Recent History--U.S. Presidents (part 1)

[winter_unfazed]

Who do you consider to be the best one that our country has had, going back to WWI?

[uprooted_kentuckian]

Carter? Fascinating. What on earth did Carter ever do to be called the greatest President for the past 90 or so years?

[Eric]

Carter did lots of great things but not things big money care about so those were quickly demolished and demonized by the 8 years that followed.

However, having an education I naturally voted for Roosevelt. :P

[uprooted_kentuckian]

Roosevelt is a good choice, however, I'll stick with Reagan. I would put Roosevelt a very close second.

[GreenZone]

I picked Reagan because he "saved" the country from almost as deep a peril as Roosevelt "saved" it from. But he did it wthout packing the Supreme Court, without manipulating his party's conventions to serve for four terms, and without leading the country toward socialism.

UK, did my choice surprise you?

[winter_unfazed]

Carter? Fascinating. What on earth did Carter ever do to be called the greatest President for the past 90 or so years?


Well, Carter was the only one who tried to peacefully bridge the gap between USA and USSR; he also restored the image of America around the world. He was not an imperialist, but respected other nations, no matter their size, as being just as legitimate as ours.

Carter was and is a man of morals, and his administration was not riddled with the corruption characteristic of many others. He was a true moderate, perhaps the only true moderate that we have had since Kennedy.

Carter was concerned about the environment, and without him we would not have many of the environmental protection laws and protocols that we have today.

Carter believed in gender equity, and supported the Equal Rights Amendment. It was only due to alarmists and pseudoconservatives that the ERA did not pass during his administration.

Even today, Carter is active in programs to eradicate diseases such as polio, and to stabilize poor and unstable economic regions of the world.

But as a President, he was just as great for what he did NOT do as what he did do. He did not leave much "bitter aftertaste" of bad policy legacy, like there is with some administrations. Unfortunately, he has not been recognized for the great President that he was. The conservatives don't like him because he was a (moderate) Democrat, and the Democrats don't like him because he is a (moderate) conservative. Nevertheless, I still consider him to be the greatest President, and his the best Administration, in all the 90 years since WWI.

And by the way, F.D. Roosevelt doesn't rank very high on my totem pole. He's the one who tried to pack the Supreme Court--a plan which, if it succeeded, would have essentially given him the powers of a dictator.

Jeffery

[lizardwalker]

Not only all that, Carter was a farmer.....

[uprooted_kentuckian]

Lol, yep Randel, that one surprised me. I don't even know what else to say - thats a first.

[winter_unfazed]

Not only all that, Carter was a farmer.....

I suppose that explains why he was keen on environmental and agricultural issues.

[JereGettle]

Great poll WU,

Thanks!

[nordicnacho]

I picked Reagan because he "saved" the country from almost as deep a peril as Roosevelt "saved" it from. But he did it wthout packing the Supreme Court, without manipulating his party's conventions to serve for four terms, and without leading the country toward socialism.

UK, did my choice surprise you?


Can you Say?


Iran Contra

I voted for FDR:D

[GreenZone]

Well, nobody's perfect...

[Eric]

The loosened restrictions on buisness during the 80s were the roots that have spawned many of the problems of the last decade with respect to fraud and other shady dealings in the corporate world. And its still not over. You have him to thank for the behemoth corporations that now exist. And there is more evil on the horizon such as the private equities, these will grow as large as the behemoth corporations but live with no visibility or public awareness.

Reagan himself was likely an okay guy to have as a friend just as Bush no doubt is, the problem is they are weak and poor leaders so along with their smiling face comes a cabinet and loads of advisors with their own interests. We haven't elected a leader since Roosevelt and never will again until some things change.

[uprooted_kentuckian]

You considered Reagan to be a weak leader? Perhaps, if the barometer is Roosevelt, but not if the barometer is the average President.

[LoreD]

I voted for Johnson (with Roosevelt a close second).

The war on poverty and civil rights. One of our greatest presidents.

LoreD

[uprooted_kentuckian]

LoreD, I'll agree with you on Johnson for his efforts on civil rights, but much of what he put into motion with respect to poverty has ended up being a negative. It's hard to deny that we now have institutionalized poor people. They have never known anything but government handouts and that isn't going to change anytime soon. The idea was good, but it has not worked out as hoped. Now we have generations of people who expect the government to give everything to them. That has destroyed most of their self respect, in my opinion, and removes any incentives to do anything positive such as getting an education, respecting themselves and those around them, and so on. I see it everyday here in Savannah, and its quite sad, really. Johnson did rate very highly on the Sienna survey though.

[tughillcam]

Reagan closed down mental institutions, creating a huge jump in mentally ill homeless. It's the first thing I think of when thinking about him-
Then I think Bush I was VP, the manipulating brains of the couple.