Worst President from World War 2 to 2012? And why?
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  Worst President from World War 2 to 2012? And why?
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Poll
Question: Which of these presidents is the worse?
#1
Franklin D Roosevelt (D)
 
#2
Harry Truman (D)
 
#3
Dwight D Eisenhower (R)
 
#4
John F Kennedy (D)
 
#5
Lyndon B Johnson (D)
 
#6
Richard Nixon (R)
 
#7
Gerald Ford (R)
 
#8
Jimmy Carter (D)
 
#9
Ronald Reagan (R)
 
#10
George HW Bush (R)
 
#11
Bill Clinton (D)
 
#12
George W Bush (R)
 
#13
Barack Obama (D)
 
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Partisan results

Total Voters: 135

Author Topic: Worst President from World War 2 to 2012? And why?  (Read 15376 times)
TNF
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« Reply #25 on: July 05, 2012, 09:33:14 AM »

Ranking them from worst to best --

1. Richard Nixon
2. George W. Bush

3. Jimmy Carter
4. Gerald Ford
5. John F. Kennedy
6. Ronald Reagan
7. George H.W. Bush

8. Bill Clinton
9. Dwight Eisenhower
10. Barack Obama
11. Lyndon Johnson
12. Harry Truman
13. Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Dr. Cynic
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« Reply #26 on: July 07, 2012, 03:11:04 PM »

Dubya with Nixon close behind and then Carter.
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Maxwell
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« Reply #27 on: July 24, 2012, 02:59:17 PM »

Everyone of them except for Clinton, Eisenhower, and about half of Carter, but if I had to go with the worst of the worst, then i still have three: Reagan, Bush, and Obama.

I'd probably say Bush because he pushed the already imperial power of the presidency into hyperdrive, although Obama has done nothing but push this even more.
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MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!
Kalwejt
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« Reply #28 on: July 24, 2012, 03:15:20 PM »

Dubya with Nixon close behind and then Carter.

Nixon? Seriously?

He definitively wasn't the second-worst President after WWII and ranking him next to Dubya is not just silly, it's extremely hyperbolic.

We're talking about President who initiated detente, opened on China, introduced sweeping einvironmental regulations and conducted pretty progressive economic policy, which is making a Democratic "hero", Bill Clinton, looking like Mr. Generic Conservative in comparision.

Watergate? Good point, but how it was diffrent from dirty tricks liberal heroes like JFK or LBJ were pulling regulary? The only major difference was that Nixon get caught. Also, unlike LBJ, Nixon wasn't making millions while in office.

Chile, Cambodia? We should remember, but was his foreign policy really worse than LBJ's intervention in Dominicana or escalation in Vietnam? At least he did a lot of others constructive things in foreign affairs.

Seriously, guys, liberal bashing of Nixon, considering all of the Democratic Presidents' sins, is annoying. I may be the only liberal here with some appreciation (or maybe just plain objectivity) to Nixon and I'm not ashamed of this.
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DanielX
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« Reply #29 on: July 24, 2012, 04:01:28 PM »

Worst to Best:
Johnson = Nixon > W. Bush > Carter = Ford = Clinton >  Kennedy > Truman >  HW Bush > F. Roosevelt = Reagan > Eisenhower

In some cases (Carter and Ford, especially) the issue isn't necessarily political policy but leadership skills (or rather, lack thereof); to the contrary, Eisenhower, Reagan, and F. Roosevelt were all good leaders, whatever their political policies/actions were. Johnson, Kennedy, and W. Bush are dragged down by poor choices for Defense Secretary (Rumsfeld, McNamara; technically Ford qualifies as well but Rumsfeld's first term was short). Johnson, Nixon, Clinton, and to a lesser degree Kennedy were brought down by personal moral failures. Johnson, F. Roosevelt, Nixon, Reagan, and W. Bush among others instituted policies which lead to short-term gain but contributed to the nation's current financial woes. Note: by my grading standards even Eisenhower would only get a "C+"; Kennedy and below would get failing grades.
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Snowstalker Mk. II
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« Reply #30 on: July 24, 2012, 04:33:00 PM »

F. Roosevelt>Truman>Johnson>Eisenhower>Kennedy>Obama>Ford>Carter>Bush I>Reagan>Nixon>Clinton>Bush II
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J. J.
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« Reply #31 on: July 25, 2012, 06:08:24 PM »

Johnson is easily in the top 10 presidents; if not for Vietnam, he'd be just below Washington, Lincoln, and Franklin Roosevelt.

And if not for Booth, Mrs. Lincoln would have really enjoyed the play.  Smiley

I think it depends on the standard.  Was the country better off than when they started?  Were they effective in getting their policies enacted?  Did their presence diminish the office?
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NY Jew
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« Reply #32 on: July 27, 2012, 04:30:57 PM »
« Edited: July 27, 2012, 04:37:07 PM by NY Jew »

Jimmy Carter
Iran, stagflation, gas on alternate days, destroying Nuclear power, his lack of Soviet policy ext.


(though if I can include Roosevelt's early years (gutting the military in the 30's ranks as the worst foreign policy move in American history) he wins) to soon to judge Obama though his actions in the Arab Spring might prove to be worse then Carters


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Lincoln Republican
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« Reply #33 on: July 27, 2012, 05:29:30 PM »

I have to agree that LBJ has to rank right up there.

Although he had some notable achievements in the social policy field and in civil rights, his escalation of the war in Vietnam, a conflict doomed from the start, needlessly causing the deaths of thousands of young Americans, and his giving into the military industrial complex to further their interests, is an act of unequalled stupidity and duplicity on the part of any U.S. President.   
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stegosaurus
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« Reply #34 on: August 09, 2012, 11:43:28 AM »

Nixon was a fascist pig who should have been run out of office long before Watergate. LBJ would be marginally worse if not for the Civil Rights Act.
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Rhodie
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« Reply #35 on: August 09, 2012, 12:11:48 PM »

LBJ. Riots, incompetent conducting of the war in Vietnam, higher taxes. The civil rights act did some good, but that doesn't take away from the mega disaster that the rest of his presidency was.
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Grumpier Than Uncle Joe
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« Reply #36 on: August 09, 2012, 01:17:00 PM »

Jimma
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Incipimus iterum
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« Reply #37 on: August 09, 2012, 11:40:52 PM »

nixon
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Oldiesfreak1854
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« Reply #38 on: August 17, 2012, 10:41:25 AM »

Jimmy Carter... do I really have to explain it???  I'll just quote NY Jew for you:
Jimmy Carter
Iran, stagflation, gas on alternate days, destroying Nuclear power, his lack of Soviet policy ext.


(though if I can include Roosevelt's early years (gutting the military in the 30's ranks as the worst foreign policy move in American history) he wins) to soon to judge Obama though his actions in the Arab Spring might prove to be worse then Carters



 
Yep.  One great big "malaise."  Smiley  Sky-high misery index, long lines at the gas pump (dare I use the cliche "pain at the pump?), Iranian hostage crisis, stagflation, stratospheric unemployment... the list goes on and on.
In terms of a person (rather than policy), Carter was one of the best presidents since WWII.  LBJ would probably be the worst (horrible racist and political opportunist who only signed the '64 CRA to boost his popularity), followed by Clinton, JFK, and maybe Nixon. 
However, back to policy.  I think Nixon, Watergate aside, was actually a pretty good president in terms of his policy.  As a person, not so sure.  But for the worst based on policy, the answer is pretty obvious.  The Ol' Peanut Farmer himself, Jimmy Carter.
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True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)
Ernest
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« Reply #39 on: August 17, 2012, 08:18:26 PM »

Carter didn't destroy nuclear power, Three Mile Island did.
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dead0man
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« Reply #40 on: August 18, 2012, 04:58:40 PM »

Dirty hippies overreacting to Three Mile Island did.
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nolesfan2011
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« Reply #41 on: November 19, 2012, 01:50:17 AM »
« Edited: November 19, 2012, 01:52:55 AM by nolesfan2011 »

Nixon for brazingly breaking the law, and engaging in dirty tricks and law breaking for years.. followed by Bush, Reagan, Clinton for bad policy and some lawbreaking (deregulation, NAFTA, Iran contra, Iraq war, torture etc.) Then Obama for bad policy.  LBJ on other hand gets bad rap as does Carter.
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Knives
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« Reply #42 on: November 20, 2012, 09:48:44 AM »

Top FDR/LBJ

Bottom, RONALDO REAGAN.
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DC Al Fine
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« Reply #43 on: November 20, 2012, 12:46:10 PM »

LBJ. Escalating pointless wars and implementing costly entitlement programs.
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Icehand Gino
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« Reply #44 on: November 20, 2012, 08:53:47 PM »

Nixon, he get caught like an amateur. That's the supreme proof of incompetence.
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Oldiesfreak1854
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« Reply #45 on: November 20, 2012, 09:43:02 PM »
« Edited: November 21, 2012, 08:17:36 AM by Oldiesfreak1854 »

I voted Reagan by mistake.  Oops!  Here's my list, from worst to best (it's hard for me to be unbiased, but here it is):

1. Carter
2. Johnson
3. Obama

4. Ford (I don't think he was bad, it's just that the next few guys on the list were better)
5. Bush I
6. Kennedy
7. Clinton

8. Nixon (Aside from Watergate)
9. Bush II
10. Truman
11. Eisenhower
12. Roosevelt
13. Reagan


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ag
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« Reply #46 on: November 24, 2012, 08:57:14 PM »

Worst presidents?

1. Nixon
2. Nixon
3. Nixon
4. Nixon
5. Nixon
6. Nixon
7. Nixon
8. Nixon
9. Nixon
10. Nixon
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Sol
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« Reply #47 on: November 26, 2012, 10:33:20 PM »

Worst to Best:

1. Reagan
2. Nixon
3. W.
4. Carter
5. Ford
6. Bush II
7. Clinton
8. JFK
9. Obama
10. Eisenhower
11. LBJ
12. Truman
13. Roosevelt
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Gass3268
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« Reply #48 on: November 27, 2012, 12:08:41 AM »

Worst to Best:

1. W. Bush
2. Reagan
3. Nixon
4. H.W. Bush
5. Ford
6. Carter 
8. Obama
9. Clinton
10. Eisenhower 
11. Truman
12. LBJ
13. Roosevelt
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Tetro Kornbluth
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« Reply #49 on: November 28, 2012, 11:35:24 AM »

What ag said. Though Bush certainly needs a shout out.
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