Best/Worst Presidents

[Direckshun]

I've been watching the History Channel a lot this week on their special highlighting all 47 Presidents we've had. It calls itself the "ultimate guide" to the Presidents, but it's mostly a great primer on all the Presidents.

Anyway, it's been a while since we've done this.

But who are the best 5 Presidents in American history in your opinion, and who were 5 of the worst? Do your best to explain.

Also, where would you place our most recent Presidents (because why not): Obama, Bush II, Clinton, Bush I, Reagan, Carter

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

Wow, I'm not a fan of Bush and Obama. How in the world would these guys break the bottom 5?

is this a serious question?

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

CoMoChief hasn't read a history book.

You live in Obama dreamworld.

Doesn't surprise me you'd post something as stupid as this.

[CoMoChief]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Top 5

William Henry Harrison
James Garfield
Obama
Ford
Zach Taylor

JFC

[Direckshun]

I think a case could be made for Bush being in the bottom five. Not a very good one -- we've had some atrocious Presidents -- but he's comfortably in my bottom 10, and it wouldn't take that much imagination to conceive of him as among the very worst.

When you factor in the Great Recession, which came very close to being a Great Depression, and two unwinnable wars we were embroiled in, once of which was in the historical Empire-killer of Afghanistan, the other was based on a false security threat, I think history will be very unkind to Bush II.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

is this a serious question?

Yes. You have a president in Harding who was mired in scandal. You have a president impeached because he arrogantly messed up a critical post civil war reconstruction effort and became completely powerless. You have three presidents in Fillmore, Buchanan, and pierce whose incompetence encouraged the slave trade and set the stage for the civil war. Hell, wh Harrison only lived 9 days into his presidency. But by all means, let's compare a few fiscal policy decisions to slavery and a war that pitted Americans against each other.

[Dayze]

Worst: Basically every one of them after Truman.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by Direckshun

I think a case could be made for Bush being in the bottom five. Not a very good one -- we've had some atrocious Presidents -- but he's comfortably in my bottom 10, and it wouldn't take that much imagination to conceive of him as among the very worst.

When you factor in the Great Recession, which came very close to being a Great Depression, and two unwinnable wars we were embroiled in, once of which was in the historical Empire-killer of Afghanistan, the other was based on a false security threat, I think history will be very unkind to Bush II.

He is nowhere near the bottom 5. The mortgage crisis and middle east instability were brewing long before he went into office, and history will look very kindly at the way he handled 9/11. His cowboy attitude was actually just what the country needed at the time. I agree that he was not a good president. But you have to consider the competition for the bottom. But Harding, Buchanan, grant, Andrew Johnson, Fillmore, Buchanan, pierce, wh Harrison, Tyler, And Coolidge were more inept, and Nixon belongs on that list too even though he did a solid job outside of the scandal.

[Direckshun]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

He is nowhere near the bottom 5. The mortgage crisis and middle east instability were brewing long before he went into office, and history will look very kindly at the way he handled 9/11. His cowboy attitude was actually just what the country needed at the time. I agree that he was not a good president. But you have to consider the competition for the bottom. But Harding, Buchanan, grant, Andrew Johnson, Fillmore, Buchanan, pierce, wh Harrison, Tyler, And Coolidge were more inept, and Nixon belongs on that list too even though he did a solid job outside of the scandal.

Bush doesn't belong on my top five, I'm just saying I'd understand.

The mortgage crisis brewed for a decade under his watch, and while I'd agree most Presidents would have plunged us into Afghanistan, very few (if any) would have chose to go into Iraq.

[Predarat]

I will rank the Presidents in my lifetime:

Reagan
Clinton

Bush1
Ford
Obama (TBT)
Nixon

Carter
Dubya

[cosmo20002]

Originally Posted by chiefzilla1501

He is nowhere near the bottom 5. The mortgage crisis and middle east instability were brewing long before he went into office, and history will look very kindly at the way he handled 9/11. His cowboy attitude was actually just what the country needed at the time. I agree that he was not a good president. But you have to consider the competition for the bottom. But Harding, Buchanan, grant, Andrew Johnson, Fillmore, Buchanan, pierce, wh Harrison, Tyler, And Coolidge were more inept, and Nixon belongs on that list too even though he did a solid job outside of the scandal.

The way he "handled" it was to go half-assed into Aghanistan and 3/4-assed into Iraq based on assurances they were an imminent threat due to WMDs, which they were not. Add in an economy that tanked and was the worst in 70+ years and a whole bunch of other BS, he's solidly in the bottom 5.

[LiveSteam]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

The way he "handled" it was to go half-assed into Aghanistan and 3/4-assed into Iraq based on assurances they were an imminent threat due to WMDs, which they were not. Add in an economy that tanked and was the worst in 70+ years and a whole bunch of other BS, he's solidly in the bottom 5.

I rank you so low. That you need to wear a sign that says,please dnt spit,I cant swim.

[Garcia Bronco]

Best

Washington
Jefferson
Jackson
Lincoln
Arther

Worst

Lincoln
Madison
Grant
Hoover/Harding/Cooliage
Carter

Absolute worst President ever is US Grant.

[Garcia Bronco]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Top 5

William Henry Harrison
James Garfield
Obama
Ford
Zach Taylor

This is obviously a TIC list.

Garfield...lol

[lcarus]

Ron Paul is the best President that never was.

[chiefzilla1501]

Originally Posted by cosmo20002

The way he "handled" it was to go half-assed into Aghanistan and 3/4-assed into Iraq based on assurances they were an imminent threat due to WMDs, which they were not. Add in an economy that tanked and was the worst in 70+ years and a whole bunch of other BS, he's solidly in the bottom 5.

Don't preach to me. I'm not a fan of Bush. But it shows what kind of overreactionary people we can have on here if people think Bush or Obama are anywhere near the bottom 5.

Again... Warren Harding did nothing and led one of the most corrupt administrations in office. You have 3 Presidents who expanded slave trade in the United States and built up to the Civil War. And you have a 5th President who was impeached and rendered completely powerless as he completely botched up a massive reconstruction effort.

It's comical when people try to compare today's problems with the massive problems of the past. Regardless of your view of the Middle East, we had a period of time where we had politicians encouraging the trading and slavery of men. And that period led to infighting that had Americans killing other Americans. We've gone through a recession, while other periods have gone through depressions and, post civil war, went through a period of cleaning up after mass devastation.

But by all means... wmd and the war in afghanistan and a recession... those are the most turbulent times in American history.