Best and Worst U.S. Presidents?

[acptulsa]

It uh, got him elected 4 times. It took Hoover out.

Amazing, isn't it jason?

 

[mtmedlin]

Jefferson had no time for an amendment and a populace that was all too ready to go to war with our Revolutionary ally over that land. Politics, in the end, must deal with realities. Napoleon made it abundantly clear that was a very limited time offer. What else could be done?

Likewise, some of John Adam's actions when the populace was trying to pressure him into war with France, and some of Lincoln's actions during the Civil War and some of FDR's during the Great Depression can be excused as politically necessary due to crisis. A crisis is a crisis, and a politician who doesn't step up and deal with it is no friend of the people.

In the case of the two Bushes, there are many reasons to believe they manufactured wars. They could even have done it for the purpose of creating a crisis that would enable them to infringe on our rights. Unfortunately, we can't prove this, but there's reason enough to suspect it. That, to the best of my knowledge, is a first and a new low.

I get what you are saying but the term "the ends justify the means" can also be used by President Bush. If all presidents at times of crisis would have upheld the Constitution within its strict interpretation instead of finding ways to get around its intent, then I believe we wouldnt be in this predicament.
To say,
Originally Posted by coyote_sprit
So would you prefer not to have the Louisiana territory?
is rediculous because it is the same argument that the neocons are using. "So would you prefer not to have safety from terrorists" Its an argument used to justify an action that wasnt proper. I love Thomas Jefferson but sometimes a president needs to lead by example instead of bending to the pressures of his constituancy. Doing something right instead of quick is never wrong.

 

[jason43]

The Lousiana Purchace was fine because it passed through congress, and it was made without force of arms. In fact, the US only wanted to purchase the port of new orleans but the french offered the whole territory for not too much more than they were prepaired to pay for the port. Overall, it made sense. Otherwise we might have had more war because France wanted to establish a north american part of their emipre...

 

[jason43]

Amazing, isn't it jason?

Um, yeah, pretty remarkable...

 

[Kade]

Yawn. Get over yourself. No one in this thread has expressed racist sentiments. No one in this thread has said institutionalized slavery, or any kind of slavery should exist. I'm sure, as Dr. Paul supporters, would all agree we have the same rights no matter skin, ethnicity, religion, etc.

I'm not sure who or what your raging against.

Before Lincoln, how were those "rights" protected?

 

[Kade]

I get tired of hearing how lincoln violated the constitution and not once do I hear about how slavery violated the constitution. Which was worse? If there are any black people left on here ask them how they feel about lincoln's constitutional violations

The other point is that Lincoln didn't really do anything the PEOPLE of his country wanted him to do... The south seceded. The UNION was a SEPARATE country whose constituents demanded a war. The Lincoln bashers on here are setting themselves for a proverbial corner beating if they keep it up.

 

[menoname]

Best - Nixon, Bush, Wilson, FDR
Worst - Jefferson, Jackson, Kennedy

 

[Mr. Coolidge]

Thanks for the kind words.

Coolidge was pretty popular back in his day: He won reelection in 1924 by a landslide (75% of the Electoral College). After what Wilson had done, people had had enough I guess...

He was in office for the second half of Harding's unfinished term, and for his own 4 years, then he could have run again 1928. But he turned it down:

Coolidge did not seek renomination; he announced his decision to reporters, in writing, with typical terseness: "I do not choose to run for President in 1928." After allowing them to take that in, Coolidge elaborated. "If I take another term, I will be in the White House till 1933 … Ten years in Washington is longer than any other man has had it—too long!" In his memoirs, Coolidge explained his decision not to run: "The Presidential office takes a heavy toll of those who occupy it and those who are dear to them. While we should not refuse to spend and be spent in the service of our country, it is hazardous to attempt what we feel is beyond our strength to accomplish."

When Congress proposed a Farm Relief Bill that would "allow the federal government to purchase agricultural surpluses and sell them abroad at lowered prices", he vetoed it. He grew up from a farm family, so he knew:

He favored Herbert Hoover's proposal to modernize agriculture to create profits, instead of manipulating prices. When Congress re-passed the McNary-Haugen bill in 1927, Coolidge vetoed it again. "Farmers never have made much money," said Coolidge, the Vermont farmer's son, "I do not believe we can do much about it."

Sorry for rambling, just thought I'd share. :o

But I do think it is a shame we don't look for more Coolidge-type qualities in public officials these days. He didn't have a booming voice or a pounding fist, but he had wisdom, reflection, and modesty, while still having his convictions. Of course, that's the eternal flaw of modesty, it will never be appreciated or remembered since it does not seek attention. Oh well....

 

[jason43]

Best - Nixon, Bush, Wilson, FDR
Worst - Jefferson, Jackson, Kennedy

TROLL!


lol

 

[Matt23]

Can anyone give me a good read or article to why presidents like Lincon, FDR, and Wilson where bad presidents.

I know the basics of why they where but im writing a paper for class and need some good material on the subject.

 

[acptulsa]

Can anyone give me a good read or article to why presidents like Lincon, FDR, and Wilson where bad presidents.

I know the basics of why they where but im writing a paper for class and need some good material on the subject.

There's a reference earlier in this thread. Why should we do all your work, kid? Google some of the incidents and writings referenced here and do your own digging. You might find some stuff we don't even know about.

 

[amy31416]

Can anyone give me a good read or article to why presidents like Lincon, FDR, and Wilson where bad presidents.

I know the basics of why they where but im writing a paper for class and need some good material on the subject.

There's some really good information here, I believe this was posted earlier:

http://www.mises.org/Books/reassessingpresidency.pdf

 

[jason43]

Can anyone give me a good read or article to why presidents like Lincon, FDR, and Wilson where bad presidents.

I know the basics of why they where but im writing a paper for class and need some good material on the subject.

Lincoln's policy made the federal government more powerful than the states. It violated the ideas in the Dec of Indep that people have the right to secede when government is not representing them. He created the draft, the income tax, jailed political oposition and prevented the free press. He send troops into and occupied Maryland, and sent troops in to NYC to target draft resisters.

FDR basically created the whole federal burocracy as we now know it. He left us with unsustainable social programs like social security, gave us the precursors to the FBI and CIA, interred the Japanese, and a whole host of other messes. He set up a government propaganda machine, undermined the free press, and created the welfare state. A lot of people love him for all that and think he was a great president... but you won't find many of those people on this forum

Wilson was the precursor to FDR, the UN was his idea, created the federal reserve, supressed anti-war movements with the Sedition Act, created the Vers Treaty that led to WWI and the list goes on and on. This is another one that is viewed by most people as being a great president, but you won't find many fans on here.

 

[johngr]

Worst: That traitorous, treasonous, Communist bastard FDR. Should have been strung up. Deserved hanging more than Truman imo Third worst is a tie between Lincoln and LBJ.

 

[nate895]

You seem really sure of this. Why?

They would have had citizenship via a William Gladstone opinion ruling on a case as a judge on the North Carolina SC.

They would have been freed as they elected a President that was actively trying to free his slaves, and the laws of most Southern states (when I say most Southern states, I mean all but SC) favored freedom for a slave unless a master could prove that he was, indeed, never freed. It wasn't just enough to show up at court and say "hey, that's my slave" you had to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt too.

 

[sophocles07]

They would have had citizenship via a William Gladstone opinion ruling on a case as a judge on the North Carolina SC.

Do you have any sources for this I could read up on (I am interested in the things you've said)?

 

[GunnyFreedom]

Best - Nixon, Bush, Wilson, FDR
Worst - Jefferson, Jackson, Kennedy

Ummm, put down the crack pipe and back slowly away.

 

[nate895]

Do you have any sources for this I could read up on (I am interested in the things you've said)?

I would start on A Constitutional History of Secession by John Remington Graham (p. 159 for that info). I would then proceed to the The South was Right by the Kennedy brothers if you want any more info on anything else. Both books are well cited. Those two books had me convinced that what I had been taught at school was a lie. Though, I must admit, I have always had sympathies with the South, primarily because because that is where most of my family lives and my ancestors fought for her.

 

[jyakulis]

I would start on A Constitutional History of Secession by John Remington Graham (p. 159 for that info). I would then proceed to the The South was Right by the Kennedy brothers if you want any more info on anything else. Both books are well cited. Those two books had me convinced that what I had been taught at school was a lie. Though, I must admit, I have always had sympathies with the South, primarily because because that is where most of my family lives and my ancestors fought for her.

heh i use to have a lot of sympathy to the south when i was in highschool. my girlfriend in highschool almost dumped me because she alleged i was a racist. i just think it could have been handled peacefully is all.

i'm on the fence about lincoln. it's kind of an argument of the ends justifying the means i guess. i really think lincoln couldn't care less about freeing the slaves, but i think the emancipation proclamation was a strategic move to cripple the south's economy. if it was about slavery then he should have issued the emancipation proclamation the minute the war started.

ultimately though it ended in freedom for everyone, which was good. but it really wasn't all that much better because it ushered in the sharecropping system, which was only a slight step above slavery heh.

it's hard to say now because i think the economies of the north and south were pretty intertwined, but couldn't the north just let them go, continue the abolition movement, and put some sort of embargo on the south until they got their act together. thing is an embargo would probably have devastated the north as well as the south because you lose all the textile trade and a lot of agriculture from the south. so, ultimately i don't know if their could have been a peaceful solution.

i don't know it was a different time and people had different values back then, but allowing slavery to begin with was a recipe for disaster. the founders for the great champions of freedom they were should have known this.

anyway my list is:

worst:
fdr
wilson
i can't really delineate anyone after fdr though. i think they've all been a wash and bought and paid for and deliberately working against the will of the people since.

best:
jefferson
madison
adams

 

[nate895]

heh i use to have a lot of sympathy to the south when i was in highschool. my girlfriend in highschool almost dumped me because she alleged i was a racist. i just think it could have been handled peacefully is all.

i'm on the fence about lincoln. it's kind of an argument of the ends justifying the means i guess. i really think lincoln couldn't care less about freeing the slaves, but i think the emancipation proclamation was a strategic move to cripple the south's economy. if it was about slavery then he should have issued the emancipation proclamation the minute the war started.

ultimately though it ended in freedom for everyone, which was good. but it really wasn't all that much better because it ushered in the sharecropping system, which was only a slight step above slavery heh.

it's hard to say now because i think the economies of the north and south were pretty intertwined, but couldn't the north just let them go, continue the abolition movement, and put some sort of embargo on the south until they got their act together. thing is an embargo would probably have devastated the north as well as the south because you lose all the textile trade and a lot of agriculture from the south. so, ultimately i don't know if their could have been a peaceful solution.

i don't know it was a different time and people had different values back then, but allowing slavery to begin with was a recipe for disaster. the founders for the great champions of freedom they were should have known this.

anyway my list is:

worst:
fdr
wilson
i can't really delineate anyone after fdr though. i think they've all been a wash and bought and paid for and deliberately working against the will of the people since.

best:
jefferson
madison
adams

I am in high school, and I have most kids hanging on every word I say as the gospel truth, so I do not have that problem. They aren't exactly into the "South was Right, yeah baby, go south" yet, but they at least accept it is a non-racist idea.