Most OVERRATED President

[Politician]

Reagan, and Kennedy.

[Dr. MB]

Agree with both of the OP's selections. Add on Bill Clinton.

[OSR stands with Israel]

Wilson

[Politician]

Wilson

How is Wilson overrated when people today view him as a terrible racist who got America into WWI?

[Lumine]

Kennedy by a mile.

[Mr. Smith]

By Historians: Wilson

By Pop Culture: Reagan

By Atlas: Obama...good...g&* Obama

[Reaganfan]

Lyndon Johnson, Barack Obama

[OSR stands with Israel]

By Historians: Wilson

By Pop Culture: Reagan

By Atlas: Obama...good...g&* Obama

Reagan is ranked Higher by historians than Wilson

[OSR stands with Israel]

Wilson

How is Wilson overrated when people today view him as a terrible racist who got America into WWI?

Look at where he is ranked all time by historians

[Bismarck]

Kennedy has to be the right answer.

[Mr. Smith]

By Historians: Wilson

By Pop Culture: Reagan

By Atlas: Obama...good...g&* Obama

Reagan is ranked Higher by historians than Wilson

In that case....


Historians: JFK

Pop Culture: Reagan

Atlas: ...still Obama

[twenty42]

I think Obama's ratings will follow a trajectory similar to that of Ulysses Grant's. Grant was thought of as a terrific president when he left office and for some years after, but as time went on his popularity faded and his approvals sank to the lower end of the spectrum. I think people who did not live through the Obama administration will eventually see that his economy wasn't great, that his reelection was slim, that the two midterms over which he presided were terrible for Democrats, and that he ultimately failed to pass the torch to his hand-picked successor.

[Burke Bro]

Reagan and Kennedy. Also, Atlas has a weird obsession with Obama.

[TDAS04]

Reagan easily.  TR, Wilson, and JFK are also quite overrated.

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

I think Obama's ratings will follow a trajectory similar to that of Ulysses Grant's. Grant was thought of as a terrific president when he left office and for some years after, but as time went on his popularity faded and his approvals sank to the lower end of the spectrum. I think people who did not live through the Obama administration will eventually see that his economy wasn't great, that his reelection was slim, that the two midterms over which he presided were terrible for Democrats, and that he ultimately failed to pass the torch to his hand-picked successor.

The last 3 are totally irrelevant to Obama's performance as President. And the economy was fairly good at the end of his term. He was handed the worst economy since the Great Depression, yet he got us out of the recession way faster than FDR. Obama will look great in history as the President who helped get us out of such a horrible great depression despite facing such big opposition.

Obama was overall a good president, even if I didn't always like what he did.


As for overrated presidents: FDR, Kennedy, and Wilson. Moreso Kennedy and Wilson than FDR.

[gottsu]

JFK and Obama (mostly in foreign policy)

I can call these both "presidents of good intentions" - running the country is not running a campaign full of slogans.

[twenty42]

I think Obama's ratings will follow a trajectory similar to that of Ulysses Grant's. Grant was thought of as a terrific president when he left office and for some years after, but as time went on his popularity faded and his approvals sank to the lower end of the spectrum. I think people who did not live through the Obama administration will eventually see that his economy wasn't great, that his reelection was slim, that the two midterms over which he presided were terrible for Democrats, and that he ultimately failed to pass the torch to his hand-picked successor.

The last 3 are totally irrelevant to Obama's performance as President. And the economy was fairly good at the end of his term. He was handed the worst economy since the Great Depression, yet he got us out of the recession way faster than FDR. Obama will look great in history as the President who helped get us out of such a horrible great depression despite facing such big opposition.

Obama was overall a good president, even if I didn't always like what he did.


As for overrated presidents: FDR, Kennedy, and Wilson. Moreso Kennedy and Wilson than FDR.

I don't see how you can say that the four elections since 2008 haven't been referenda on Obama. The gradual loss of Democratic seats in the House, Senate, and state governments will always be a part of Obama's legacy. I'd also venture to say that the 2010s will be remembered as a pretty divisive and polarizing time period, no doubt contributing to the rise of Donald Trump.

[Theodore]

FDR, JFK, Obama

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

I think Obama's ratings will follow a trajectory similar to that of Ulysses Grant's. Grant was thought of as a terrific president when he left office and for some years after, but as time went on his popularity faded and his approvals sank to the lower end of the spectrum. I think people who did not live through the Obama administration will eventually see that his economy wasn't great, that his reelection was slim, that the two midterms over which he presided were terrible for Democrats, and that he ultimately failed to pass the torch to his hand-picked successor.

The last 3 are totally irrelevant to Obama's performance as President. And the economy was fairly good at the end of his term. He was handed the worst economy since the Great Depression, yet he got us out of the recession way faster than FDR. Obama will look great in history as the President who helped get us out of such a horrible great depression despite facing such big opposition.

Obama was overall a good president, even if I didn't always like what he did.


As for overrated presidents: FDR, Kennedy, and Wilson. Moreso Kennedy and Wilson than FDR.

I don't see how you can say that the four elections since 2008 haven't been referenda on Obama. The gradual loss of Democratic seats in the House, Senate, and state governments will always be a part of Obama's legacy. I'd also venture to say that the 2010s will be remembered as a pretty divisive and polarizing time period, no doubt contributing to the rise of Donald Trump.

2012, the election where Obama won by 4%, dems won the house PV by 1%, and won 2 seats in a Senate map that was supposed to be a disaster for democrats, was a referendum on Obama.

Reagan got OBLITERATED (harder than Obama) in 1982 and 1986, and no one cares about that in his history.

[Theodore]

In '82 and '86 people voted on the candidate not the president

[America Needs a 13-6 Progressive SCOTUS]

All presidents 1-15, Andrew Johnson (seriously, even though he is widely considered bad, I feel that people somehow managed to understate how bad he was), Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, Calvin Coolidge (the previous 2 seem to often be let off the hook when discussing responsibility for the great depression, with Herbert Hoover taking the blame, even though they were the ones who caused it to happen, and Hoover was not), Ronald Reagan

[Holy Unifying Centrist]

In '82 and '86 people voted on the candidate not the president

Reagan's approvals were in the 40s in both Nov 82 and Nov 86. Granted, that was because of some ill-timed economic events, but Obama was gifted a terrible economy from the start, so it's fair game to attack Reagan for it if we're attacking Obama.

You guys just proved my theory that people will forget about Obama's midterms: you guys forgot how Reagan got EVISCERATED in both of his midterms, far harder than Obama. And he had lower approvals in his midterms. Thanks for proving my point!

[Blair]

I think Obama's ratings will follow a trajectory similar to that of Ulysses Grant's. Grant was thought of as a terrific president when he left office and for some years after, but as time went on his popularity faded and his approvals sank to the lower end of the spectrum. I think people who did not live through the Obama administration will eventually see that his economy wasn't great, that his reelection was slim, that the two midterms over which he presided were terrible for Democrats, and that he ultimately failed to pass the torch to his hand-picked successor.

The last 3 are totally irrelevant to Obama's performance as President. And the economy was fairly good at the end of his term. He was handed the worst economy since the Great Depression, yet he got us out of the recession way faster than FDR. Obama will look great in history as the President who helped get us out of such a horrible great depression despite facing such big opposition.

Obama was overall a good president, even if I didn't always like what he did.


As for overrated presidents: FDR, Kennedy, and Wilson. Moreso Kennedy and Wilson than FDR.

I don't see how you can say that the four elections since 2008 haven't been referenda on Obama. The gradual loss of Democratic seats in the House, Senate, and state governments will always be a part of Obama's legacy. I'd also venture to say that the 2010s will be remembered as a pretty divisive and polarizing time period, no doubt contributing to the rise of Donald Trump.

But Obama won the two most important referendums on his performance (2008 and 2012) The reality is that any Democrat would have struggled to defend the seats the party won in 2008. Whether it was Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry or Mark Warner, the party would have been slaughtered.

Equally important to note that in 2012 Obama certainly helped the Democrats keep the senate (I haven't number crunched but I assume he was pretty vital in keeping VA/WI at the least). It's pretty clear that Obama was an exceptional candidate, and wasn't the norm for Democratic performance (hence the party losing in 2004/2010/2016 etc). It's the Democratic brand that has been trashed, not Obama.

Besides, I can't think of any historical President who is judged by their midterm performance. Like even as a relative presidential history buff, I'd struggle to say how Johnson/Kennedy/FDR/Truman performed in their mid-term elections.

It's largely irrelevant when you've already got three pretty big things from Obama's legacy: first AA President, Health Care and Donald Trump.

[twenty42]

But Obama won the two most important referendums on his performance (2008 and 2012)

2008 was a referendum on Bush, not Obama.

I think Obama's ratings will follow a trajectory similar to that of Ulysses Grant's. Grant was thought of as a terrific president when he left office and for some years after, but as time went on his popularity faded and his approvals sank to the lower end of the spectrum. I think people who did not live through the Obama administration will eventually see that his economy wasn't great, that his reelection was slim, that the two midterms over which he presided were terrible for Democrats, and that he ultimately failed to pass the torch to his hand-picked successor.

The last 3 are totally irrelevant to Obama's performance as President. And the economy was fairly good at the end of his term. He was handed the worst economy since the Great Depression, yet he got us out of the recession way faster than FDR. Obama will look great in history as the President who helped get us out of such a horrible great depression despite facing such big opposition.

Obama was overall a good president, even if I didn't always like what he did.


As for overrated presidents: FDR, Kennedy, and Wilson. Moreso Kennedy and Wilson than FDR.

I don't see how you can say that the four elections since 2008 haven't been referenda on Obama. The gradual loss of Democratic seats in the House, Senate, and state governments will always be a part of Obama's legacy. I'd also venture to say that the 2010s will be remembered as a pretty divisive and polarizing time period, no doubt contributing to the rise of Donald Trump.

2012, the election where Obama won by 4%, dems won the house PV by 1%, and won 2 seats in a Senate map that was supposed to be a disaster for democrats, was a referendum on Obama.

Where do you get these Galaxy brain level takes from? Deep in the pits of your hairy bum?

Reagan got OBLITERATED (harder than Obama) in 1982 and 1986, and no one cares about that in his history.

Republicans won the 2010 House by 6.8% and the 2010 Senate by 5.4%, the PV swung 3.4% Republican in 2012 from 2008, and then Republicans won the 2014 House by 5.7% and the 2014 Senate by 7.9%. Obama entered office with a Democratic House and a Democratic Senate, and left office with a Republican House and a Republican Senate. Our perception of Obama is colored right now because we lived through and remember his administration, but it's doubtful that somebody who reads these numbers in 50 years will not hold Obama accountable.

Remember also that Obama was only really popular in 2009, 2011-12, and 2016. He spent most of his presidency with approval ratings only slightly higher than where Trump's are now.

[Crumpets]

Reagan is the first that comes to mind, although I think Washington is also a candidate, just given the near deification some people give him.