Who was the most politically adept President?

[Lincoln Republican]

Who was the most politically adept President?

Please discuss.

To me, LBJ has to rank right up there, Vietnam notwithstanding.

[Antonio the Sixth]

LBJ was definitely the very best - by a mile - with regard to legislative politics and the inner workings of Washington. On the other hand, he was pretty mediocre in its relationship to the press and the public.

Regarding to the latter criteria, I'd say JFK, Reagan and Obama are all up there.

FDR was probably the best in combining both these skills for maximum political achievement.

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

In passage of the their new Deal proposals in helping the working poor, LBJ and FDR put Southerners in their place like Hugo Black, in helping Blacks.

[Phony Moderate]

Of the modern Presidents, Clinton, Reagan, Nixon, LBJ and JFK all fit the bill.

[HagridOfTheDeep]

Politically adept in terms of manipulating the people or manipulating fellow politicians? See, Obama has been one of the best in the former category but one of the worst in the latter.

In all, I feel like Clinton must be up there.

[nolesfan2011]

LBJ

[All Along The Watchtower]

LBJ or either Roosevelt.

[Mordecai]

FDR, LBJ and Reagan.

[Cryptic]

FDR, LBJ and Reagan.

[Zioneer]

Definitely FDR. He literally transformed what America was, and how it saw itself. LBJ, as good at politics as he was, merely built upon what FDR did.

TR was fairly effective, but soon after he left office, some of his achievements were abolished or reversed during the roaring 20s.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Reagan.

Honorable mention to Dubya, who at 29% approvals at the end got everything passed he wanted.  He was marvelous at getting a lot out of Congress.

[Sec. of State Superique]

No doubt that it was LBJ.

Honorable mention for Jimmy Carter. Despite all name calling and criticism of his presidency, Jimmy passed in Congress many of the things that he wanted. For the record, Jimmy Carter was able to pass more legislation designed by the Executive than guys like Obama, Reagan and other folks...

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

No doubt that it was LBJ.

Honorable mention for Jimmy Carter. Despite all name calling and criticism of his presidency, Jimmy passed in Congress many of the things that he wanted. For the record, Jimmy Carter was able to pass more legislation designed by the Executive than guys like Obama, Reagan and other folks...

And, yet....

[Stranger in a strange land]

Honorable mention to Dubya, who at 29% approvals at the end got everything passed he wanted.  He was marvelous at getting a lot out of Congress.

If that were true, Social Security would have been privatized and Harriet Miers would be on the Supreme Court.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Honorable mention to Dubya, who at 29% approvals at the end got everything passed he wanted.  He was marvelous at getting a lot out of Congress.

If that were true, Social Security would have been privatized and Harriet Miers would be on the Supreme Court.

IIRC, those issues were long before he tanked into the 29% range, no?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Well, JFK was the most adapt when dealing with the public opinion. LBJ was the most adapt in traditional, government work.

Combine JFK and LBJ and you got FDR.

[sdu754]

I don't understand why so many people are saying LBJ. He got a lot of legislation passed, but he had a filibuster proof congress most of his time in office, and milked JFKs death for all it was worth. I think the fact that he pulled out of the 1968 primaries to save himself the embarrassment of not being re-nominated says a lot.

I'd say Bill Clinton was the champion. He ran a savvy campaign in 1992, beating an incumbent that most leading Democrats didn't even want to face, because they though he would be unbeatable. (that's why they sat out 1992) When his programs imploded in congress and the Republicans swept in, He should have been finished. He then took the most popular parts of the contract of America and made them his own. Further, Clinton allowed the government to go through two shutdowns, knowing he could spin it against the "uncompromising" Republicans. When he got caught red handed committing perjury & obstructing Justice (exactly the crimes Nixon was guilty of) he should have been finished once again. Clinton went on to play the whole impeachment episode perfectly. By denying he had any type of "relationship" with Lewinsky, all the while convincing the public it was just about "sex",  and unimportant. This allowed him to finish out his term with a rather high approval rating. If he could have ran for a third term, he would have been able to retake the Whitehouse in 2008.

To recap, Clinton knew when to strike to win his parties nomination, in any other year his extramarital affairs would have sunk him. (Think Gary Hart in 1988) He beat an "unbeatable" candidate (Bush had a 90% approval rating after the Gulf war) by focusing his campaign perfectly. He then survived the republican take over of congress and impeachment to become one of the more popular presidents ever.

[Cory]

Honorable mention to Dubya, who at 29% approvals at the end got everything passed he wanted.  He was marvelous at getting a lot out of Congress.

If that were true, Social Security would have been privatized and Harriet Miers would be on the Supreme Court.

Not to mention Immigration Reform.

[nolesfan2011]

LBJ was definitely the very best - by a mile - with regard to legislative politics and the inner workings of Washington. On the other hand, he was pretty mediocre in its relationship to the press and the public.

Regarding to the latter criteria, I'd say JFK, Reagan and Obama are all up there.

FDR was probably the best in combining both these skills for maximum political achievement.

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