The Nation: The Worst President Ever

[marmar]

The Worst President Ever
Nicholas von Hoffman


Editor's Note: Who is the worst US President ever? Cast your ballot in the Nation Poll.

A question that seems to be on everybody's mind these days turns out to be: Is George Bush the worst President in American history?

But how do you judge? Is he the most morally disgusting? The worst mangler of the English language? Ever since the atom bomb was dropped, we've had a whole string of bozos who cannot pronounce the word "nuclear." How much should that count against them?

Is John Tyler, our tenth President, a candidate for worst President? Some people who have never heard of this guy have heard of the campaign slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too." Well, Tippecanoe (William Henry Harrison) lasted about a month in office before he died of a cold contracted while making his inaugural address, and the rest is non-history. Tyler is best remembered, if he is remembered at all, as the President whose entire Cabinet, save one, quit on him. Please do not confuse him with Zachary Taylor, the twelfth President, easily Tyler's equal in forgettability.

Is the most forgettable also the worst? Men like Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and Benjamin Harrison (Tippecanoe's grandson) were more politically brain-dead than really bad. But not so with James Buchanan, No. 15, who was President from 1857 to 1861. Aside from being a dull, unimaginative, dray horse of a politician, he was the President whose cowardice in handling the South and slavery ended the remotest possibility that the United States would be spared the horrors of the Civil War.

The consequences of Buchanan's political poltroonery were long-lasting and dire, as contrasted with those of Warren Harding. Harding (No. 29) has won many Worst President contests because he had three or four truly stinky crooks in his administration to go along with an otherwise outstanding Cabinet. He was a slob with a drinking problem, and he was also afflicted with Bill Clinton's zipper disease. Since booze was illegal when he was President (1921-23), getting smashed in the White House made him a not-so-great role model--not that much of the country was paying attention since all the other adults in America were doing the same thing at the local speakeasy. ......(more)

The rest of the piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070226/howl

[Gabi Hayes]

1. Only one question....why the question mark in the title?

if ever there were a more self-evident statement, I can't think of one.

[tblue]

3. I was gonna say the same thing. Why the '?' ???

[marmar]

4. Edited. The Nation didn't even include a question mark in the story I posted.

And you're right. It's pretty self-evident. :think:

[baldguy]

2. Was there any doubt?

James Buchanan (128) 4%

Warren G. Harding (48) 1%

Herbert Hoover (82) 2%

Richard Nixon (60) 1%

George W. Bush (2832) 89%

[Swamp Rat]

5. George W. Bush: 89% people think Bushler is the worst president ever.

George W. Bush: Misled the nation into a disastrous war, fumbled a horrific national disaster, authorized secret wiretaps on civilians, and pissed off the rest of the world.
(2823) 89%

James Buchanan: His contempt for abolitionists and refusal to deal with the slavery issue made the Civil War inevitable.
(127) 4%

Warren G. Harding: Looked the other way while his buddies went on a looting rampage of government coffers. He even lost the White House china to corrupt cronies in a poker game.
(48) 1%


Herbert Hoover: Believed federal relief led to corruption, and therefore refused to provide any aid at all when the Great Depression drove millions into poverty and starvation.
(82) 2%


Richard Nixon: Expanded Vietnam War into Cambodia, taped journalists’ and politicians’ phone conversations, sabotaged opponents and didn’t pay his taxes.
(60) 1%

[Bakunin]

7. Well, to be historically fair

I would think a Civil War that left half a million dead Americans, more than half the country and territories scorched and a worldwide depression as a result shoud get more than four percent. Just sayin'.

[Swamp Rat]

8. Ok, I'll keep that in mind for the next poll.

:D

[Demeter]

13. But Bush Isn't Finished Yet! He's Still Got 2 Years

Unless Congress gets off its compromise and does something impolite.

[sweetladybug]

9. Bush is winning by 89%

Who is the Worst US President Ever?
James Buchanan: His contempt for abolitionists and refusal to deal with the slavery issue made the Civil War inevitable.
(132) 4%


Warren G. Harding: Looked the other way while his buddies went on a looting rampage of government coffers. He even lost the White House china to corrupt cronies in a poker game.
(48) 1%


Herbert Hoover: Believed federal relief led to corruption, and therefore refused to provide any aid at all when the Great Depression drove millions into poverty and starvation.
(82) 2%


Richard Nixon: Expanded Vietnam War into Cambodia, taped journalists’ and politicians’ phone conversations, sabotaged opponents and didn’t pay his taxes.
(60) 1%


George W. Bush: Misled the nation into a disastrous war, fumbled a horrific national disaster, authorized secret wiretaps on civilians, and pissed off the rest of the world.
(2886) 89%

[Swamp Rat]

12. Cuz he's a cow...boy... baybeee...

[marmar]

6. I just voted.....Bush in an 89 percent runaway.

:yoiks:

[beyurslf]

11. He's at 90% now.

[illinoisprogressive]

10. I read alot of history and Bush is the worst. His tally is much higher than others.

He scores higher in all catagories. He started an illegal war and committed war crimes and broke with the geneva convention. Granted these are relatively new laws but, laws all the same.
He has divided the country to it's worse since pre civil war
He is simply incompetent and simple minded
He really has zero policy except to dismantle the new deal
He has given over alot of his powers to his vice president.
He has stacked the government with incompetent cronies who have made a career of robbing the treasury
He has left government jobs to non bid contractor who are robbing us.
He has tried to start a new robber barron era
He has not protected and upheld the constitution - which is the heart of his oath of office.

[marmar]

15. Agreed. All things considered, he wins the booby prize.

:nopity:

[cureautismnow]

14. 90% Now!

America (or at least a couple thousand or so of them) wakes up! :woohoo:

[bdamomma]

16. 90% now they should strip the title of president away from him

and call him dictator or this may be more appropriate WAR CRIMINAL.

[Cabcere]

17. I resent The Nation casting asparagus on

John Tyler...but that's probably because he was a graduate of my college, and a bust of him is featured in this really cool "echo garden" on campus, which makes him awesome by association. Or something. :crazy:

I think this cartoon (from "Married to the Sea") sums it up pretty well. To be read with a heavy dose of irony:

[texpatriot2004]

18. Worst pResident EVER! nm