Personally, I believe George Washington was one of the very few who led the United States to where it is today.
Because he established democracy, the presidency, and where and what presidents should do, some might say he was the greatest president that ever lived.
Who would you put first and most importantly, why?
2006-06-22 06:19:34 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Civic Participation
In my lifetime, it was undoubtedly Ronald Reagan. He shifted our policies dramatically, and allowed the U.S. to recover from a very weakened state in the 70's.
Of course Washington outlined what it meant to be president, and established a great precedent. People like Jefferson, Madison, and even as far forward as Grover Cleveland followed through in that tradition. Reagan could also be seen as part of that tradition.
On the other hand, a number of presidents changed America's course in ways that were less positive. I blame Woodrow Wilson for leading us into an interventionist foreign policy; Herbert Hoover and FDR for adopting segments of socialist economic policy; and Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon for combining those two failed ideals. GWBush could also be seen as a part of this tradition.
Everyone's opinion of what makes a great president will differ, depending on what they think makes a great nation. I prefer the freedom-oriented leaders, such as the early presidents, who valued liberty more than security.
2006-06-22 06:25:09 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
William Jefferson Clinton reformed public welfare and sent a very corrupt system packing. For the better, I think. He changed the course of poor people in the United States. And for the better, I might add.
George Bush I broke through the partisan bickering of the Congress to establish a very moderate social and international policy. His moderation is, among many other accomplishments, extremely valiant because he moderated a very vitriolic Congress at very inclement economic times.
Almost every president has contributed something substantial, something rather shameful and have lost something implicit in the course of leadership.
George Washington wasn't that great. He was the first, and he was a great leader in the Revolutionary War, which made him a monumentally reasonable person for the office of President, but he was also a racist who held slaves, treated them badly and exploited the less well educated and the poor.
Every president has been good, bad, indifferent and sometimes even wrong on something.
U.S. Presidents have the distinction, all of them, of being people. They put their pants on one leg at a time like everyone else.
2006-06-22 14:43:45 · answer #2 · answered by Roseknows 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lincoln would have to be the greatest. He reunited a country that could have very well split in two. If that does not happen, then we may very well be living in a communist society because a divided America could not have controlled the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War.
Washington was also great, as well as both Roosevelts and LBJ.
LBJ may be the most underappreciated because a lot of the credit for what he did is attributed to Kennedy and Nixon (and his scandal followed his presidency, overshadowing a lot of the things that he was able to accomplish.
2006-06-22 17:07:07 · answer #3 · answered by thechosenoneortwo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good question. I think it is a close call between Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) and Harry Truman If I had to choose one of the two, I'd pick FDR. When he became president we were in the throes of the Great Depression. FDR's initiatives brought the county out of depression and back on its feet. If this were not enough, we faced war against Germany and Japan. FDR led us through the war. Unfortunately, FDR died before we defeated Japan. These were trying times for this country and we were fortunate to have a great man to lead us.
2006-06-22 17:12:06 · answer #4 · answered by Coach D. 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The answer, which is not the best president, must be James K Polk, an underrated president that literally changed the face of America. Had he gotten his way completely in the Mexican American war, we would have taken all of Mexico. Had that happened, the north would have lost the civil war and today there would be three countries in America, in place of one.
2006-06-23 07:38:49 · answer #5 · answered by jaystyme 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Changed America's Course....
George W. Bush... He took fifty years of successful foreign policy and threw it out the window so he could invade Iraq.
Could possibly be the dumbest thing a president has ever done.
2006-06-22 13:24:36 · answer #6 · answered by jedilogic 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Either of the Roosevelts. Teddy Roosevelt made the US a recognized foreign power and FDR successfully put an end to the Depression and navigated WWII.
2006-06-22 14:44:50 · answer #7 · answered by lcraesharbor 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lincoln for united the north & the south and end slavery, can U imagine two countries on the same soil?
2006-06-22 13:31:37 · answer #8 · answered by Wiseguy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
William Jefferson Clinton
He smoked weed, played the sax, was getting sucked off, made jobs available for everyone, boosted financial aid, kept his wife after his sex scandal, gave us extra money for filing taxes instead of taking it away and had a great since of humor.
2006-06-22 13:24:55 · answer #9 · answered by beesugar24 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
FDR. Screwed America for the future by ignoring the Constitution and everything America stood for.
2006-06-22 16:32:16 · answer #10 · answered by Goose&Tonic 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋