Opinion of last 10 presidents of America

[Antonio the Sixth]

All the Republicans are HP except Ford, who's neutral.

The Nixon pardon alone...

Well, yeah, I certainly don't like that. I guess I feel charitable enough about his intentions there to say neutral.

[John Dule]

LBJ: Massive FF both as a person and as a politician
Nixon: With Watergate massive HP, without - FF
Ford: FF
Carter: FF as a politician, Massive FF as a preson
Reagan: Lean FF
HW: Lean FF
Clinton: FF as a politician, HP as a person
W: Lean FF
Obama: FF as a politician, Massive FF as a person
Trump: Massive HP

The "I Was A Neocon Republican In 2004 But Now I Hate Trump" starter pack.

I mean W Bush is FF if we don't count Iraq

Aside from the fact that this isn't even true, how can you just "not count" Iraq? The War on Terror literally dominated his presidency from beginning to end, and almost every major decision he made was terrible. You might as well say "Putin's a great leader if you don't count the authoritarianism." That defines who he is.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

LBJ, Ford, Carter, Clinton and Obama FF

Nixon, Reagan, Bush Sr, Bush Jr and Trump HP, Watergate, Iran Contra and Tax cuts, in the following order contrivuted to income inequality

[Mini Mike]

My first post here! Don’t know what FF and HP stand for but from looking at the other posts I would assume FF is good and HP is bad.

LBJ: Huge FF as president and person (my 2nd favorite recent president after JFK)
Nixon: lean FF as president, strong HP as person
Ford: FF for both
Carter: HP as president, but FF as person
Reagan: FF for both
Bush 41: neutral to HP as president, neutral to FF as person
Clinton: FF as president, strong HP as person
Bush 43: strong HP as president, FF as person
Obama: neutral to HP as president, FF as person
Trump: YUUUUGE HP for both

[TDAS04]

LBJ: FF
Nixon: Massive HP
Ford: Lean FF
Carter: FF
Reagan: HP
Bush 41: Lean HP
Clinton: Lean FF
Bush 43: Massive HP
Obama: FF
Trump: Massive, massive, massive HP

[KaiserDave]

Ranking their Presidencies and the Moral Conduct carried in that time and elections around them


LBJ: Slight FF
Nixon: Traitor HP
Ford: Slight FF
Carter: Slight FF
Reagan: HP
Bush I: Slight FF
Clinton: Slight HP
Bush II: Massive HP
Obama: FF
Trump: Massive HP

[Antonio the Sixth]

All the Republicans are HP except Ford, who's neutral.

The Nixon pardon alone...

Well, yeah, I certainly don't like that. I guess I feel charitable enough about his intentions there to say neutral.

It's not abhorrent to me that you think otherwise, just interesting. My inclination is to treat the Nixon pardon as an extraordinarily consequential decision that reshaped our politics for the worse, but I understand that there are other interpretations of American history that treat it as unremarkable.

Thankfully almost everyone seems to have moved past the long-dominant view that the pardon was not just anodyne, but admirable because Ford sacrificed his own popularity to "allow the country to heal."

Yeah, I tore into this bullsh*t narrative the last time it came up on Atlas. You'll find no sympathy for it on my part.

I'm not sure what I think about how consequential a decision it was. I guess it's tempting to imagine an alternate scenario where Nixon gets slapped with a hefty sentence and this sends a message to corrupt politicians everywhere that they won't get away with this stuff, but I'm not sure if I buy it. Italian politicians go to prison all the time (they really do; Berlusconi if anything is unusual in his ability to get away with stuff) and that hasn't made them less corrupt. So I'm not sure if the pardon had such a big practical impact. Symbolically, it was unquestionably a disaster.

[Del Tachi]

All FFs except Clinton, Obama and Trump

[MT Treasurer]

Hurricane Katrina? The Patriot Act? No Child Left Behind? Habeas Corpus? The economy?

Not sure what exactly makes him a FF even if we “don’t count” him having the blood of thousands on his hands for oil profit.

Thousands of Americans, but can we stop ignoring the number of Iraqis who were killed in the war?

Anyway, their foreign policy alone makes all of them except (with many reservations) Carter obvious HPs, although some (Clinton) are more vile and psychopathic than others (Ford). Clinton in particular is extremely underrated in all the horrors he has caused abroad and domestically.

Also, a president's actions are inseparable from who they are as a "person," so I don’t get some of the "HP as a President but FF as a person" takes.

[LAKISYLVANIA]

Hurricane Katrina? The Patriot Act? No Child Left Behind? Habeas Corpus? The economy?

Not sure what exactly makes him a FF even if we “don’t count” him having the blood of thousands on his hands for oil profit.

Thousands of Americans, but can we stop ignoring the number of Iraqis who were killed in the war?

Anyway, their foreign policy alone makes all of them except (with many reservations) Carter obvious HPs, although some (Clinton) are more vile and psychopathic than others (Ford). Clinton in particular is extremely underrated in all the horrors he has caused abroad and domestically.

Also, a president's actions are inseparable from who they are as a "person," so I don’t get some of the "HP as a President but FF as a person" takes.

I might be incredibly naive but I believe most people have good intentions. They go into politics, because they want to change how things are going in politics. With some of them, we just differ from opinion, and that's totally fine, because it's essential in a democracy. Some people - luckily a minority - just love to get the world destroyed or do everything to stay in power. I believe some FF's might turn into HP's because of power politics and pressure, and it's hard to resist from that. That's why I respect Bernie so much. He always stood for his principles, something which is incredibly rare in politics nowadays. While others go with the flow, which you eventually going to have to do in order to stay relevant, because you're still a representative. But if people for example elect me, they know what they're going to get. Bernie-style politics.

[OSR stands with Israel]

All the Republicans are HP except Ford, who's neutral. All Democrats are FFs (not perfect by any means, and some of them are outright bad people, but they still did more good than harm in the grand scheme of things) except Clinton, who's a vile HP.

Why do you think Bill Clinton is terrible

[Antonio the Sixth]

All the Republicans are HP except Ford, who's neutral. All Democrats are FFs (not perfect by any means, and some of them are outright bad people, but they still did more good than harm in the grand scheme of things) except Clinton, who's a vile HP.

Why do you think Bill Clinton is terrible

Deregulation, welfare reform, mass incarceration, etc. etc.

[Calthrina950]

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.

[Higgins]

LBJ - FF

Nixon - HP

Ford - FF

Carter - FF

Reagan - FF

HW Bush - FF

Clinton - FF

Bush II - FF

Obama - HP

Trump - FF

[Chips]

Lyndon B. Johnson: HP
Richard Nixon: FF, His corruption was very bad but he was a decent president outside of that in my opinion.
Gerald Ford: FF
Jimmy Carter: HP
Reagan: Neutral, Did about equal good and equal bad in my opinion.
George H.W Bush: HP
Bill Clinton: HP
George W. Bush: HP
Barack Obama: HP
Donald Trump: HP
Joe Biden: Ask me in January 2022.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Note : only going based on their presidency not how they are as a person

LBJ: HP
Nixon : Neutral
Ford : Lean FF
Carter : Massive HP
Reagan : Massive FF
HW Bush : FF
Clinton: FF
W Bush : Massive HP
Obama : Lean HP
Trump : Massive HP

I’m actually gonna reduce Bush to regular HP and Obama to regular HP as well

[Arizona Iced Tea]

LBJ:HP
Nixon: Tossup
Ford: FF
Carter: HP
Reagan: FF
HW Bush: HP
Clinton: FF
W Bush: HP
Obama: HP
Trump: FF

[vitoNova]

All of them trash except Clinton and Obama.

Old Man River looking promising.   I'm just waiting for him to do something stupid like re-invade Iraq or make flag-burning a felony. 

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

After Reagan, they all were bad, income inequality has been exacerbated since 1980 and Housing hasn't been keeping up with wages since Projects became obsolete during 1994

[Chips]

After Reagan, they all were bad, income inequality has been exacerbated since 1980 and Housing hasn't been keeping up with wages since Projects became obsolete during 1994

This.

[West_Midlander]

LBJ: FF
Nixon: FF, more so without Watergate
Ford: FF
Carter: FF
Reagan: FF
H.W. Bush: FF
Clinton: Lean HP
W. Bush: FF
Obama: HP
Trump: FF

[beesley]

After Reagan, they all were bad, income inequality has been exacerbated since 1980 and Housing hasn't been keeping up with wages since Projects became obsolete during 1994

This, but change to 'after and including Reagan'. H.W. Bush is still an FF.

[Oregon Eagle Politics]

Richard Nixon was the last non-terrible president except for Ford.

[Ferguson97]

FF: LBJ, Carter, Obama
Neutral: Ford, HW, Clinton
HP: Nixon, Reagan, Dubya, Trump

[Mr. Smith]

All Dems except Clinton are FFs

All Repubs except Ford are HP.

Nixon was the last Repub who had the opportunity for FF and didn't take it. Close as Obama was, I think his lame-duck actions narrowly keep him in FF column, unlike Bill the surrender monkey philanderer.