Poll: Obama tops list ranking best president in Americans' lifetime

[TomCADem]

Source: MSN/The Hill

More than 40 percent of Americans say that Barack Obama was the best or second-best president in their lifetime, according to a new poll from the Pew Research Center.

The poll asked people in an open-ended format which president has done the best job in their lifetimes, using respondents' first and second choices for the survey's findings.

Forty-four percent of Americans said Obama was either the best or the second-best president in their lifetime, with 33 percent saying the same for Bill Clinton. Thirty-two percent said Ronald Regan was the best or second-best president in their lifetime.

Meanwhile, 19 percent said the same for President Trump, who has been in office since 2017.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/poll-obama-tops-list-ranking-best-president-in-americans-lifetime/ar-AAzW3BA?li=BBnbfcL

[AlexSFCA]

1. they should wait until trump is out office before polling

by then he should barey break 10%

[sandensea]

2. "Meanwhile, 19 percent said the same for President Trump"

i.e. the deplorables.

[fierywoman]

5. I would bet serious money that 19% is his actual base.

[sandensea]

9. Absolutely.

The rest go along to get along, and because of relentless pressure from Faux News and hate radio.

[The_REAL_Ecumenist]

11. "effin' A"

[Politicub]

26. I agree

His base is shrinking, too.

[MaryMagdaline]

3. If only the 73% who voted for Obama and Clinton actually voted in real elections

[riversedge]

20. Spot on.

[summer_in_TX]

4. That'll upset the haters, won't it?

I was always baffled by the right wing Christians claiming Obama was a Muslim, since he exhibited every single "fruit of the Spirit" the Bible says to use to recognize those who follow him: kindness, gentleness, peace, patience, faithfulness, self-control, joy, love. The pictures with the kids were the ones that always got me the most. Sure miss him!

[SummerSnow]

6. Oh oh, here comes another overturn Obama policy.

[George II]

7. I'm 70 years old, lived under Truman (can't remember him!), Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson....

Last edited Thu Jul 12, 2018, 09:04 AM - Edit history (1)

....Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, bush II, Obama and now the dotard.

Until Barack Obama became President I thought that Clinton was the best of them all, then Obama - They're ONE/TWO hands down.

Rated?

Obama
Clinton
Johnson
Carter
Kennedy (too short in office)
Eisenhower
Nixon (except for the scandals and resignation)
Bush I
Reagan
Ford
Bush II
Truman only because I know nothing first hand about him

Edited, I left out Nixon and Ford!

[ALBliberal]

8. Love this list!

[calimary]

10. Well lookie there. The top five are all Democrats!

At least on your particular list, George. I feel roughly the same. But I might want to shoehorn FDR in there, too, considering the social safety net that’s his legacy.

Maybe he’d be two-and-a-half.

[George II]

12. Yes, no surprise Democrats are all at the top. FDR was before my time, though.

[calimary]

23. Before mine, also. But his New Deal gave protections to us citizens.

The CONS have hated the New Deal ever since it came about. And they've been hellbent on dismantling it throughout its existence. Why? Because THEY DON'T WANT TO HELP YOU!!! That's in my sig line, below, and this is why. THEY DON'T WANT TO HELP YOU. Or ANYBODY else among the vulnerable in America who needs help or a fair shake. And worse, they don't think they should have to! Mind you, many of these individuals also loudly claim to be followers of Christ. But their behavior betrays them - that they have totally and WILLFULLY ignored the quotes from Matthew 25: 35-45 about how you treat those the Gospel of Matthew quotes Christ as calling "the least of My brethren" - ie: the most vulnerable among us.

A number of social assistance programs that exist in the United States today trace their legacy to the New Deal era, including old age pensions, unemployment insurance, farm subsidies, subsidized public housing, support for the disabled, or support for children in the poorest families. They are designed to subsidize the needs of the general population with various eligibility requirements. The Social Security system remains the largest and most prominent social aid program originally established by New Deal legislation. Similarly, measures protecting labor that are today a taken-for-granted aspect of American life are a result of the New Deal. While such developments as a ban on child labor, maximum working hours, and minimum wages had been discussed or even introduced to a limited extent on a state level during the Progressive Era, it was the New Deal legislation that included them in federal legislation.


https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-ushistory/chapter/conclusion-the-legacy-of-the-new-deal/

[Snellius]

14. Also 70 with another take

How to measure "greatness"?
I'm also 70 and a former historian (though not U.S.), who usually measure "greatest" not so much on excellence or eminence but on how much a leader changes things. For better or for worse. On that scale I would put Johnson high on that scale and even Nixon, who otherwise doesn't even make the list. If rated by personal qualities Kennedy's charisma was hard to appreciate for anyone who didn't live or grow up in those "Camelot" years. In my experience, his catastrophic death changed everything more suddenly and dramatically than any other single event. As a great figure in world history, not just as president, have to put Eisenhower first.

[George II]

21. I look at them overall. Johnson was very effective at getting legislation passed, but....

....he also had huge Democratic majorities in both houses (68-32 and 295-140 in the 88th Congress of 1965-1967 )

Unfortunately he got too obsessed with the Vietnam War, which consumed his "foreign policy".

Looking back at history, Nixon was a pretty decent president but his last two years were virtually wasted because of the scandals.

[Snellius]

22. Wow! Majorities of 68-32 and 295-140 in the 88th Congress

Two to one. Even with all the blue dogs, pretty impressive. Kennedy could be thanked for that. Johnson was the master power broker. But in foreign affairs, yes, he was an idiot with too much power and hubris for his own good. For Obama, in some respects, one of the most wonderful presidents who ever lived, but in other respects it was tragic how little he was able to accomplish and how much of what he did is being undone. For now. He remains a great inspiration of a truly great America.

[tavernier]

15. Hey George!

71 here, but I go for younger men.

I agree but I might put Ike a bit higher.

Also, if you ever get a chance to go to Key West, the Truman Little Whitehouse is a very amazing tour. If I ever felt someone’s invisible presence next to me, it was during visits to this historical place.

And when you’re done stop in Key Largo and we can toast our finely aged selves with wine and cheese.

[FakeNoose]

17. Yes - you've nailed this

Other than Truman I remember each of these Presidents just like you do. And I agree with your list exactly.

Good job, George!

[BumRushDaShow]

13. Good.

It's hard because we are floating on the last ripples of Obama's wake and still experience the negativity that continues to spew from some "progressives" who refuse to reject the RW anti-Obama propaganda. But once time moves on, I would hope the percentages of this ranking will be even higher.

Here is the graphic from the poll -



http://www.people-press.org/2018/07/11/obama-tops-publics-list-of-best-president-in-their-lifetime-followed-by-clinton-reagan/

[Vinca]

16. I know he was the only POTUS I really loved. In the end, I think LBJ accomplished more,

but he was sorely lacking in the personality department. Obama's accomplishments are nothing to sneeze at and Trump can never take away the remarkable recovery from the 2008 financial nightmare.

[FakeNoose]

18. LBJ did a lot of good things

...but he's also saddled with the Vietnam legacy. He could have ended it early, instead he escalated it into a nightmare. I believe that if JFK had survived Dallas he would have gotten us out of Vietnam before 1965.

[riversedge]

19. ha ha. #Cruel #Trump only got 19%!!

[NHDEMFORLIFE]

24. LBJ's fatal flaw

Few people in American history had better political instincts than LBJ. His tragic problem was that he was afraid to follow those instincts with Vietnam. He knew what Vietnam would do to his presidency and to the country but was paranoid about looking weak.

[Politicub]

25. Absolutely and unequivocally the best president of this Gen-Xer's lifetime

There isn't a question. Obama will be remembered as one of the greats. It drives Trump insane.

[zipplewrath]

27. What was the median age?

If you're under 40 you probably only remember 5 or 6, and 4 of those are GOP. I mean, who's gonna list either Bush on that list?