Who was the greatest U.S. president ever

FDR?

JFK?

Wilson?

Lincoln?

Washington?

Jefferson?

Clinton?

No President has had to deal with the kind of crises Lincoln did. Even WW2 was not the kind of nation-shattering experience that slavery and the Civil War was.

Jefferson really defines what true conservatism is. None of this bullshit that the GOP preaches today.

Both were exactly right for the times they lived in. I give the edge to Washington, though, because he INVENTED the Presidency. It could've been very very different than what it is today, but thanks to his aversion to aristrocratic trappings, it became what it is today. As I pointed out in another thread a few days ago, Washington had NOTHING to guide him - just his own sense of right-and-wrong and his inherent dignity.

Lincoln is a close second because of the burdens he faced, both professionally and personally, and he did so with great humanity.

Both of these men presided over the toughest times in our history and it's hard to think of a politician living today who could have done so with such grace.

:freak:

C'mon guys.... speak up!

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It's a tie. They are greatest. Different times,different req's.

FDR.

Any questions?

followed by Lincoln.

FDR second
Jefferson third - great ideals, but hypocrisy on slavery...

Why is Wilson on the list?

n/t

The whole WWI thing is a very large negative. The Versailles Treaty led directly to WWII.

Try the book "Paris 1919". The author argues (convincingly) that it was the political generation actually in power in the 1930s that were responsible for the Second World War, not Versialles and the generation of 1914-1920.

I think both did wonders to hold the country together when it was right on the brink.
They were both GREAT Presidents.
As far as GREAT men who were Presidents, I would say George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, John Kennedy, and Jimmy Carter.

eom

I think Jefferson and Lincoln in a dead heat as far as previous era goes, and I really think Clinton was a great president. Its a shame for the personal mistakes he made.

Why Jefferson? he was so far ahead of his time in many ways, he played a major role in our Constitution.

Lincoln...what can one say he should be canonized.

but the greatest presidents were those who were challenged by extraordinary circumstances. Washington, Lincoln and FDR faced challenges far greater than most other presidents.

Even the best presidents who rule over peace and prosperity never get a chance to show true greatness.

to heck he hadn't sh*t on the office. I voted for the guy both times, and am still pissed as hell at him for his shenanigans. What a disappointment.

Clinton was not the first POTUS to have had an affair. It was the first one I can recall in my life that a big effin deal was made of it. There is even a book on this subject.

Even Thomas Jefferson was acknowledged to have a relationship with his slave Sally Hemings, and sired children with her -- while he was still married.

Let's see JFK, Harding, FDR, had their dalliances, and the list goes on.

was carrying on a gay relationship with Franklin Pierce's vice president.

The book is called Presidential Sex, I believe. There's an entry for almost every president.

He was a fantastic president: brilliant and principled.

FDR? I am newly appalled every time I read anything about FDR's administration. He's a candidate for my worst president ever list.

As I stated earlier, he had the ideals, but lacked the implementation, at least in that very important area.

I wonder if he loved Sally. I don't know, but I'd like to think so.

Possibly one of the worst ever... Not as bad as GWB though...

Presidents Hoover, Landon, Willkie, and Dewey would rank higher on your list, I suppose?

FDR gets a few more points because he was in office so long and thus had more opportunity to make an impact.

FDR's second.

jk

jk

My choice is FDR.

No one had to take on such a hostile Congress and media. He and his family were assaulted 24/7 for 8 years and still managed to lead the longest and most profound economic boom in history. Sorry, he overcame the most and accomplished the most.

and Jefferson are the two outstanding men we have had lead this country. Jefferson for his ability to foresee and predict and for his bold, leadership, and Lincoln for his ability or rather his insistence, to hold the nation together, in spite of the devastation and the agony of civil war. Lincoln first and then Jefferson, who actually never saw his presidency as his most proud accomplishment--on his tombstone, for which he himself wrote his epitaph, he omits to mention his presidency. What he was most proud of is his foundership of the University of Virginia, his authorship of the Declaration of Independence and his statute of religious freedom for the state of Virginia, which he loved so much.

No speechwriters, then, and yet some of the greatest prose in the English language. DUers, read his speeches, then check out Chimpy's written for him (actually, no one else came close to Lincoln). The Big Three: Lincoln, FDR, Washington. The historians are right. The bottom three: GHWB, Nixon, and George W. - by a landslide, which he of course did not get. Bless you, Abe!

at the second inaugaration is truly amazing.

between Lincoln and FDR with a slight nod toward Lincoln.

I'd say JFK for saving us from nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Followed by FDR, Jefferson, Lincoln(His election caused the civil war and his handling of it for the first two years was less than perfect), Truman, Eisenhower, Jackson, and fill in the blanks however you will.

think about the major popular revolutions...most were wrecked when a dictator rose to power.

In terms of accomplishments, I personally like the FDR administration, so I am partial to FDR without knowing how much progress was his and how much should be attributed elsewhere.

He's #1 in my book...

For all the sweeping changes to the U.S. infrastructure he brought about in response to the challenges of the Great Depression, and for guiding us through most of WWII.

Sure most people can define a best president, but the politics and the presidency were much different in the 19th century than they are today. For this reason I'd say pre-20th century the best is tied between Lincoln and Washington. 20th Century Clinton and FDR tie.

John Q Adams, maybe.

Although, a slave owner......

He gave us the immortal words "The Buck Stops Here."

He made some of the toughest decisions a leader of this nation has ever been forced to make.

And, one of my favorite quotes of his... just before making the "Little Boy" decision:

"Why can't men accomplish in peace, what we have accomplished in war?"

I agree, Harry. I agree.

1. Harry Truman
2. Franklin Delano Roosevelet
3. Abraham Lincoln
4. Woodrow Wilson
5. Thomas Jefferson

Are you peeking over my shoulder....?

:D

n/t

Clinton, no question.

Washington. For making the Constitution work.

Lincoln. Same reason basically, but preseving the Union specifically.

FDR. Same reason again considering the desire to emulate the governments of Germany and Italy in the mid 1930's, but also the incredible things he did to advance the country on so many fronts.

The rest have been adequate. Some more so than others.

I like to ask Reich wingers to name the last three presidents who destroyed the United States.

The ability of that guy as a speaker was incredible! I don't know why so many imitate JFK and ignore FDR--both good speaking styles, but FDR's is the one my taste leans towards.

comes across as more aristocratic, while Kennedy's seems to have a little more of the common touch.

I don't know; it is entirely possible that I am talking out of my ass.

He really accomplished a lot, in spite of the Repukes spending every second of his eight years in office (gee, a President who was actually elected!) trying to take him down.

n/t

1st Tier: FDR-Lincoln-Washington

2d Tier: TR, Wilson, Truman (I'd add Jackson but his AWFUL Indian policy is just too big a black mark in my book)

If for no other reason than setting the precedent of a limited term president.

he had the opportunity to mold the office into pretty much anything he wanted to. We're lucky he was the man he was.

I believe Lincoln is far overrated. I believe he mismanaged the secession crisis and contributed to our worst ever war.

I actually really laughed out loud when I saw Clinton's name at the end of the list. In my opinion he doesn't belong anywhere near the greatest of American presidents. He's no FDR.

is generally laid at the feet of James Buchanan.

I think Lincoln has been given more credit than he deserves at times (particularly on the slavery issue), but he's still one of the great presidents IMO.

I wouldn't list Buchanon anywhere near the top presidents either.

However, I believe there was much that Lincoln could have done during the secession crisis , including his campaign and four month president-elect reiod that he didn't do.

Running a purely regional campaign and choosing a northern VP was not the norm for presidential candidates.

Ignoring the Crittenden Committee was a terrible blunder.

Calling for troops to invade the south from the border states was pretty much the last straw. Unnecessarily inflamatory, and disastrous in its results fr his own side.

I think Lincoln is horribly overrated, but hey we all have opinions.

2 reasons.
1) he isnt remembered for much, so he was probably pretty effective
2) he has a funny name

Greatest president ever and my middle name too.

His presidency was short and sweet.

Served for a month and then dropped dead; that's my kinda President!

Garfield!

on edit: You are right, William Harrison served the shortest term, dying from pneumonia only a month after being inaugurated...

The man was incredible. He is my fucking hero.

having to take into consideration what was happening in the world and country, they were the best. the right people for the times. though i believe they may have been good presidents without those problems they faced also, though it wouldn't have been evident to us how great they are. i think whoever is president right now may have had the chance to join this group, but gwbush is THE WORST pRESIDENT EVER. first off he wasn't even elected but even taking that out, he is horrible.

http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/minute/President_For_A_Day.htm

"The honestest administration this country ever had." Sure, he wasn't technically president, and even if he was he only served for one day. But come on! We're talking leadership here!

To be president for a day.

TR and JFK tie for second place as the greatest.

When people ask me if I consider the Wankerbushboy as the worst president ever, I can honestly say no. This is due to the fact that the little terd bush wanker was not elected, but selected to the office in the first place!

Please understand that I'm NOT criticizing his phenomenal genius as a political writer and philosopher nor his astounding gifts as a polymath. In fact I use one of his most stirring phrases, culled from a lifetime of stirring phrases, as my signature line. But I'm interested in knowing what you think he did as president that wins him the title of "greatest ever" in your book. I ask because I'm familiar with the arguments for Washington, Lincoln, and FDR, but not those for Jefferson, and I'd like to know more.

I'm aware of two things that can go in the balance for him: foremost, of course, the Louisiana Purchase, without which I think it could be easily argued the future wealth and greatness of America would never have been achieved (I'm speaking now from the Eurocentric point of view, not the dispossessed one). Second, his suppression of the Barbary Pirates.

I'm aware of one major blot against his claim in the Embargo Act of 1807. For what it may be worth, here's a vivid letter from an angry working man:

"Dear Sir,
I wish you would take this embargo off as soon as you possibly can, for damn my eyes if I can live as it is. I shall certainly cut my throat, and if I do you will lose one of the best seamen that ever sailed. I have a wife and four young ones to support and it goes damn'd hard with me now. If I don't cut my throat I will go join the English and fight against you. I hope, honored Sir, you will forgive the abrupt manner in which this is wrote as I'm damn'd mad. But still if ever I catch you over there, take care of your honored neck.
Your
T. Selby
No. 9 Pine St. If you want to see him, you damn'd rascal."

From To His Excellency Thomas Jefferson: Letters to a President by Jack McLaughlin (w.W. Norton & Co., 1991)

Françoise

1.Truman
2.Lincoln
3.Washington
4.FDR
5.Jefferson

the modern world is complex... and he saved this world. Currently... both parties are failing it. But FDR tried. He had his contradictions.... but he tried.

As an atheist I say... God blees you, Frank.

That is why great men are often not considered great presidents.

FDR is an obvious choice for greatness, as are Lincoln and JFK - all for their courage and resolute leadership in difficult times (though the shortness of JFK's term would preclude his choice as greatest.)

Washington, a great man in his time, is to be highly regarded for inventing the presidency, (thanks for whoever said it first, above.)

Teddy Roosevelt was a great man, but I'm not sure if we can point to something during his tenure as President that would get him on this list (except, perhaps, for his courage in fighting big business.)

I have nothing against Truman, but I fail to see how he qualifies for greatness on any level. His growth into the job is legendary, but still...

OK, back to the question:

Given that he lead us, with confidence and inspiration, through the Great Depression and a World War, I have to go with Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

FDR, our greatest president ever.