Greatest Presidents that never were

[tarheel-leftist85]

William Jennings Bryan
Huey P. Long
Ralph Nader
Cynthia McKinney
Hillary Rodham Clinton
John R. Edwards

[RosettaStoned]

Barry Goldwater
Bob Dole
Pat Buchanan

[useful idiot]

Sargent Shriver
Howard Dean
Eugene McCarthy
George McGovern
Colin Powell
William Jennings Bryan
Al Smith
Robert LaFollette

If we're going to get into candidates that had no shot then I'll throw in Pat Buchanan, Nader, and Paul.

[The Mikado]

John Breckinridge

I sure hope you don't think you can just drop that and not defend it.

[N.i.K.]

George Romney
Adlai Stevenson
John Breckinridge

Why?

[GPORTER]

Robert Kennedy
Bob Dole
Barry Goldwater
Hubert Humphrey
Dan Quayle

[Clay]

John McCain
Hillary Clinton
Al Gore

[cpeeks]

Easy, George Wallace

[Bo]

Easy, George Wallace

He was a massive racist and segregationist (until he got shot, when he suddenly had an epiphany). I wouldn't call that a great President.

[LBJ Revivalist]

Alexander Hamilton

Thomas Dewey (Not in 1944, he would've been a horrible WWII president, but in 1948. Maybe he should've won.)

Douglas MacArthur, perhaps in 1956. I say 1956 because I like Ike and think he did a great job during his first term, but that he shouldn't have had a second term and that time might've tempered Douglas' ego and impetuousness. Outside of military issues, I've read he was rather moderate.

Richard Nixon (in 1960). While Kennedy did add a great sense of spirit and optimism to the nation, perhaps the Cuban Missile Crisis could've been averted under a 1961-1965/1969 Nixon term and maybe we might not have gone to Vietnam.

George McGovern (in 1972) While some of McGovern's economic and social ideas were good, his Vietnam policy might've been a disaster. Considering though what the re-election of Nixon, though I like him, put us through with Watergate, McGovern might've been the better candidate with the benefit of hindsight. Nixon would've left the political arena in 1973 with an intact and great political career, as well. If I lived in 1972 I'd have voted for Nixon though.

Gerald Ford (should've won in 1976). While 1976 was not a great year on either the Dem or Republican side, I think we can safely say he probably would've done a better job than Carter. I do wish however that he would've picked Reagan as his running mate instead of Dole in '76. Ford and Reagan would've made a good team (Reagan thought so too as he offered to make Ford his VP in 1980). If Ford did a good job, Reagan might've been a shoe in for '80 anyway and we could've avoided the Carter embarrassment. However Carter does deserve credit for re-igniting the Cold War.

William H. Taft (1916); He was the best out of several mediocre to poor candidates). He might not have gotten us involved in WWI and promoted the League of Nations, and he could've perhaps undone some of Wilson's racist policies. He doesn't seem to have been as demented or as self righteous as Wilson. I think Wilson had a messiah complex.

[cpeeks]

Obviously you know nothing about Wallace, when he first ran for governor he was a racial moderate and was endorsed by the naacp, his opponent was endorsed by the Klan, and Wallace got hammered. When he went to his headquarters he stepped out of his lincoln lit a cigar  and said "well boys ill never be out n*****ed again, and 4 years later he became segragationist. Wallace was just a poltician who said what he needed to say. He was a populist who improved the lives of all alabamians, and one have been an awesome president.

[cpeeks]

Lol Dewey would have taken office in January 1945, I am pretty sure WWII, was no longer in doubt at that time.

[Derek]

I like this thread.

Newt Gingrich
Alexander Hamilton
Henry Clay
John C. Calhoun
John McCain
Bob Dole

[justW353]

I like this thread.

Newt Gingrich - Intelligent, but not Presidential; too partisan
Alexander Hamilton - Yes
Henry Clay - Yes
John C. Calhoun - A charismatic man and a great politician, but a horrible person
John McCain - 2000 version only
Bob Dole - lolno

[Derek]

My favorites who never were are McCain and Goldwater- not surprisingly.

[cpeeks]

My favorites who never were are McCain and Goldwater- not surprisingly.

Mccain in 2000, even though I voted for him in 2008 he had already lost touch with reality, lol "The fundamentals of our economy are strong." WOW

[President Mitt]

John Breckinridge

srsly?

[hawkeye59]

I like this thread.

Newt Gingrich - Intelligent, but not Presidential; too partisan
Alexander Hamilton - Yes
Henry Clay - Yes
John C. Calhoun - A charismatic man and a great politician, but a horrible person
John McCain - 2000 version only
Bob Dole - lolno

[Bo]

I like this thread.

Newt Gingrich - Intelligent, but not Presidential; too partisan
Alexander Hamilton - Yes
Henry Clay - Yes
John C. Calhoun - A charismatic man and a great politician, but a horrible person
John McCain - 2000 version only
Bob Dole - lolno

That was really unnecessary.

[President Mitt]

I like this thread.

Newt Gingrich - Intelligent, but not Presidential; too partisan
Alexander Hamilton - Yes
Henry Clay - Yes
John C. Calhoun - A charismatic man and a great politician, but a horrible person
John McCain - 2000 version only
Bob Dole - lolno

That was really unnecessary.

[Bo]

I like this thread.

Newt Gingrich - Intelligent, but not Presidential; too partisan
Alexander Hamilton - Yes
Henry Clay - Yes
John C. Calhoun - A charismatic man and a great politician, but a horrible person
John McCain - 2000 version only
Bob Dole - lolno

That was really unnecessary.

Never heard of it.

[Senator Ben]

Hubert Humphrey, Scoop Jackson, Bobby and Teddy Kennedy, and Al Gore come to mind.

Plus John Warner, Alben Barkley, Henry Clay, and William Jennings Bryan.

[Bo]

Hubert Humphrey, Scoop Jackson, Bobby and Teddy Kennedy, and Al Gore come to mind.

Plus John Warner, Alben Barkley, Henry Clay, and William Jennings Bryan.

HHH-Yes
Jackson-Yes
Bobby and Ted Kennedy-Not really
Gore-No
John Warner-Heck No
Barkley-Possibly
Clay-Possibly
Bryan-Only the 1908 version

[President Mitt]

I like this thread.

Newt Gingrich - Intelligent, but not Presidential; too partisan
Alexander Hamilton - Yes
Henry Clay - Yes
John C. Calhoun - A charismatic man and a great politician, but a horrible person
John McCain - 2000 version only
Bob Dole - lolno

That was really unnecessary.

Never heard of it.

lol

[hawkeye59]

CURRENT RESULTS
Clay 11
Dewey 11
RFK 10
HHH 7
McCain, McCarthy, McGovern, Robert A. Taft, Jack Kemp 6
Gore, Dole, Paul, Hughes, Goldwater,Webster, 5
Rocky, Debs, Gary Hart, Pat Buchanan, W.J. Bryan, 4
Nader, Powell, A. Stevenson, Al Smith, George Romney, Tsongas, Howard Baker, Tilden, Tom Ridge, H.C. Lodge,  Edward M. Kennedy 3
I'm probably off a bit, but I'm pretty sure.