Mexstan

With all this talk about elections and presidents it got me wondering who y'all consider the best and the worst US presidents of all time. Also if possible, can you say why or how (in a few words) you arrived at that conclusion. What did they do or say that made you choose that particular president?

Mcmopar

Best-Ronnie Regan. high morals, common sence, looked out for America.

Worst-Bill Clinton. Need I say more?!? OK-he let outside interests gain a lot of control over this country, and did not do his job-only Monica.

Hoss

In my lifetime I'd have to agree with Mcmopar....although in my opinion George W. Bush is one of the best as well for many of the same reasons as Ronald Reagan.

Mcmopar

If I'd had another spot GWB would have been there!!

ramlovingvet

After putting on my Asbestos Skivies I say
Regan #1
Clinton Below Pond Scum.

wannadiesel

How about two that were the best and worst at the same time?

Lincoln - Best because he ended slavery.
Worst because during his administration the federal government began the process of taking over the state governments' rights and responsibilities. The U.S. went from a federation of sovereign states to a huge country with provinces during his presidency.

FDR - Best because along with Churchill he saved the world from Hitler.
Worst because he started the country on its slide into Socialism.

Push Rod

Man, we got it much easier up here than you guys.

Worst - all the stinkin', lousy, corrupt buggers.
Best - See above. We ain't had one of those, I don't think....

Rod

MyBluOx

Well,
This was a hard question..

Best: The Gipper, He didn't take crap off anyone...

Worst: This was a toss up and Carter won the flip. He sold out America and gave everything away. Not to mention, did not backup our allies, Had over 100 Govt. employee's taken hostage for more than a year. This list could go on. Clinton was the close runner up. He proved that you could break the law and get caught. Have proof of the law breaking and because he was a democratic president it was OK.

Jeff

pogorules

Best FDR..... For all his so called socialist programs. By golly if you were hungry and FDR opened up the CCC so you could find work and feed your family.... Those so called socialist programs helped strengthen our country so we were ready to fight and win WWII. TVA, the TVA helped bring the Appalachians out of the stone age. Third world country right here in the good ole USA. How do I know these things? My dad benefited from a lot of the programs when he was a kid and teenager. He supported his entire family through the CCC. Geez, people are so brain washed these days.

Worst...... Toss up between Peanut Head Carter and Slick Willie. Carter is a good man of morals but a total dumb*** when it comes to governing. Do you guys remember what the unemployment rate and interest rate was when that goofball was president? I know the interest rate climbed to 21%. Younger guys I bet cant imagine that.

dezeldog

Worst---GWB he cost us 900+ lives on a witch hunt for WMD that don't exist. He put our country in a situation that we can't win and we'll never get out of.

Commatoze

What a subjective question! I can only comment on presidents who served during my lifetime, and I can't say it with in "a few words".

Best?
Regan. I trusted him like a grandfather. When he spoke, he kept my attention, and I understood what he was saying. I think he got things done, fixed what Carter screwed up, and brought down the Soviet Union. I think his age caught up with him though diring the last few years of his second term.

Clinton. I view him favorably with regards to foreign and domestic affairs, and "once upon a time" during his term, I was looking at early retirement. The economy was in great shape and my 401K was twice what it is presently. Business was booming, and with corporate competetion for help being what it was, I got one heck of a job offer with a $10K signing bonus, paid for my relocation and mortgage for a year....it was great. Morals?... I felt embarrased for our country when his scandal surfaced, but then I looked at my 401K again and I didn't care so much . Poor bugger just got caught. Probably one of the most effective presidents.

Kennedy. Remember, this is subjective. In retrospect, there's no doubt he was at best a so-so president. But he had charisma in my 13 year old eyes, and awakened me to looking at our country. I remember having portraits on my bedroom wall of him and his brother, then Attorney General, Bobby Kennedy.


Worst?
Carter. An honorable, moral, person doesn't make you a good president. Remember 17% mortgage rates? What? The country needs more money? Heck, we'll just print some more!

George Bush (Bush Lite, not Sr. I actually liked Sr.). I guess I'm gonna show my hand here. I had so much hope for GW when I voted for him in 2000. I actually sent an absentee ballot back to New Jersey as I had just moved up to Massachusetts to a fantastic job courtesy of the Clinton administration. But, lets look at things today. THe national debt is at record levels. Million jobs are lost and while working families are suffering over unemployment, 'ol GW's administration endorses outsourcing by saying it's good for the country. (WARNING! In the future, your tax return may be reviewed in India. Doesn't the "I" in IRS stand for Internal) I think he's made a mistake of historic proportions by weakening the U.S. military offense in Afghanistan. Osama is still out there, three years after attacking this country, giving us the finger and thumbing his nose at us. As for Iraq, the mission there is far from "accomplished". The troops are being forced to stay in Iraq for much longer than they have to. And I just have one question - where are the weapons of mass destruction? I now feel we were mislead into war with Iraq under questionable pretenses. We have lost credibility and respect around the world because of it. (Do I want to get into this? Ahh what the heck) To top all of this off, I feel he's endorsing an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that reeks of bigotry. If he and the pro-amendment crowd are really interested in protecting the sanctity of marriage, they should propose a ban on adultery and divorce! I don't give a rats behind what two men or two women do in the privacy of their own homes. I spoke about this before , but it disturbed everyone to the point of having the thread excised. It's driving a cultural wedge through this country. In pushing this issue, George W. Bush desecrates Abraham Lincoln's legacy of national unity. This is why I rank him in the top worst of my lifetime. History will remember him unfavorably, this I'm sure of. Come November, it is my wish that the village in texas that's missing their idiot will get him back. George W. Bush compares favorably to Ronald Regan? .....Ahhh, you guys kill me!.....

Excuse me now...I'm going to look for the other half of my retirement....it's around here somewhere, it has to be.....

CruisingRam

Well, since this is a right wing truck site in reading the posts on this "other" part of this board- at the risk of a total flame out- I will post mine:

GWB- How incompitent do you have to be to have an election this close after the events of 9/11- it should be a cake walk for him- if he loses this election, it is a big exclamation point on the worst president in modern history.

Also, massive deficits, lying about the cost of his medical bills, the only president SINCE 1932 to end his first term with LESS JOBS THAN HE WAS INAUGURATED WITH. And at least in 1932 they had the excuse of the great depresion

Ronald Reagan- Massive deficit spending, interjection of religion as a political force by legitimizing the Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson types, started the era of the sound bite and attack politics, never did debate a single issue- instead used character assasination and bumper sticker quotes that never worked. The start of American Fascism, and the deregulation of industry that eventually led to things like ENRON

Best- TDR- led us into the moderzation of the US

Harry Truman, the last good president.

herb

worst: GWB :2 corporate cronie

best : Clinton : cared about the working people

jfpointer

I agree with your larger point, I think, but I also think he's cagier than you're giving him credit for. Bans on homosexual marriage play well in the Bible belt (just look at my own embarassing state ) but that amendment will never get through the Senate, and he knows it. So it's a politically safe position: tell the religious part of your base you're for it, while knowing full well it'll never happen. Politics can be a little like a full contact sport down there in Texas, and those boys can be pretty sly sometimes. And even if it did pass, the Supreme Court would take one look at it and issue the legalese equivalent of "Dude, marriage is not a federal matter."

And we need to talk about your investment strategy; my 401k has been kicking butt the last three years!

jfpointer

Since I've posted more or less off-topic, I guess I should post on-topic. Best: Take the first 15 and arrange them however you want. They tended to honor the Constitution. Of 20th century presidents, only Truman comes to mind even though domestically he had some pretty silly ideas. Worst: There are a lot of ways to judge this, but anyone who reduced freedom falls into this category in my book.