagan: An American Dreamer.

Chapter Eight: The World Stage-

30. James Monroe: A vision for the New Hemisphere.
31. William McKinley: Reluctant Apostle.
32. Woodrow Wilson: American Idealist.
33. George [Herbert Walker] Bush: Personal Contact.

An Office and its Powers-

Chapter Nine: Expanding Power-

34. Andrew Jackson: The Power of the People.
35. Grover Cleveland: Ugly Honest.
36. Theodore Roosevelt: "Rough Rider."
37. Richard M. Nixon: Abuse of Power.

Chapter Ten: The Balance of Power-

38. James Madison: Creating the Balance.
39. James K. Polk: "Young History."
40. William Howard Taft: Preserving the Balance.
41. William Jefferson Clinton: Second Chances.


Since my book was published just after the Impeachment and Acquittal of William J. Clinton, I will place George W. Bush under the following Category, even though his Presidency is not over!

I place George W. Bush under Chapter One's: Heroic Posture Sub-Category; also, under: Chapter Four's: The Independent Cast of Mind; also, under: Family Ties;  under the Happenstance Sub-Category of Chapter six; Under Eight's World Stage Sub-Category of Presidents; and last but not least: Chapter Nine's: Expanding Power Sub-Category.

Why does a Democrat put G.W.B. under so many different sub-categories? I only call them as I see them, and this is how I see G.W.: As a Heroic Figure, He has an Independent Mind, he has Family Ties to the Oval Office, Happenstance? The 2000 Election Debacle, the World Stage-Look what he's done as far as his foreign accomplishments so far! Also, I place him under the Expanding Powers Sub-Category: He wanted a new Cabinet: Department of Homeland Security-He Got It!

I hate to admit: He falls under so many Categories and Sub-Categories.

Questions/Comments? Want to chat: AOL: micma9

I read that book, it's not very good, I hope you didn't get your rankings from it. You need to learn about the presidents individually to get accurate rankings

[sdu754]

I think FDR is perhaps the most overrated president in U.S. history.  Most economist have come to the conclusion that he prolonged the Great Depression.  He interned the Japanese.  He created the welfare state that we're still paying for today.  He gutted the military putting us at risk when war came knocking at our door.  He fabricated the case for going to war.  Communists were infultrating his administration and he was asleep at the wheel.

Did this man do any lasting good for this country?  I don't see that he did.  To the contrary, I think he did more long term damage to the country than almost any other politician in American history.

Same with Truman.  Someone commented on this thread that even though Truman embraced failed economic policies, he was tough on Communism.  He wasn't though.  "Containment" was a sham.  He didn't contain Communism during his administration, rather, Communism spread.  Not long before announcing the policy of containment, Truman was still referring to Stalin as "Uncle Joe."

Reagan was the first president since the Bolshevic Revolution who actually saw Communism lose ground during his administration.  He recognized that the Soviet Union's economy couldn't withstand an arms race with the United States.  By walking out of the Reykjavik during the arms reduction talks, Reagan doomed the Soviet Union.  They were struggling to catch up as we built a military machine.  He swept away the Soviet pawn of Grenada and halted Communism's advance in South America.

Reagan was just about the only president who actually stood up to the USSR.  Who knows how much earlier the USSR would've fallen had Truman or FDR or Kennedy or Nixon or any other Cold War presidents had stood up to them?

You are misinformed on two points. One, FDR had to do whatever he could try to do, times were desperate, 25% of the U.S. workforce were out of work. Hoover thought that somehow, if he just let things be, we'd come out of it, that didn't happen. Tough times call for Tough measures, even seemingly idiotic, thoughtless measures, but someone had to try something. Second, if Kennedy was not assassinated, he would have put an end to the Cold War before it got out of hand like it did. He had already dealt with the Cuban Missile Crisis Successfully. Russia had already been put on notice by Kennedy. As far as other Presidents, Johnson was dealing with the Vietnam Crisis, that Crisis that destroyed him, politically and personally. Nixon, was trying to figure out how he was going to keep his promise of ending the Vietnam Crisis, and became pre-occupied with opening doors with China and then Watergate, Carter, he had the Iranian Hostage Crisis, and of course, the fledgling Economy. So, Reagan was the only President with enough time on his hands to call an end to Communism in Russia.

I would really like to see what proof you had that Kennedy would have ended the cold war! If you look at the Cuban Missile crisis, Russia got the better end of the deal. For removing the missiles in Cuba, to US removed the missiles in Turkey and agreed not to invade Cuba. That's a 2 for 1 deal. LBJ was probably the worst foriegn policy president ever, so I doubt he would have done anything. Nixon/Ford were into detene, not confrontation. Carter's big answer to the soviets was to boycott the olympics.

As far as Hoover, if he had actually did nothing, the depression would have cleared. Instead he panicked raising Tarrifs and taxes, started spending more money and interfering in business, which turned a recession into a great depression.

[sdu754]

Peace and prosperity can be achieved many ways. They can be achieved if the Nazis complete world conquest. Isolationism is not a worthy national goal.

I would rank Clinton the better part of middle of the road except for lying under oath, which brings him down to lower part of middle of the road. What great thing did he accomplish for the expansion of the ideal that "all men are created equal"? Nothing.

George W. Bush should not be ranked yet. So far, however, he has shown a moral clarity not seen since Wilson, but unlike Wilson and like Washington, Lincoln, FDR, and Reagan especially, he has had the guts to get it done against strong opposition. This is evidenced by his incredible vision of spreaqding democracy and self-determination to the entire Near East.

I put FDR at 3. He did the most ever to expand democracy (our system was truly in danger of collapse during the depression, but he saved it. Then he not just won WW2, but turned the Axis into thriving democracies.) Abe Lincoln is higher, his moral clarity and determination not to allow the Union's split and later to eradicate the evil of slavery make him one of the greatest men in history. Washington, though, founded more traditions about running the country than it is possible to count. Unlike any other president ever, there was broad support for him to be made King or Dictator. He turned all these offers down, and governed with the principles of Locke and Montesqieu. He truly was First In War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of his Countrymen.

 

How on earth did Wilson show moral clarity? He was a racist who imposed segregation into the federal government and stirred racism through his glowing review of the move "The Birth of a Nation." He also stirred anti-eastern European racism with his world war I propoghanda. He appossed womens right to vote. He was easily one of the most moralist presidents ever.

[sdu754]

This argument is... astonishing. Wow. I am speechless.

Until I remember there are those who apologize for Hitler as well. A lot of them. They rule several Middle Eastern nations.

On second thought, Beet isn't so out of touch with reality.

So instead of making any points you launch an ad hominem attack and compare Carter to Hitler? Wow that post must have really struck a nerve. Carter is a real patriot and I'm surprised you hate him so much.

You give Carter too much credit. Carter asked Volker to do the exact opposite of what he had done, so he deserves no credit there. Volker worked for Nixon, and was for loose monetary policy, after Carter named him head of the Fed, he did a 180. As far as human rights go, the Ayatolla was far worse than the Shah, He gave the panama canal zone over to panama & signed a treaty with China stating China could take over Taiwan. He also gave arms to Saddam Heussien and the Taliban. Not the great Humans rights record you claim he had. He also had no idea of how to actually do the job. Like Hoover, Van Buren & Cleveland, he was swallowed up by a poor economy.

[sdu754]

Here is my list.  A couple of notes:

I didn't include James Garfield, WH Harrison, and Zachary Taylor because they didn't have enough time to establish a presidential legacy.  I didn't include Clinton and GW Bush because it is too soon to recognize their legacy.  In fact, I think it's still a bit early to recognize GHW Bush's legacy, but I included it anyway.  Even though I'm fairly young, my choices lean more toward the historic than the modern.

Great Presidents

1   George Washington
2   Thomas Jefferson
3   Franklin D. Roosevelt
4   Abraham Lincoln
5   James K. Polk
6   Lyndon Johnson
7   Theodore Roosevelt

Excellent Presidents

8   Harry S. Truman
9   Ronald Reagan
10   John F. Kennedy
11   Dwight Eisenhower
12   James Madison
13   Andrew Jackson
14   GHW Bush
15   William McKinley

Good Presidents

16   Grover Cleveland
17   James Monroe
18   Calvin Coolidge
19   John Adams
20   JQ Adams

Good Presidents with critical negatives.

21   Richard Nixon
22   Woodrow Wilson
23   Benjamin Harrison
24   WH Taft
25   Jimmy Carter
26   Herbert Hoover
27   Ulysses S. Grant
28   Gerald Ford

Poor Presidents

29   Martin Van Buren
30   Rutherford Hayes
31   John Tyler
32   Franklin Pierce
33   Andrew Johnson
34   Chester Arthur
35   Millard Fillmore
36   James Buchanan
37   Warren G. Harding

Washington is easily the greatest president of all time, because he could have maintained power, becoming a defacto monarch or dictator.  It was critical to the success of democracy that he voluntarily pass on the power of the presidency.  He was also instrumental in maintaining the legimacy of federal power in a very weak and unstable union.

Harding made a mockery of the Presidency.  Whatever lack of respect you have for Clinton, it should be magnified one-hundredfold for Harding.

If you took the time to actually learn about him, you would see Harding was a really good president

[sdu754]

I see many Republicans here claiming that Reagan singlehandedly "won" the cold war. He didn't. Reagan's foreign policy undoubtedly contributed to the collapse of the USSR, but the Soviet Union failed primarily on its own accord due to having an economic and sociopolitical system which was utterly unsustainable.

You're also disregarding the involvement of Gorbachev, Kohl, and others.

If Reagan hadn't put pressure on the USSR it wouldn't have collapsed, at least not as soon. Gorbachev recognized the writting on the wall from what Reagan was doing, which is why he was willing to loosen the soviet grip in eastern europe in order to save the USSR, but it was too late.

[sdu754]

I think that the most under-rated president is LBJ, while the most over-rated is Lincoln.

LBJ's domestic policies helped millions of people escape from poverty and gave Blacks basic civil rights.

LBJ's policies actually locked people into poverty. He expanded welfare, started the practice of stealing money from social security to pay for other things, and created the budgetary timebomb of Medicare/Medicade. All the bad things that were going on that led to watergate were going on under LBJ (Historians just forget to tell people about it) This doesn't even go into the Vietnam debacle. He was the first president since Pierce who couldn't even get renominated by his party when he sought renomination.

[The Constable]

...why are you bumping a nine year old thread?