Best U.S. President since WWII ended, and WHY?

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Truman, since the worst things he did were, by definition, before World War II ended.

[Shameless Lefty Hack]

Ike.

Post WWII Presidency is the story of the expansion of the power of the executive branch beyond all decency.

He tried to control it.

No one else did.

[Orser67]

I'd have to go with Obama. I'd give his domestic policy an "A minus" and his foreign policy a "B plus." I think he did about as well could be expected in domestic affairs (given the opposition). He has been fairly successful in pursuing a multilateral foreign policy that puts the US in a still-powerful but more sustainable position that that of the Bush years, and he has managed to get the ball rolling on an international effort to fight climate change. I think the US is going to regret the many drone strikes in the long run, but at least he seems to have cut back there.

LBJ accomplished more domestically, but is weighed down by Vietnam. Eisenhower did a lot of good things (including appointing some great Supreme Court Justices, to his chagrin) but his presidency also helped degrade mass transportation in the country and he is partly responsible for foreign policy failures in Cuba, Iran, and Vietnam. Truman was mostly successful in foreign affairs but accomplished little domestically. The rest are largely inconsequential or actively bad.

[President Johnson]

Lyndon Baines Johnson.

By far the most effective president since WW2 ended (actually at all, along with FDR and Lincoln). LBJ presided over an era of economic prosperity that allowed him to pass landmark social legislation (too many to list them). And most important of all, his record on civil rights. Without LBJ, Obama may not have become president. He gave millions of blacks to right to vote and ended racial segregation. Though Vietnam was mistake from today's standpoint, he transformed the country dokmesticly for the better.

Obama is tied with Truman for second place, JFK, Bill Clinton and Ike are next, followed by Gerald Ford (though I like Ford more than JFK, Clinton and Ike). The worst by far is Dubya. Carter and Poppy Bush were ok, the Gipper did more harm than good. Especially Reaganomics and Iran Contra were disastrous. Mixed feelings about Nixon; he has solid accomplishments (detente, his domestic policies were actually not bad), but Watergate dooms his record. Without Watergate, Nixon would be the third or fourth best.

[Blair]

Worth noting, just how difficult a claim this is to justify. Eisenhower was probably the most stable, but if you an African-American would you really have wanted this stability?

JFK was the most decisive in shaping the national image-how many other Presidents (bar Reagan) are know for a simple quote. Only thing limiting JFK was the shortness of his time in office-although he achieved a fair amount- peace in Laos, Test Ban Treaty, open Presidential support for civil rights, protecting the freedom rides, introducing civil rights legislation and launching the space race.

[TDAS04]

Truman, followed by Obama.

[ag]

Truman. He set the basis both for the post-war US prosperity and for the world order that avoided a major European/American war in all these decades. In terms of institution-building nobody did anywhere nearly as much.

[Reaganfan]

Reagan, but Nixon is a close second.

[beaver2.0]

Though I am more of a Nixon fan, Truman, because he ended the Second World War and oversaw the Baby Boom.

[Goldwater]

I'm not sure if there is rally an objective way to answer this question. It's ultimately going to come down to personal preference.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Every President since like, what, Kennedy or Johnson?, has been complicit in betraying the national interest. Such accelerated after 1970, though its roots no doubt lay before then.

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

THE BIG O

[RFayette]

Reagan, Nixon, and Ike are my favorites; all of them stood up for America, at home and abroad, albeit in different ways.  With Reagan, it was the defense buildup and big tax cuts.  With Nixon, it was a peaceful end to Vietnam, opening up with China, and a crackdown on crime.  And with Ike, it was a fantastic handling of the illegal immigration crisis along with a solid highway system and responsible end to Korea.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Reagan (normal, sane).  He rescued the country from the malaise of the 70s and ended the Cold War without a single shot.  His presidency wasn't perfect, to be sure, but it was a heck of a lot better than his immediate predecessor.

[pho]

Nixon. Brilliant foreign policy, the EPA, and an open mind to unconventional economic ideas (negative income tax for example). Misunderstood and overly maligned for being a dirty player.

George HW Bush is a close second.

[Blue3]

Though I am more of a Nixon fan, Truman, because he ended the Second World War and oversaw the Baby Boom.

Oversaw the Baby Boom??

[Gass3268]

1. Obama
2. Johnson
3. Truman
4. Kennedy
5. Eisenhower
6. Clinton
7. Carter
8. Ford
9. HW Bush
10. Nixon
11. W Bush
12. Reagan