America's Second Greatest President of the 19th Century

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Since the original poll has a decisive Lincoln victory, it's not possible from that poll to adequately determine who was next best, so I thought I give everyone a fair shot at being #2.

[DownWithTheLeft]

It's amazing how uninformed people are to think Lincoln and FDR were the greatest presidents of their centuries

[Kaine for Senate '18]

Thomas Jefferson

[jokerman]

It's amazing how uninformed people are to think Lincoln and FDR were the greatest presidents of their centuries

Yeah, lol, anyone informed knows that America lost WWII and is still in the Great Depression.

[jeron]

Grover Cleveland

[Sensei]

Thomas Jefferson by far

[DownWithTheLeft]

It's amazing how uninformed people are to think Lincoln and FDR were the greatest presidents of their centuries

Yeah, lol, anyone informed knows that America lost WWII and is still in the Great Depression.

FDR was president for almost 10 years before WWII involvement.  He messed up horribly then, made things worse, and dragged us into the war as a means of covering his own ass.  Hitler had nothing on his propaganda machine

[Joe Republic]

FDR was president for almost 10 years before WWII involvement.  He messed up horribly then, made things worse, and dragged us into the war as a means of covering his own ass.  Hitler had nothing on his propaganda machine

Please tell me you're joking.

[jeron]

It's amazing how uninformed people are to think Lincoln and FDR were the greatest presidents of their centuries

Yeah, lol, anyone informed knows that America lost WWII and is still in the Great Depression.

FDR was president for almost 10 years before WWII involvement.  He messed up horribly then, made things worse, and dragged us into the war as a means of covering his own ass.  Hitler had nothing on his propaganda machine

Conservative hack.

[12th Doctor]

John Q. Adams.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

James Monroe

[DownWithTheLeft]

FDR was president for almost 10 years before WWII involvement.  He messed up horribly then, made things worse, and dragged us into the war as a means of covering his own ass.  Hitler had nothing on his propaganda machine

Please tell me you're joking.

I'm not necessarily saying that he knew Pearl Harbor was going to happen, but I am saying that he did nothing to try and stop it.  He wanted to get into the war as a means of covering his ass.  I would assume you agree that w/o WWII FDR is not listed among the greatest presidents or even the most important.  His domestic policy made the depression worse, not better

[dead0man]

They haven't gotten that memo yet.  They're still under the (wrong) impression that FDR saved us from the Depression.  It feeds their preconceived notions so it must be true.

[bgwah]

Buchanan, obviously

[specific_name]

I have an impossible time answering these "best" questions. It all depends on what you think a president is meant to do. The role of the executive branch changed dramatically over time. So by what criteria do I determine best? Should I use the "rule book" of 1800 or of now to decide this. If I choose, it would only be arbitrarily.

[Хahar 🤔]

FDR was president for almost 10 years before WWII involvement.  He messed up horribly then, made things worse, and dragged us into the war as a means of covering his own ass.  Hitler had nothing on his propaganda machine

Please tell me you're joking.

I'm not necessarily saying that he knew Pearl Harbor was going to happen, but I am saying that he did nothing to try and stop it.  He wanted to get into the war as a means of covering his ass.  I would assume you agree that w/o WWII FDR is not listed among the greatest presidents or even the most important.  His domestic policy made the depression worse, not better

Yes, despite being omnipotent and getting the Japanese to bomb Pearl Harbor, FDR knew nothing about how to get the country out of a Depression. Because every country had a Hjalmar Schacht.

[Franzl]

It's amazing how uninformed people are to think Lincoln and FDR were the greatest presidents of their centuries

Yes, indeed. In fact, anybody who's not a libertarian must be incredibly uninformed, correct?

[StateBoiler]

A shame John Calhoun's not on this list.

[SPC]

It's amazing how uninformed people are to think Lincoln and FDR were the greatest presidents of their centuries

Yeah, lol, anyone informed knows that America lost WWII and is still in the Great Depression.

Which, in reality, were both ended during the Truman administration.

[Хahar 🤔]

It's amazing how uninformed people are to think Lincoln and FDR were the greatest presidents of their centuries

Yeah, lol, anyone informed knows that America lost WWII and is still in the Great Depression.

Which, in reality, were both ended during the Truman administration.

Great Depression? It's an indisputable fact that the Great Depression ended with World War II, at latest.

[SPC]

It's amazing how uninformed people are to think Lincoln and FDR were the greatest presidents of their centuries

Yeah, lol, anyone informed knows that America lost WWII and is still in the Great Depression.

Which, in reality, were both ended during the Truman administration.

Great Depression? It's an indisputable fact that the Great Depression ended with World War II, at latest.

Even though facts tell us it ended in 1946?

[Хahar 🤔]

It's amazing how uninformed people are to think Lincoln and FDR were the greatest presidents of their centuries

Yeah, lol, anyone informed knows that America lost WWII and is still in the Great Depression.

Which, in reality, were both ended during the Truman administration.

Great Depression? It's an indisputable fact that the Great Depression ended with World War II, at latest.

Even though facts tell us it ended in 1946?

Show me.

[dead0man]

It's amazing how uninformed people are to think Lincoln and FDR were the greatest presidents of their centuries

Yes, indeed. In fact, anybody who's not a libertarian must be incredibly uninformed, correct?

I'd use the word misinformed and lose "incredibly", but yeah, pretty much.

[The Duke]

Chester A. Arthur, whose advocacy of civil service reform was an example of great political courage and tremendously benefitted the country, deserves a vote.

[PBrunsel]

Chester A. Arthur, whose advocacy of civil service reform was an example of great political courage and tremendously benefitted the country, deserves a vote.

John Ford is correct, but that could go for most of what he says.

Since Arthur has a vote I cast my vote for Rutherford Hayes, the man who put into action policy ideas that would lead to Civil Service Reform and the man who restored trust in the preisdency after Grant Administration. Also, he was elected in a crooked way, but he didn't manage his presidency that way. He had a bi-partisan cabinet and began to heal the wounds of the Civil War and Reconstruction.