Who are the best and worst presidents of all time?

[TidWell]

Who do you consider the best and worst presidents of all time?

 

[James Bomb]

Best: Lincoln, honorable mention to FDR
Worst: Harding, although Trump is coming hard for the crown.

 

[Revolver]

Best: Goatbama
Worst: GWB

 

[zebby23]

Best - Obama
Worst - Trump or Bannon

 

[HomerThompson]

Best: Goatbama
Worst: GWB

 

[HomerThompson]

Best: Lincoln, honorable mention to FDR
Worst: Harding, although Trump is coming hard for the crown.

Yeah, depending on how it goes, his corruption could surpass even the excesses of the roaring 20's. Pretty sad, if you think about it.

 

[Phr3121]

We had this question raised a few weeks ago.

George Washington. Fighting the British on 'a wing and a prayer', and beating them. Helping to maintain a young and weak United States. A brilliant General. Probably one of the toughest in U.S. Army history. Loved by his soldiers. Honor beyond reproach.

 

[Fugazy]

Donald J. Trump...












And Donald J. Trump.

 

[bushman505]

I’ll give you the top 5.

-trump
-trump
-trump
-trump
-trump

 

[zebby23]

I’ll give you the top 5.

-trump
-trump
-trump
-trump
-trump

A 1 term president under perpetual investigation could never be the best

 

[Trotsky]

Best:
1. Franklin D. Roosevelt
2. Abraham Lincoln
3. Theodore Roosevelt
4. James Monroe
5. Harry Truman
6. Dwight Eisenhower
7. George Washington
8. Thomas Jefferson
9. Lyndon B. Johnson
10. Barack Obama

Worst:
41. Warren Harding
42. George W. Bush
43. Donald Trump
44. Andrew Johnson
45. Reagan

 

[Trotsky]

We had this question raised a few weeks ago.

George Washington. Fighting the British on 'a wing and a prayer', and beating them. Helping to maintain a young and weak United States. A brilliant General. Probably one of the toughest in U.S. Army history. Loved by his soldiers. Honor beyond reproach.

The problem is that none of that has to do with his performance as president. Crucially, people who say Washington is the greatest never actually point to his policies, and instead rely on his pre-presidency personal history.

By those standards, Ulysses Grant should be one of the GOATs.

 

[Seano]

Reagan.

Probably the high point of patriotism and this country and a dramatic economic turnaround. Charismatic man who I liked to hear speak.

 

[The Diplomat]

The problem is that none of that has to do with his performance as president. Crucially, people who say Washington is the greatest never actually point to his policies, and instead rely on his pre-presidency personal history.

By those standards, Ulysses Grant should be one of the GOATs.

Washington's domestic and economic policies were mostly divisive due to Jefferson and Hamilton fighting over what would be the best system. Hamilton wanted bigger banks, tariffs and an economic system built on debt for future insurance - Jefferson wanted to eradicate any debt right off the bat, and was more in line with a populist position.

But Washington's transfer of power set a standard that has remained unchanged, except for FDR's colossal 4 terms. He could have ran for as many terms as he wanted, but he stuck with two.
He also chose the much more modest title of "Mr. President", as opposed to John Adam's suggestion of "His Highness" or "His Excellency". Washington was the one who set the standard, the philosophy that the American President is not a King, and should not be addressed as one.

 

[LMP]

Best: I can narrow it down to one.

Washington
Lincoln
FDR

Worst:


Reagan

He did so much harm to the American people. His economics was aimed at helping the rich. People to this day still claim giving more money to the rich helps the working class. That's such bullshit. Deregulation of the banks killed so many small farms.

 

[Sketch]

Worst: Obama
Best: Raegan

 

[bushman505]

A 1 term president under perpetual investigation could never be the best

You’re opinion doesn’t matter though. Mine does.

 

[MicroBrew]

I would not rate any president as best or worst because biographies, reporting and media scrutiny has never been remotely comparable, so no comparison can possibly be apples-to-apples.

People have this tendency to romanticize the past, so I wouldn't put Washington among the best. Leaders back then just never faced a fraction of the scrutiny and reporting on their lives any president since the 20th century has had to contend with.

 

[Trotsky]

I would not rate any president as best or worst because biographies, reporting and media scrutiny has never been remotely comparable, so no comparison can possibly be apples-to-apples.

People have this tendency to romanticize the past, so I wouldn't put Washington among the best. Leaders back then just never faced a fraction of the scrutiny and reporting on their lives any president since the 20th century has had to contend with.

I don't think anyone is considering personal lives all their heavily in their evaluations, though. No one is going to knock down Clinton, LBJ, or JFK many slots because they were philanderers.

 

[zebby23]

You’re opinion doesn’t matter though. Mine does.

Oh ya. Thanks for clearing that up lol