10 Best U.S. Presidents

[PBrunsel]

This has already been asked, but time changes what people think. Here are my 10 Best Presidents:

1. George Washington (1789-1797)

2. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

3. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)

4. Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

5. William McKinley (1897-1901)

6. James K. Polk (1845-1849)

7. John Adams (1787-1801)

8. Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)

9. Herbert Hoover (1929-1933)

10. Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)

[PBrunsel]

Lyndon Johnson was the president who worked Congress the best. He could get any bill he wanted passed.

[PBrunsel]

I see i'm the only one with Herbert Hoover in my "10 best" list.

[PBrunsel]

   William H. Harrison is the next best because he died two weeks into office and never had time to screw anything up.


                                               

One month after taking office.

[PBrunsel]

6. Hoover

HOOVER! Thank you, thank you! Another man who understands herbert Hoover's greatness!

[PBrunsel]

HOOVER! Thank you, thank you! Another man who understands herbert Hoover's greatness!

1. That guy probably likes Hoover because he did absolutely nothing to expand the government in order to combat the depression, even when it ended up screwing the economy over.

2. He is a whacko Christ finatic.

So, somebody other than you does like Hoover, but just consider the two above points before you become too excited.

Tweed, you always find the best ways to ruin a good time.

[PBrunsel]

After reading several biographies on several presidents over the last few months, my list now stands:

1. William McKinley (1897-1901)

2. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

3. George Washington (1789-1797)

4. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)

5. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)

6. James K. Polk (1845-1849)

7. Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909}

8. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)

9. Herbert C. Hoover (1929-1933)

10. Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)

[PBrunsel]

Despite my favor towards Hoover, I have to admit that FDR was the president who inspired Americans more while being president. FDR was also the president who appointed Ike commander of Allied Forces.

I read several books on FDR, and I could not, except for partisan reasons, place him below Hoover. I am a historian, and as such can not let my partisanship cloud my historical judgment.

[PBrunsel]

Despite my favor towards Hoover, I have to admit that FDR was the president who inspired Americans more while being president. FDR was also the president who appointed Ike commander of Allied Forces.

I read several books on FDR, and I could not, except for partisan reasons, place him below Hoover. I am a historian, and as such can not let my partisanship cloud my historical judgment.

Good for you, PBrunsel. It would be nice if more people on both sides would put common sense ahead of partisanship.

Partisanship should not interfere with choosing the more efective president.

[PBrunsel]

I revised mine now:

1. William McKinley

2. George Washington

3. Abraham Lincoln

4. Ronald Reagan

5. James K. Polk

6. John Adams

7. Thomas Jefferson

8. Herbert Hoover

9. Andrew Jacklson

10. Grover Cleveland

[PBrunsel]

I chose McKinley as the greatest because he made us a great power. Under him we became #1 in industry, became invovled in foreign affairs, stood up to Europe. He is our greatest President because without him TR would seemed crazy to wan to build a canal in Panama. We tried a cnal under Hayes and this proposition was laughed out of Congress.

Hoover because he was the first President to aknowledge that starving people need food and jobless people need jobs. He was the first President to offer any relief to the starving masses. If it was not for Hoover capitalism could have collapsed in the U.S. before the '32 Election. Also he stopped a European Economic Collapse by ending all War Reperations until the Depression has past. He was the archiitect of the modern Presidency in my opinion.

[PBrunsel]

I still stand that without McKinley we would not have been a world power. Besides, everything Teddy got done was because of William McKinley.

A good example is the Gold Standard, the weakening of the Kelogg-Brand Act (I think that was it) of 1878 ended the inflation that caused the Panick of 1893. Thus a good economy stayed until the Panick of 1907. Other things are the strong millitary (Great White Fleet) and the industrial might that TR is given credit for are all tracked originaly to McKinley.

TR was a great President (I would have him as #11) but McKinley was the reason he was successfull at first.

[PBrunsel]

I will go down in Atlas History as the only man who put Hoover in everyone of his top 10 Presidents lists.

[PBrunsel]

I will go down in Atlas History as the only man who put Hoover in everyone of his top 10 Presidents lists.

im surprised anyone would put him in a top 40 presidents list.

You know next to nothing about American History I presume. Most people would put him in the top 20.

[PBrunsel]

I will go down in Atlas History as the only man who put Hoover in everyone of his top 10 Presidents lists.

im surprised anyone would put him in a top 40 presidents list.

You know next to nothing about American History I presume. Most people would put him in the top 20.

Hoover was Roosevelt-lite. Not that Roosevelt-lite wasn't better than Roosevelt-full.

He had his mistakes, yes, but he was no failure. Hindsight is 20/20 Phillip.

[PBrunsel]

He greatly increased the size and power of the federal government, unconstitutionally. He should have been impeached.

It's unconstituional to have taxes now? Face it Phillip, if you wanted a red or Facist Revolution by 1932 than we would do things the "Phillip Way." So what if ever other person in the country starves and children die of hunger in Chicago's streets, we haven't "violated" the Constitution.

[PBrunsel]

Taxes are not unconstitutional, but public works programs are.

And no, if you wanted to have a New Deal the "Philip way," you would have just done it at the state level. Although it's a waste of productivity and doesn't help anything.

Hoover did not have a "huge" plan like FDR. He left most of it to the states and the Red Cross. He was the first President to use the Red Cross in bulk to help the helpess. He trully was a man who felt that men should help themselves by hard work, but when hard work proved not to be enough, he intervended. Last time I checked that was called having a heart.

[PBrunsel]

Easy to have a heart with other people's money, and in violation of the Constitution you swore to uphold. Needless to say, we need less people with hearts in Washington. A lot less.

That's quite a line there Philip.

Hoover's programs at least gave some hope to the people. Most said it was too little to late, but at least he did something. More then I could say of any previous President.

[PBrunsel]

Which is exactly why he was so terrible. The first president to just completely ignore the Constitution. Well, I guess maybe that was Lincoln or TR, but Hoover sure continued the slippery slope.

Yeah God forbid he helps people.

As I brought up Hoover originally told people to help themselves, but that's kind of hard to do when 30% of America is unemployed. I guess it's hard to lift yourself from your own bootstraps when you don't even have shoes.

Hoover was a firm beleiver in individual enitiative and hard work, and he would have continued this had there been no crisis of the Depression. But sometimes, for the greater good and welfare of the people, governmnt must interact. Frankly I would rather see people working in government jobs then starving by the millions and turning to organized crime and arson to make money. 

[PBrunsel]

Obviously he should have either tried to abolish the Federal Reserve, or hanged the chairman or appointed a new one.

It was that idiot Wilson who started it. In his book "The Ordeal of Woodrow Wilson" Hoover condemns this move as a way to instigate price controlls.

[PBrunsel]

he was so terrible. The first president to just completely ignore the Constitution.

Thank you A18. At least you understand the horrific blunders of the Hoover Administration.

Hindsight is 20/20. Let's not forget that the New deal did nothing to get us out of the Depression. It was the World War that did that. FDR had his blunders as well. He just got lucky to be President durring a war.

It's like Dave Barry (who has the best ideas on the Presidency )said, "It doesm't matter how much leadership or skill you have, "great" Presidents a re always lucky dogs who become President durring ac crisis." Had Hoover been President durring the the Great WWII he would be known as a great President. Being a great President is all timing.