Who was the BEST president in American history?

[Deja Q]

Please say why.

[Zero Gravitas]

1. JFK

Why? becasue the other three suck and George W. Bush is the Worst. President. Ever.

[Fixated]

2. ......

Um.....FDR

[CMT]

3. those are the only choices?

the best president in US history wouldn't be any of those four imo. I would say FDR or Lincoln.

[7th_Sephiroth]

Lincon

or clinton

[7th_Sephiroth]

9. if george the first

got his 4 more years, even with clinton for the other 4, we'd be so broke we'd be selling states to pay off our debt

[mikehiggins]

4. Harry S Truman

You can look it up in the history books.

[corarose]

5. Excuse me but where is Clinton?

:kick:

[Deja Q]

11. 3 words and 2 sentences say why NOT:

NAFTA
DMCA
DOMA

Firing of Jocelyn Elders at the behest of the repukes because she used her brain and her mouth.

Welfare 'reform' (why not end poverty instead?)

Especially 1, 2, and 4. :grr: :mad: Though his support of #3 irked me too.

[el_gato]

23. right on hypno

[corarose]

6. Why 3 repukes?

:kick:

[Deja Q]

13. Answer to that AND why I didn't add "other"

Why 3 repukes? Because I didn't want anyone else to get a vote, and Kennedy is the best modern Democratic president IMHO. I should have included Carter though...

Why not other? I forgot. But I'm sure Clinton will be added in 50 responses. (and while he did some good things, the bad things he supported are enough to turn me head away from him. Especially given the sheer abuse of them done by corporations today (NAFTA and DMCA).)

[1monster]

7. Where's the OTHER THAN THE ABOVE catagory?

We've had forty-six Presidents and one pResident in the 227 years of this country, and you can come with those few names?

[Dookus]

8. None of the above....

probably, in order:

Washington (because he defined the Presidency)
Lincoln (saved the Union with great humanity)
FDR (led the country through its worst times since the civil war)

[Deja Q]

14. Did Washington have slaves? (it's bait'n'switch time)

I'm ignorant, not cynical.

He defined the Presidency. Yes.

If he had slaves and did nothing to consider them MEN as "all men are created equal", then I've got a problem - albeit a small one. He still stood up to the repressiveness and greed of the country he helped break away from. I can't ignore that and be utterly cynical or spiteful.

[Dookus]

24. yes...

he had slaves. His will stipulated that they be freed upon his wife's death.

Jefferson also had slaves, as did other founding fathers. It's a shameful part of our history, but I don't think we can judge their entire lives as being failures because they owned slaves during a time when society found it acceptable.

Even Lincoln wasn't an abolitionist before the war.

FDR didn't end segregation.

I think it's always problematic to judge historical figures by today's standards. Very few people in history would be judged positively by 21st Century America's standards.

I think people forget that Washington didn't have a handbook for how to be President. There WAS no such thing prior to him. No democracy had ever elected a civilian leader before. He turned down the honorific "Your highness" in favor of "Mr. President". He earlier had rejected the notion that he be king. He left after two terms, establishing that we don't elect a "President-for-life".

He also presided over some of the most contentious issues in the young democracy, arbitrating between some very powerful, contrary forces (Jefferson vs. Hamilton, e.g.)

He pretty much established the structure of the executive branch that still exists to this day. You can't underestimate how difficult that must've been in the absence of any precedent.

[Richardo]

27. Well said Dookus - especially the part about historical context...

...that makes all the difference. Given the context of the times and morals they lived in, these men were more progressive than most.

[Hubert Flottz]

10. Jimmy Carter!

Dumbya is the worst!

[grannylib]

25. I agree...most underrated Pres we ever had...very decent man

[CanuckAmok]

12. that's like asking favourite medical condition:

1) healthy and happy

2) Gout

3) Really painful rectal itch

4) Smallpox

[Deja Q]

16. Precisely!!!

:D :party: :toast:

Obviously, do't you prefer #1 to the others? :evilgrin:

[phillybri]

15. Excuse me....where's FDR???

:wtf:

[ikojo]

26. EXACTLY....where is FDR?

HE's my favorite president even if he lifted most of the New Deal ideas from socialists. At least he had the guts to do so, Clinton never would have done such a thing that's for sure. It isn't politically expedient to put the interests of the unemployed and working class before those of the ruling class.

[Don_G]

17. No FDR?

:shrug:

[NightTrain]

18. What about Lincoln? FDR?

n/t

[Faygo Kid]

19. You're right - STUPID THREAD

Got to call 'em as we see 'em. I'm terribly sorry, but to limit your choices like this is ridiculous. I don't care if I am older than most DUers, this is absurd. (And, I wasn't around during the Civil War, sorry. Lincoln first, FDR second, Washington third).

[Screaming Lord Byron]

20. If you'd have included FDR he would have won by a mile.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

21. I think Al Gore's doing a swell job.

Keeping his head down, quietly working away.

[geniph]

22. Teddy Roosevelt

I happen to be a big fan of laws regulating robber barons, and monopolies, and I'm also a big fan of the National Park Service.

I think Teddy's greatly underrated by a lot of people, who don't see past the surface bluster. Read some good biographies of the man - he was amazing.

[Dookus]

30. Agreed...

Teddy's be in the top 5 of my list.

[ikojo]

28. C'mon fess up...who voted for REAGAN and BUSH?

You should be ASHAMED!

[BuckeFushe]

29. You left out my choice, and for that I am sadly disappointed

[FarLefty]

32. Clinton

Me Too!! Should have given more choices on poll.

[Sean Reynolds]

31. I'll write in FDR

[SiobhanClancy]

34. Exactly...FDR..eom

[VOX]

42. FDR hands down.

:toast:

[slackdude]

43. Hyde Park, NY native for FDR

Hell yeah! He's my hometown boy.

[hlthe2b]

33. Peraps you could make this "best" from RECENT History..

While my knowledge of history isn't great, too, I do think that there are worthy nominees from the points earlier in time. (Jefferson? Washington? certainly Lincoln, FDR... others....

[mitchum]

35. Mr Jefferson

[mitchum]

36. Who the hell posted this...Arthur Schlesinger?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

37. FDR

He pulled us out of the Depression, passed the New Deal, and won World War II.

Plus he was a dog lover.

[LSdemocrat]

38. FDR

It isn't even close. First he saved the economy (and our democracy) during the Great Depression, then he saved the free world during World War II.

A distant second would be Lincoln.

[Meshuga]

41. FDR and Lincoln - two top guys! n/t

[bleedingheart]

39. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

[guitar man]

40. FDR

1. FDR
2. Harry Truman
3. Abe Lincoln
4. Teddy Roosevelt
5. JFK