Was there ever a "perfect" Democratic President?

[AZ Progressive]

As bad as Obama is on NSA Surveillance, escalating the Afghanistan war (and thus leading to many more soldier deaths in Afghanistan than in the Bush Administration), drone strikes (that have killed hundreds of civilians), and attacking Medical Marijuana, there are still many positives of the Obama Administration (supporting LGBT people, consumer protection, healthcare reform, ending the war in Iraq, etc...)

So Obama obviously isn't a perfect president, and IMO a mixed one at that.


But is it fair to judge Obama harshly as if other Democratic Presidents were perfect or not flawed?


Woodrow Wilson was pro-segregation:

"In 1912 Woodrow Wilson, the Democratic candidate for president, promised fairness and justice for blacks if elected. In a letter to a black church official, Wilson wrote, "Should I become President of the United States they may count upon me for absolute fair dealing for everything by which I could assist in advancing their interests of the race." But after the election, Wilson changed his tune. He dismissed 15 out of 17 black supervisors who had been previously appointed to federal jobs and replaced them with whites. He also refused to appoint black ambassadors to Haiti and Santa Domingo, posts traditionally awarded to African Americans. Two of Wilson's cabinet ministers, Postmaster General Albert Burelson and Treasury Secretary William McAdoo, both Southerners, issued orders
segregating their departments. Throughout the country, blacks were segregated or dismissed from federal positions."
- http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_segregation.html

Woodrow Wilson also continued big stick policies / the Banana Wars that were to control Latin America, especially for U.S. commercial interests. He invaded Haiti, Dominican Republic, and the state of Veracruz in Mexico.



Franklin D. Roosevelt, the star of economic progressives, jailed over 110,000 Japanese people for most of the duration of the war, ruining many of them financially. An investigation by Jimmy Carter found that there was little justification for the internment.

"In 1980, President Jimmy Carter conducted an investigation to determine whether putting Japanese Americans into internment camps was justified well enough by the government. He appointed the Commission on Wartime Relocation and Internment of Civilians (CWRIC) to investigate the camps. The commission's report, named “Personal Justice Denied,” found little evidence of Japanese disloyalty at the time and recommended the government pay reparations to the survivors. They formed a payment of $20,000 to each individual internment camp survivor."
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_American_internment

Franklin D. Roosevelt could also be accused of authoritarian behavior, especially with his attempt to pack the courts.


Truman dropped the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which turned out to be unnecessary (there's evidence to say that it was the Russian Invasion of Manchuria, not the bombings, that ended the war), basically provoked Stalin to steal the secrets of the atomic bomb, which started the cold war. Truman also pushed Britain and the UN for the creation of modern Israel without thinking about and thus accounting for the possible Jewish - Palestinian conflict (which is responsible for the ongoing Jewish - Palestinian conflict and partly responsible for the Islamic terrorism that we have to deal with nowadays.)

"Secretary of State John Kerry claimed Monday that Israel’s failure to foster peace with the Palestinians fuels extremism and terrorism across the world in his address before the American Jewish Committee’s annual policy conference in Washington, D.C." -http://weaselzippers.us/2013/06/04/john-kerry-blames-israel-for-fueling-islamic-terrorism/


Kennedy executed the failed Bay of Pigs operation, and was responsible in growing the Vietnam war to 16,000 soldiers / advisors.


Lyndon Johnson, while pushing for and passing civil rights laws, as well as medicare, medicaid, and many other social programs, obviously was responsible for escalating the Vietnam War (from 16,000 soldiers to 550,000 soldiers) that led to the deaths of 36,756 soldiers (from 1964 to 1968, source: http://www.archives.gov/research/military/vietnam-war/casualty-statistics.html )


Carter was responsible for re-escalating the Cold War, among other things.


Bill Clinton supported (Republican sponsored) legislation that deregulated the financial industry, being one of the big things that led to the financial crash of 2008. Clinton could also be blamed for NAFTA and Welfare Reform.

[Paulie]

1. Al Gore

[ms liberty]

5. You beat me to it, lol! n/t

[leftstreet]

2. Who wants perfect? Just keep the fucking promises! n/t

[mick063]

17. Righteous!!!!

n/t

[ProSense]

23. You think the things listed in the OP were "promises" kept? n/t

[JaneyVee]

3. Obama is the best Democratic president this country has ever had.

His minor flaws pale in comparison to the rest.

[Fumesucker]

4. Pale?

[jazzimov]

8. Yes, pales in comparison

when you consider what he inherited.

Remember Bush and his Theory of the Unitary Executive? aka DICTATOR? Sure, FDR inherited the Great Depression but look how long it took us to recover from that. Frankly, until the government starting spending over 100% GDP in WW2. And he made some major mistakes.

And don't get me started on Andy Jackson, the "Father" of the Modern Democratic Party. Even though he was a fellow Tennessean, I can never forgive him for the Trail of Tears.

Frankly, the most Progressive "Democrat - like" Presidents we've had were Lincoln and Teddy - both Republicans. Although they managed to piss off the Republican base because they were too Progressive.

so, yes, Obama has been one of the BEST Democratic Presidents we have ever had. He wasn't perfect, but he is only HUMAN as is required. If we considered him a GOD, then this would no longer be a Democracy.

I'm sorry that to some people no President will be acceptable, because none will pass their litmus test.

But the job of the President is to try and represent EVERYONE, not just you.

[JaneyVee]

12. After decades of being a center right nation, Obama has solidified it as

A center left nation, and is very liberal on many issues.

[PowerToThePeople]

33. cough cough

wtf is this bs?

[Scuba]

39. WTF? What issues?

Banking?

Prosecuting war criminals?

Healthcare?

Social Security?

Taxes?

Sure, we've made some progress on some social issues, but are still taxing the poor and giving the money to the wealthiest.

[mountain grammy]

29. Very good!

[yourout]

6. You might want to bone up on your history.

Hell we have had better Republican Presidents than Obama.

Ike in particular.

[JaneyVee]

11. Go ahead, name some.

[jazzimov]

13. Historically, we have had some Progressive Republican

Presidents.

I think it's important that we be honest about our past.

But we have to look at what we have now.

OMG! AAAAAARGH!

We CAN'T let these idiots run our country!

Obama did away with that Unitary Executive bullsh!t. But we can't let these idiots control Congress, too. Which they do! And it wouldn't be a problem if Obama hadn't done away with that whole Unitary Executive thingy.

[Historic NY]

27. Historically...

Yes, Teddy Roosevelt - Republican
William Howard Taft - Republican
Woodrow Wlson - Democrat.

These three comprise the Progressive era of Presidents.

[bluestate10]

7. What amazes me is the retro God making of FDR.

The man accomplished a lot, as have other Democratic Presidents. But, in addition to subjecting American citizens of Japanese decent to inhuman treatment, FDR largely ignored the plight of Blacks and other minorities, was a serial womanizer who often used his power to get women, shied away from integrating the Armed Forces when that was clearly the most efficient action, made side agreements with Stalin as Stalin was brutalizing Jewish people, Poles, and other racial minorities in the Soviet Union. FDR had many warts that would repulse today's purists had they lived during his time with their current myopic view of the possible, but FDR also pushed a nation forward to greater greatness however imperfect.

[bhikkhu]

9. Keep in mind, he faced down a pseudo-fascist coup

...which was pretty impressive. But he also decided against prosecuting anyone involved, for the sake of keeping a stable government and economy.

http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/12/02/wall-streets-failed-1934-coup/

[yourout]

10. Looking back it was a colosal mistake not locking them up. Like a cancer only partly removed we....

are dealing with the tumor again today.

[mick063]

18. The best President ever does not surround himself with Goldman Sachs

Especially at this critical juncture.

[Scuba]

40. +1

[MjolnirTime]

28. You're damned right!

[1-Old-Man]

42. This is about the most absurd and repeated bits of nonsesne posted here lately.

Ever hear of FDR?

[LWolf]

14. No. And there never will be.

There will never be a perfect president of any party.

Why is Obama's record so important to you, one way or the other? I don't get the need to present him as a hero. He's a man. He's a politician, which automatically removes him from hero status.

All of your points about other presidents are valid. That doesn't excuse Obama's bad policies.

[El Supremo]

19. I agree with you but I think the OP's criticism of Truman is misplaced.

The A-bombing of Japan saved countless lives. I don't buy the Russian intervention BS.

However, Truman can be criticized by his taking over of the railroads and vetoing Taft-Hartley. But I say that Truman had to make more hard decisions than any other president. So he and FDR were the greatest (not perfect) Democratic presidents.

[LongTomH]

15. Point well made...and granted!

None of the presidents we admire were without blemish, and I'll grant that is putting it mildly!

[cherokeeprogressive]

16. There's never been a perfect person PERIOD. Presidents included. Democratic ones even.

Seriously?

[Spirochete]

20. Never

and I'm not gonna run, so don't hold your breaths, either...

[mountain grammy]

21. Historical perspectives are a good reminder to keep our feet on the ground

and stay focused on one day at a time and defeating Republicans in 2014.

[xfundy]

22. Ever'body knows

RAYGUN was the bestest, most purest, kiss'd by BabyJesus™ preznit EVAR.

Do I need a sarc tag?

[mountain grammy]

31. yeppers, thought I heard that somewhere..

he was purrrrrfect!

[forestpath]

24. No. But as someone who's been interested in politics since LBJ was president and who

has voted exclusively for Democrats since I became old enough to vote in 1972 I can't ever remember one who seemed to hold the people who voted for him in such contempt.

[markiv]

25. Nixon

- created the EPA

- took lead out of gas

- ended the vietnam war, (although took too long to do it)

- cooled the cold war

[ProSense]

30. You think Nixon was a "'perfect' Democratic President"?

Where am I?

[freshwest]

32. At LU? Where the other two parties are the same. Enough said.

[steve2470]

34. satire, eh ? nt

[Ian David]

26. President Andrew Shepherd. n/t

[steve2470]

35. President Obama is absolutely the best president we could have for these insane times

If the next Democratic president is a tad more to the left, we should count ourselves as lucky. I really like PBO and voted for/donated money to him for both elections.

Why do I say "insane times" ? Exhibit A is the fact that people who should know better, the House Republicans, have voted to defund the PPACA 40 times now. Never in my almost 55 years have I known of a Congress (or the electorate who elects these fools) been so insane. They played debt ceiling fiasco poker with PBO in 2011 and are talking seriously about shutting down the government again (as in 1994) over the PPCA.

It's a small wonder he's gotten good things done, but he has. I'm sincerely grateful to him for the good things he's gotten done, despite intense opposition.

[B Calm]

37. +1

[MFrohike]

36. No

That being said, some of them were effective in advancing the economic interests of a majority of the country. That far outweighs any other complaint against them. It's a pity that the ones since LBJ have shown a steady drift to the right which has undercut economic security. Without economic security and leisure time, it's quite hard to exercise any of the rights we believe are inherent to Americans and people generally.

[reformist2]

38. The time for praising presidents is during electiontime, and once they leave office. NOT NOW.

The only power the people have once a politician is in office is withholding their approval. The moment you give your approval, you give the president permission to coast.

[Sancho]

41. No person is perfect..but I'd disagree with some of your descriptions...

I remember our family building a bomb shelter in the back yard in the early 60's. Kennedy was facing a new and difficult world. My father (a major in the army and an MD) at the time thought that JFK was killed because of his eventual opposition to the domino theory and growing militarism. After Korea, there was a building resistance to Vietnam even in Kennedy's early days. Most folks were thinking about a great social upheaval in the 60's - so the Cuban crisis was just part of a lingering and scary potential for nuclear war. Women's rights, getting the vote for 18 year olds, segregation/busing, and drugs were on our minds as young folks! TV became political as the Smother's Brothers and similar shows were the original Daily Show/Colbert Report. Even variety shows like Ed Sullivan and Red Skelton and Jackie Gleason were taking shots at the establishment. JFK fit right in with a new vision (Peace Corps) and new music and new values.

LBJ was not a soldier, but he was an amazing politician when it came to passing progressive legislation. I think that LBJ was not equipped to deal with the military complex and international dynamics. On the domestic front, he was one of the best in the history of the US. He was originally a school teacher, and despite his arm twisting tactics, LBJ had a clear view of government social programming instead of the military as the place to spend your money.

Carter avoided starting any wars, and he was likely the most intelligent President ever. He was attacked by the "neocon" machine and lost a tricky election, but he was more progressive than almost any President in my lifetime. He stood up for principles, and was way ahead of the rest of the country on peace efforts, energy, environment, civil rights, technology, and human rights. I don't think Carter re-escalated the Cold War..he was caught in the crisis of the time. Most people liked Carter and thought he would win a re-election, but the Democrats were lazy and didn't get out to support him. Unfortunately, it led to the Bushes and rising Rove machine.

[JustAnotherGen]

43. Kick!