The Presidents As People Part II

[Mr. Smith]

For those of you who did this in Part I, same rules apply, I hope the decisions are easier because post Civil War is a bit closer to today.

For the those that are new, try and figure out your favorite 5 presidents as people (for example  Carter was fairly nice as a guy, and Clinton was not really),...try to leave out policies and ideology unless absolutely necessary (which in cases such as slavery and universal suffrage are understandable).

I'll vote,but I won't explain until others have voted and posted just for the sake of room for people to express without feeling like this is all a rebuttal.

And yes, I left left out James Garfield, because like William Henry Harrison, he didn't really seem to be in office long enough to get a feel. Most of his tenure was being nearly dead after being shot thanks to malpractice. But if someone desperately wants to make a case, by all means go ahead.

[Mr. Smith]

I voted for:

Lincoln and Roosevelt (These two are pretty obvious ones, self-made, stood for the little guy, and in the case of Teddy so much persistence)

Grant (He was an excellent guy and his push for reconstruction was amazing, but he was very naive)

Arthur (Stood against corruption, and apparently he had an excellent sense of humor)

Cleveland (Stood against corruption as well, probably tried the hardest of any president to honestly do what seemed right, and since he probably didn't rape anyone he went out of his way to pay for the welfare of a child, and finally he didn't condone the annexation of Hawaii)

Honorable Mentions: Coolidge and Hoover

Dishonorable Mention: Wilson, McKinley, and Harrison

[Mr. Smith]

I wanted to put Hoover or Coolidge in, but the former just ended up being too damn stubborn about everything and his hostility to the Bonus Army knocks him off...he was an excellent ex-president though.

And I do like Coolidge's quietness and cool head, but he didn't treat his wife too well either.

Ultimately Cleveland just comes off better than either.