Most and Least Presidential Presidents?

[DevotedDemocrat]

Disregarding their policies, their actions in office and ONLY going by their looks, presence, the way they carried themselves, etc, who are the most and least "Presidential" Presidents we've ever had. Remember--you can't go by how they acted in office or their policies or whether or not you disagree with them or view them as bad. You can only go by looks, voice, physical presence, charisma, gravitas, etc.

I would say most Presidential:

FDR
Reagan
Nixon
Ike
Obama
LBJ


Least Presidential:

Clinton
Carter
George W. Bush
Truman

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Bush certainly did not act very Presidential in the first debate of 2004.

[Indy Texas]

Most Presidential:
-FDR in the genteel, patrician sort of way
-Reagan in the charismatic showman sort of way
-Eisenhower in the commanding, steady sort of way

Least Presidential
-Harding, as a womanizing drunk who let all his poker buddies put their hand in the till
-Taylor, who was supposedly once mistaken for a vagrant because he tended to wear shabby old clothes and shave irregularly
-Carter, for his craven, holier-than-thou attitude at home and abroad; in another life he'd have been a small town Baptist preacher who had his congregation wrapped around his finger

[DevotedDemocrat]

-Carter, for his craven, holier-than-thou attitude at home and abroad; in another life he'd have been a small town Baptist preacher who had his congregation wrapped around his finger

It's not even just that, the man never seemed commanding or authoritative. He always seemed like just a nice Southern guy. But very little of that commanding aura held by people like FDR, Reagan, Nixon etc.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Most
Washington
FDR
JFK
Reagan
Eisenhower
Nixon
Bush I
Jefferson
John Quincy Adams
TR

Least
Carter
Clinton
Truman
LBJ
Bush II
Taft
Jackson
Taylor
Arthur

I would rate President Obama as average, because while he's charismatic, he also uses phrases like "in the house" and "fired up and ready to go" in his speeches (even non-campaign speeches.)

[TDAS04]

I would say that the most Presidential were Washington and Eisenhower. 

[Zioneer]

-Carter, for his craven, holier-than-thou attitude at home and abroad; in another life he'd have been a small town Baptist preacher who had his congregation wrapped around his finger

It's not even just that, the man never seemed commanding or authoritative. He always seemed like just a nice Southern guy. But very little of that commanding aura held by people like FDR, Reagan, Nixon etc.

Yeah, it's too bad Mo Udall never became president; he would've had a very commanding "aura".

[DemPGH]

Most: FDR and JFK, no contest, and that's a mighty high bar.

Least: Carter, Clinton, Bush II
All possessed an undeniable folksy streak - Carter straight-up. You'd find him fishing out back or else playing the banjo. That's just how he was. Very smart, honest guy, obviously, and someone I really like personally. Clinton was earthy, a working man's Mr. Practical, IMO. Bush had the sinister cowboy thing, the fake bravado, meanwhile there was a hell of a lot of scheming going on. Cheney and Bush belonged in one of those old west movies where they run a dirty rotten corrupt town and Clint Eastwood comes riding in to clean it up. Cheney would have been like an elite banker or robber baron and Bush the sheriff who was paid for - that kind of set-up.

[Dr. Cynic]

-Carter, for his craven, holier-than-thou attitude at home and abroad; in another life he'd have been a small town Baptist preacher who had his congregation wrapped around his finger

It's not even just that, the man never seemed commanding or authoritative. He always seemed like just a nice Southern guy. But very little of that commanding aura held by people like FDR, Reagan, Nixon etc.

Yeah, it's too bad Mo Udall never became president; he would've had a very commanding "aura".

Udall had wit and charisma. He was tall and apart from his glass eye, he looked like someone who should be President. His loss to Carter was a national loss because I believe he would have been able to work with Congress much easier than Carter could and he commanded respect and made allies much easier than the puritanical Carter did. Mo Udall could have been a great President and he did look the part.


Most Presidential certainly are Washington, FDR, and Eisenhower.
Least Presidential to me are Carter, Harding, and George W. Bush.

[King]

Carter, Harding, Grant

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

In my time -

Most - Reagan

Least - Clinton

[Maxwell]

Most - Reagan
Least - Grant

[DevotedDemocrat]

I would say JFK was average. Yes he was handsome, but he came off as a lightweight--almost like a celebrity PLAYING the role of President, but not actually being President. Certainly he like  a light weight playboy when compared with his immediate predecessors and successors--Ike, LBJ and Nixon all seemed much more Presidential and had a lot of gravitas.

[DemPGH]

I would say JFK was average. Yes he was handsome, but he came off as a lightweight--almost like a celebrity PLAYING the role of President, but not actually being President. Certainly he like  a light weight playboy when compared with his immediate predecessors and successors--Ike, LBJ and Nixon all seemed much more Presidential and had a lot of gravitas.

I like ladies, so I don't know if he was handsome or not. From what I have read, he was, yes. But have you read any of his speeches? They put Obama's when he was at his peak and Reagan's to shame. A consummate statesman JFK was, appealing always to our best.

LBJ and Nixon were awful. The "Great Society" does not give them a pass for the unmitigated, uncompromising, unchecked corruption and war-loving. I think those guys' brains orgasmed when they thought about war.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Least
Jackson

Dude, Jackson was what a president is supposed to be. Wild, slightly off, charismatic, with a strong popular movement behind him, and with his own cult of personality/aura about him that makes him a folk hero (Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and TR have attained this sort of thing). George W. Bush, had he been successful, would've as well been one of those great presidents.

[perdedor]

most - dwight eisenhower. it's hard to get more visually presidential than the general who won WWII.

least - kennedy. a boyish philanderer.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

What people don't know about Carter is that he was a micro manager...that may have been his downfall.

[barfbag]

Most:

George Washington- set the model for the presidency and led us to victory against the British
Thomas Jefferson- greatest political thinker in the history of our world
Andrew Jackson- great at commander I chief but almost imperialistic which is not my choice
Abraham Lincoln- presided over a very divided nation and used cleverness to find a way to win
Teddy Roosevelt- nothing like the big stick policy
Dwight Eisenhower- war hero who was built to be commander in chief
John F. Kennedy- very charismatic leader who represented our country well
Ronald Reagan- very charismatic leader whose toughness defended our nation
George Bush- led by example, served our country well, outstanding experience
George W. Bush- tremendous war time leader regardless of what Democrats want us to think

Least:

Woodrow Wilson- had advanced knowledge of the Lusitania but wanted a reason to join WWI
Franklin Roosevelt- had advanced knowledge of Pearl Harbor but wanted a reason to join WWII
Lyndon Johnson- turned our country into a welfare state
Jimmy Carter- obvious
Barack Obama- no press while he golfs and has been in the oval office without a tie on

I know I mentioned Roosevelt and Johnson in the least group, but there were things about them that were very presidential. Bill Clinton did an alright job, but having an affair can cause foreign threats and blackmail.

[Sec. of State Superique]

The Most Presidential is Lloyd Bentsen. The guy is so Presidential that he could have easily be included on that list, even never being president. =)

[barfbag]

I would say JFK was average. Yes he was handsome, but he came off as a lightweight--almost like a celebrity PLAYING the role of President, but not actually being President. Certainly he like  a light weight playboy when compared with his immediate predecessors and successors--Ike, LBJ and Nixon all seemed much more Presidential and had a lot of gravitas.

I like ladies, so I don't know if he was handsome or not. From what I have read, he was, yes. But have you read any of his speeches? They put Obama's when he was at his peak and Reagan's to shame. A consummate statesman JFK was, appealing always to our best.

LBJ and Nixon were awful. The "Great Society" does not give them a pass for the unmitigated, uncompromising, unchecked corruption and war-loving. I think those guys' brains orgasmed when they thought about war.

What about giving war a chance?

[Non Swing Voter]

George W. Bush - what a loser.

[Sergzov]

I would say that the most Presidential were Washington and Eisenhower. 

TDAS04  I'm agree with you , but for me Eisenhower was the most Presidential.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I think the whole premise is a bit silly - look at the definitions - some want the president to be a priest, some want him in formal office attire at all times  and to not use colloquialisms EVER...

Oh and Barfbag... if having press at his golf games diminishes Obama's gravitas in your mind - don't ever YouTube either Bush or Ike and golf...

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I would say JFK was average. Yes he was handsome, but he came off as a lightweight--almost like a celebrity PLAYING the role of President, but not actually being President. Certainly he like  a light weight playboy when compared with his immediate predecessors and successors--Ike, LBJ and Nixon all seemed much more Presidential and had a lot of gravitas.

I like ladies, so I don't know if he was handsome or not. From what I have read, he was, yes. But have you read any of his speeches? They put Obama's when he was at his peak and Reagan's to shame. A consummate statesman JFK was, appealing always to our best.

LBJ and Nixon were awful. The "Great Society" does not give them a pass for the unmitigated, uncompromising, unchecked corruption and war-loving. I think those guys' brains orgasmed when they thought about war.

What about giving war a chance?

Ok, lets give the war a "chance." Lets see your enlistment form, Mr. Chickenhawk.

[barfbag]

I think the whole premise is a bit silly - look at the definitions - some want the president to be a priest, some want him in formal office attire at all times  and to not use colloquialisms EVER...

Oh and Barfbag... if having press at his golf games diminishes Obama's gravitas in your mind - don't ever YouTube either Bush or Ike and golf...

Bush always had the press at his golf outings whether he wanted them there or not.