How will these figures be viewed in 2070?

[Bootes Void]

About 50 years from now when the dust is settled. How will these major american figures mentioned be viewed through the lens of history?

- President Joe Biden
- President Donald Trump
- Hillary Clinton
- President Barack Obama
- President Ronald Reagan
- Bernie Sanders


What do you think?

[CEO Mindset]

reagan will be viewed the most negatively

[Biden his time]

Honestly I think it's most likely that Bernie Sanders will have faded into the depths of history, possibly even more obscure than Eugene V. Debs.

[The Last Kennedy]

In 50 years each figure will be viewed as:

-Representing an era and ideal that died 10 years before his ascension of the presidency (basically a figure representing concessions and compromise). Will probably be viewed as the final standing president of the post-WW2 order.
-Will probably viewed as a Wilson-like figure who foreshadows how future policymaking and political culture in general will be in the far future. I don't really expect future historians to look upon him positively though. (20-40 years or so.)
-IDK
-IDK
-Ronald Reagan will probably be incredibly hated in the far future for destroying Keynesian economic theory. Many social ills caused by his policies will probably place him a few spots above Buchanan.
-Bernie Sanders: Basically Teddy Roosevelt.

[Ferguson97]

Bernie won’t be remembered by anyone under 70.

Obama will probably be remembered fondly, if viewed as overrated by this point in the way that JFK is.

Trump will be viewed much more negatively as historians see the long-term negative impacts of Trumpism.

Hillary will probably be remembered as “lost to Trump” and “Bill Clinton’s wife” and maybe “Secretary of State” if you’re into history.

Reagan will probably receive some more criticism in the future but will probably still be regarded as successful.

Biden… ask me again when his presidency is over.

[West_Midlander]

- President Joe Biden: Too early to tell; he will be mentioned briefly, perhaps with some brief mention of Afghanistan.
- President Donald Trump: Briefly mentioned as being a controversial president, maybe his tax reform, COVID, and last summer's protests get a sentence each in the history books (at the most).
- Secretary Hillary Clinton: Likely mentioned as the first female nominated by a major party; perhaps a small note about her being First Lady and then U.S. Senator and Secretary of State.
- President Barack Obama: Mentioned as the first black U.S. President; perhaps a mention of his healthcare reform and gridlock that took place during his presidency leading him to rely on executive orders and not being able to get many judicial nominees into office (obviously portrayed as not being his fault due to partisanship)
- President Ronald Reagan: Notes about Iran-Contra, being a former movie star and then Governor of California and being elected in landslide victories.
- Senator Bernie Sanders: Perhaps noted as the first self-described democratic socialist and Jew to win a major party primary contest. Perhaps not noted at all, though.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

It does matter the viability of the R party they're going extinct due to fact fossil fuels are, and D's have the 304 blue wall

R party will be judged based on Climate change, they are the oil and gas party and Climate change is expected to get worse

[Statilius the Epicurean]

Biden: dunno, depends on his presidency.
Trump: relegated to "racist backlash against the first black President"
Clinton: forgotten, other than maybe the first woman to win a major party nomination 
Obama: first black President, other than that not much
Reagan: guy who won the Cold War
Bernie: anoraks will remember him as the left's Goldwater

[Samof94]

About 50 years from now when the dust is settled. How will these major american figures mentioned be viewed through the lens of history?

- President Joe Biden
- President Donald Trump
- Hillary Clinton
- President Barack Obama
- President Ronald Reagan
- Bernie Sanders


What do you think?

Biden might come off as some LBJ type figure who took command in a major crisis but was widely criticized for a move that likely saved Afghanistan from something even worse(imagine Daesh running it).
Trump will almost invariably be viewed negatively for everything especially Covid and the riots.   Trumpism  is an ideology scorned by the Tory/Christian Dem party.
Hillary will be seen as semi positive but not that major a figure.
Obama will be seen as a JFK type figure who will be romanticized for health care reform’s early steps and for SSM.
Ronald Reagan might be cast as a forerunner to Trump but less grotesque and blatant.
Bernie Sanders will probably be less memorable than Goldwater(who at least was socially liberal later in life).

[dw93]

Biden: Too early to tell

Trump: While time may prove me wrong on this, I think his Presidency, as well as Obama's and possibly Biden's, will be viewed as a transition period from one era (the Reagan/neoliberal era) to the next (TBD). I also agree with Statilius the Epicurean that he'll be seen as racist backlash to the first black President. January 6th will also be a big part of his legacy, especially if more events like that occur again, and especially if one of said events God forbid succeeds. He'll also, at least with regards to how this current era of the GOP is concerned, be viewed as an end result of 50 years of Republicans starting with Nixon tapping into conservative white resentment and religious zealotry.

Obama: Obviously he'll be remembered as the first black President, and possibly as the President that implemented the first step toward the U.S. eventually (hopefully) getting a single payer health care system.  That said, he'll also be viewed as a reluctant, complacent leader who didn't do enough to deal with the challenges of his time, and this will be viewed as a component (though not a Nixon/Reagan/Gingrich/Bush/Palin sized component) to the rise of his dumpster fire of a successor.  I've said it before and I think some will view Obama this way too, he was the right man for the job, but the wrong man for the time he served in.

Clinton: The most politically active first spouse since Eleanor Roosevelt (unless another comes along between now and 2070 and takes that title) and the first first spouse to be elected to the US Senate, as well as the first female Presidential nominee. Her loss in 2016 however, as well as her failure to take any responsibility for it (that I'm aware of) will be be a huge stain on her legacy.

Reagan: I think once the baby boomers and even the first wave of Gen X are gone, you'll have a more objective view of the Reagan Presidency and thus in 20-30 years time I don't think he'll be viewed as a top 10 President, as the generations that assess his Presidency in the future will be the ones that were on the receiving end of the long term damage his "greed is good"," trickle down economics caused as well as the fact that the social progress that was being made in the 60s and 70s stalled on his watch. His contributions to the radicalization of the Republican party that took place during and especially after his administration will also be a subject of scrutiny. That said, despite this, he'll likely still be ranked in the top half of Presidents due to his 2nd term Cold War policies, his sunny optimistic leadership style, as well as the fact that he was (though for worse) a transformative President, up to that point the most transformative since FDR.

Bernie: Outside of a few millennial/Gen Z liberals that are in their 70's and 80's in the year 2070 who see him as a liberal Goldwater, and very staunch political junkies, he'll be forgotten.

[Orthogonian Society Treasurer]

Biden: largely forgotten, viewed through the same lens and with the same passion as say, Chester A. Arthur is today.

Trump: "America's last liberal", seen as a transitional figure who represented the ending of an era.

Hillary: Adlai Stevenson v2.0

Obama: remembered primarily for failing to halt the decline of race relations in America, many comparisons to James Buchanan will be drawn and debated.

Reagan: Forgotten.

Bernie Sanders: reviled by most leftists, Sanders is remembered as an accommodationist who naively attempted to navigate electoral politics.

[darklordoftech]

I think Trump will be remembered alongside Millard Fillmore, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Warren Harding, Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, and George W. Bush as an absolutely awful President and person.

[progressive85]

About 50 years from now when the dust is settled. How will these major american figures mentioned be viewed through the lens of history?

- President Joe Biden
- President Donald Trump
- Hillary Clinton
- President Barack Obama
- President Ronald Reagan
- Bernie Sanders


What do you think?

Joe - Completely forgotten.

Trump - an asshole that's famous for what NOT to do if you're President.  Total loser, and total sore loser.

Hillary - So much more popular in 2070 than she is today... you'd be shocked.  She might become an icon for those people, she is after all a pioneer as much as she's deplored by the deplorables (and the far-left feminists).

Obama- a historical titan.  By 2070, he'll be viewed as a legendary President, whether he deserves to be or not.  He is the first black president in a country whose entire history is dominated by racial issues.  Big ing deal.

Reagan- Much more forgotten in 2070 than he is today.  His strongest supporters will be long gone by then, and his economic views could be anathema to the electorate in the second half of the 21st century.  He might be viewed by some conservative teenagers the way Calvin Coolidge is viewed by conservative teenagers today.

Bernie - Honestly, he's forgotten too.  He was old as sh**t now, so by then he'd really be old as sh**t and long gone.  He'll be similar to Eugene Debs and Robert LaFollette in the history books - a lefty from a long time ago.

[Drew]

Biden: TBD.  Get back to me in 2025 or 2029.

Trump:  Viewed similarly to Andrew Johnson.

Hillary Clinton:  Bill Clinton’s First Lady who lost to the 21st Century’s Andrew Johnson.

Obama:  Viewed similarly to JFK.  They were both inspirational barrier-breakers with good but imperfect policies.  Both of their legacies were in a way cut short, JFK due to assassination, and Obama due to GOP obstruction for the last 3/4 of his presidency.

Reagan:  Sort of a reverse LBJ.  Credited with some foreign policy success (end of Cold War), but criticized for much of his domestic agenda.

Sanders:  Possibly a Democratic Goldwater, foreshadowing the future direction of the party despite his own personal loss.

[Agonized-Statism]

- President Joe Biden: Probably not memorable unless something big happens.

- President Donald Trump: Will be known for mishandling COVID and the Storming of the Capitol, and as a symbol of the kind of politics that characterized this period of instability. His actions regarding China will also be ascribed much more importance when Cold War II is a clear historical thing.

- Hillary Clinton: Trivial, the first woman to be nominated for president of the United States by a major political party.

- President Barack Obama: The first black president. As with Trump, his actions on the world stage will be emphasized in the context of Cold War II.

- President Ronald Reagan: A symbol for the kind of politics that led to the crises of the early 21st century, and remembered for his role in the Cold War.

- Bernie Sanders: Depends on how much of a force the left becomes. Either fades into obscurity like Debs or is remembered as a watershed moment in US politics.

[BabyAlligator]

I think Trump will be remembered alongside Millard Fillmore, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Warren Harding, Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, and George W. Bush as an absolutely awful President and person.

W. is already not seen anymore as a bad person.

[HillGoose]

idk im not a time traveler

[darklordoftech]

Biden will remembered as being like Gerald Ford: A good man who ended “a long national nightmare.”

[CumbrianLefty]

I think Trump will be remembered alongside Millard Fillmore, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Warren Harding, Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, and George W. Bush as an absolutely awful President and person.

W. is already not seen anymore as a bad person.

Hmmm, seems to me it is more "not quite as bad as Trump". Slight difference.

[Samof94]

I think Trump will be remembered alongside Millard Fillmore, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Warren Harding, Herbert Hoover, Richard Nixon, and George W. Bush as an absolutely awful President and person.

W. is already not seen anymore as a bad person.

Hmmm, seems to me it is more "not quite as bad as Trump". Slight difference.

Exactly. If the GOP finds a popular reverse Clinton-like politician(where they are socially liberal for a Republican) minus the sex scandals, that might change things a lot.

[Vosem]

Way too soon to say for either of the first two, particularly since it's likely they'll be facing each other again in 2024. It does not seem to be a given to me that we aren't still living through a "Trump Era" of American politics.

Hillary will be remembered as the first female nominee and as the candidate who lost to Donald Trump in 2016. Her tenure as Secretary of State will be remembered largely for the disastrous intervention in Libya. I think this is a story that has basically concluded.

Obama will continue to be an icon among black Americans, but the rest of his legacy remains unclear. The Democratic Party is still under his spell, but it doesn't seem to be a given that this will still be the case 10 years from now, and a decade after its passage Obamacare has been a mixed success at best; conservative opposition to it remains trenchant. I've written elsewhere that the seminal election of the early 21st century -- which will set the tone of how the era is covered in future textbooks -- will be either 2008 or 2016. If 2008, Obama will be seen as the first in a line of liberal Presidents who eventually accomplished reform and will gradually rise to the status of a Top Ten figure; if 2016, he will be somewhat forgotten, though he'll remain celebrated among black Americans forever.

Reagan will be viewed largely positively as someone with a very successful foreign policy who made economic reforms which were necessary at the time; even if America's future is a turn leftward (which I doubt, but is of course possible) I assume the actual specifics of his reforms will simply be swept under the rug, rather like the way TR is remembered for unspecific economic reforms and success abroad but controversial aspects of his leadership (like race relations) are forgotten, and he declines to somewhere above-average, like TR. In a world where the current right side of the Culture War wins (difficult to imagine; the likeliest variant here is that the left side wins without this implying any shift in economic doctrine; but possible to imagine) he becomes viewed as a Top Five figure.

Not sure Sanders will be remembered much among anyone who wasn't politically invested in the late 2010s. At best he's seen like Goldwater (a precursor of what was to come) or Bryan (even if not a precursor of what was to come, the undisputed leader of an influential movement who remains personally positively viewed for decades) or perhaps for an earlier throwback Daniel Webster (an eloquent and memorable leader of a certain political faction, but a faction which outgrew him within his own lifetime and who never did manage to be nominated for President). Most likely he's forgotten like any politician who was never nominated for President in spite of multiple attempts and significant support (Nelson Rockefeller might be too influential as NY-Gov to apply here; Robert Taft actually seems like a weirdly apt comparison). At an unlikely absolute worst he's seen as representative of an influence the future broadly rejects, like Richard Russell.

[Flyersfan232]

Bernie won’t be remembered by anyone under 70.

Obama will probably be remembered fondly, if viewed as overrated by this point in the way that JFK is.

Trump will be viewed much more negatively as historians see the long-term negative impacts of Trumpism.

Hillary will probably be remembered as “lost to Trump” and “Bill Clinton’s wife” and maybe “Secretary of State” if you’re into history.

Reagan will probably receive some more criticism in the future but will probably still be regarded as successful.

Biden… ask me again when his presidency is over.

obama and trump will get the thatcher treatment

[Samof94]

Biden will remembered as being like Gerald Ford: A good man who ended “a long national nightmare.”

The Afghanistan withdrawal was a huge deal and I would be surprised if the Taliban were as relevant as they are now. I just think Salafi Jihadism has lots of limitations to it to be a viable long term ideology even for Afghanistan.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Reagan will be viewed more for his role in the end of the cold war than really his economic policies by then. Really every President from 1945-1991 will be viewed in the context of the cold war more than any domestic policies they passed(with maybe the exception of LBJ due to civil rights and Nixon due to being the first president to resign due to scandal).

Hillary will be remembered as the wife of a former President and the first female to be nominated for President

Bernie will be forgotten given unlike WJB/Goldwater he wasn't even nominated

Obama will be remembered as the first African American President but other than that I believe the time period of 2008-2020 at the very least will be known as the age of populism and both Obama and Trump will be grouped in for that era

Biden will either be known as the President who ended the age of populism if he is successful or if he  fails will go down similar to what Taft was in the progressive era.

[Vice President Christian Man]

- President Joe Biden--Too early to tell
- President Donald Trump--Similar to how we view Nixon
- Hillary Clinton--Will probably be viewed similarly; loved by some, hated by others.
- President Barack Obama--Similar to how we view MLK
- President Ronald Reagan--The man who destroyed the working class
- Bernie Sanders--Sort of a cult figure among political nerds, much like how politicians like Debs and McCarthy are viewed today. He'll still be popular on the left and disliked on the right.