Was FDR the best President we've ever had?

[DevotedDemocrat]

Well?

[ElectionsGuy]

No, not even close.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Above average, but at best he barely makes the top ten.

Washington, Adams, Monroe, Polk, Lincoln, Cleveland, and Teddy Roosevelt are all better, and depending on your politics, you're almost certainly going to think either LBJ or Reagan was better than FDR.

[SWE]

The Japanese internments disqualify him f from the number one spot

[RogueBeaver]

Basically what Ernest said, though I'd put FDR in the top 5. Does anyone really believe that FDR was a greater POTUS than Lincoln and Washington?

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

Basically what Ernest said, though I'd put FDR in the top 5. Does anyone really believe that FDR was a greater POTUS than Lincoln and Washington?

Yes, look at various rankings of the presidents. He's usually #1 if Lincoln is not.

[Sol]

It's probably either him or Lincoln.

[TNF]

Yes (sane)

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

Basically what Ernest said, though I'd put FDR in the top 5. Does anyone really believe that FDR was a greater POTUS than Lincoln and Washington?

A greater President (President being the key word) than Washington?  Yes, absolutely.  I go back and forth between Lincoln and FDR.  Lincoln was probably the best, followed closely by FDR.

[TNF]

Can anyone actually name anything Washington did while President, or are we just going off of "THE FIRST, SO THE BEST"?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Can anyone actually name anything Washington did while President, or are we just going off of "THE FIRST, SO THE BEST"?

Of all the things Washington did, the greatest no doubt was the example he set of running for only two terms.  He easily could have run for reelection in 1796.  He had no health problems then that would have prevented it.  He likely would have gotten not only reelected, but also a third unanimous vote in the Electoral College.  We like to think there are no great men, only great ideas.  But without Washington, the United States would likely have descended into the typical post revolutionary hellhole of being a republic in name only led by a strongman who does anything it takes to stay in power, ostensibly because he is indispensable and is the only one who can run things, of which the two most egregious examples today are Zimbabwe under Mugabe and Russia under Putin.

FDR's hubris that led him to seek third term put that at risk and is both what made the 22nd Amendment necessary and puts him out of the top five in my list.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

No. Millard Fillmore was.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

no, the five best presidents were

1. GROVER CLEVELAND
2. CALVIN COOLIDGE
3. MARTIN VAN BUREN
4. RON PAUL
5. JOHN TYLER

[Consciously Unconscious]

No (Sane).  He's definitely one of the worst we've ever had.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yes (sane)

[H. Ross Peron]

No, but he was pretty close

[Oakvale]

No (Sane).  He's definitely one of the worst we've ever had.

[Marnetmar]

No (Sane)

Good? Yes. Best? No.

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

Jefferson, Buren, Tyler, Cleveland, McKinley, Coolidge, Reagan....

[Goldwater]

Jefferson, Buren, Tyler, Cleveland, McKinley, Coolidge, Reagan....

One of these things is not like the others...

[Lief 🗽]

It's either him or Lincoln, yeah. Unless you're a ridiculous libertarian.

[TNF]

Can anyone actually name anything Washington did while President, or are we just going off of "THE FIRST, SO THE BEST"?

Of all the things Washington did, the greatest no doubt was the example he set of running for only two terms.  He easily could have run for reelection in 1796.  He had no health problems then that would have prevented it.  He likely would have gotten not only reelected, but also a third unanimous vote in the Electoral College.  We like to think there are no great men, only great ideas.  But without Washington, the United States would likely have descended into the typical post revolutionary hellhole of being a republic in name only led by a strongman who does anything it takes to stay in power, ostensibly because he is indispensable and is the only one who can run things, of which the two most egregious examples today are Zimbabwe under Mugabe and Russia under Putin.

FDR's hubris that led him to seek third term put that at risk and is both what made the 22nd Amendment necessary and puts him out of the top five in my list.

Term limits are worthless and should be repealed.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Term limits are worthless and should be repealed.

For legislators I agree, but they are an essential check on the power of the executive.

[TDAS04]

No.  Maybe the third best.

[Prince of Salem]

Can anyone actually name anything Washington did while President, or are we just going off of "THE FIRST, SO THE BEST"?

Of all the things Washington did, the greatest no doubt was the example he set of running for only two terms.  He easily could have run for reelection in 1796.  He had no health problems then that would have prevented it.  He likely would have gotten not only reelected, but also a third unanimous vote in the Electoral College.  We like to think there are no great men, only great ideas.  But without Washington, the United States would likely have descended into the typical post revolutionary hellhole of being a republic in name only led by a strongman who does anything it takes to stay in power, ostensibly because he is indispensable and is the only one who can run things, of which the two most egregious examples today are Zimbabwe under Mugabe and Russia under Putin.

FDR's hubris that led him to seek third term put that at risk and is both what made the 22nd Amendment necessary and puts him out of the top five in my list.