Who would you choose as the best president of the United States, and who would you choose as the worst?

Question

Please answer both parts and give your reason or reasons why you chose the best and why you chose the worst. The most thoughtful, reasoned answer will get the winning points. Please keep emotions out of your answer. Just go with the facts. Thank you.

Answer 1

My modern favorite (Washington and Lincoln are undisputed all-time greats) is Teddy. I loved his personality, his energy, his intelligence, achievements, and his "cowboy” persona. Like both Clinton and Reagan he was a great communicator and showman. He made life better for the middle class without using the tactics of class-envy. He started the conservationist movement without bringing down the economy. He increased the size strength and supremacy of the military. He increased the economy, business boomed, and new states formed. He created the Panama Canal. He had the first black visitor in the White House, the first Jew was in his cabinet. He was the first American to be awarded the Nobel Prize. All this while building a stronger Republican party, which had been in factions, and he was a man's man. Lest you detect a bias, Truman was another favorite for his persona while being a Democrat.

The worst would have to be Andrew Johnson. I know he goes back a while, but he was the first and worst at bringing disgrace to the office. In his shadow are Harding, Nixon, and Clinton in that area.

Answer 2

Best President - Andrew Jackson

While I considered Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and Grover Cleveland as well, I went with Jackson because he's the only president who presided over the country when it was debt free. Doesn't that seem like the impossible dream these days? Jackson also had the Tariff of Abominations (a nearly 50% tariff that was almost exclusive paid in the south and almost exclusively went to the north) repealed. His war against the bank is legendary. His victory paved the way for the Gold Standard and the most prosperous age of economic growth in American history (which ended when Lincoln's repassing of the Tariff of Abominations split the Union). While Jackson's presidency is not without its faults (the campaign against the Seminole Indians), every other president has faults of his own.

Worst - FDR

FDR has to take the spot of our worst president. Nobody was more responsible for big government than the guy who called himself a Liberal to avoid the media referring to him as a Socialist, which was more on the mark. By the end of his term, Liberal ceased to mean a supporter of free markets and became a name for those who love government interventions. FDR's New Deal prolonged the Great Depression by cutting out the feet of employers who were already hurting enough. Following his landslide re-election, FDR sank so far that he was desperate enough to try to pack the Supreme Court the next year, which made him into a national joke on par with President Bush. He failed to get the Court Packing bill passed, but he did intimidate the Supreme Court into declaring the New Deal constitutional, when it was not. Some background for you. During those years, the Supreme Court rightly ruled the Minimum Wage (causes unemployment), Child Labor Laws (prevent human beings who desire to work from being able to and forces them to attend a school most of them hate), and other Socialistic garbage as unconstitutional. The Supreme Court had even repealed the first Income tax back in the 1890s. Under threat from FDR, the court went along with him and has been ignoring the Constitution ever since. With his domestic policies flailing, FDR needed a way to get re-elected in 1940, so he started trying to instigate war with the Axis Powers. About a year after re-election, he got his wish and put the country in World War II, when its participation really wasn't necessary (Hitler was about to invade the Soviet Union and the 2 nightmare regimes could have wiped each other out without American involvement). Following FDR's death, America was so disgusted with his 4 terms in office that the 22nd Amendment was passed, barring any future presidents from serving more than 2 terms.

Answer 3

For the worst I have seen in my life time I would have to say George W. Bush. I have never seen anybody screw up the country this bad since Reagan. A war based on his lies and all the deaths that has occurred because of it, is my main reason but there are many, many more.

As for the best I would have to pick Bill Clinton. While he had trouble in his personal life he was the best I have ever seen at the job of running the business of the country. He left a surplus in the budget which is something that no one has since Eisenhower. Work was everywhere not just in a few area's. He had a personality that was always positive, charisma that people have not seen since Kennedy, he was just plain like able.

Answer 4

Best-Ronald Reagan
Worst-Jimmy Carter

Answer 5

Not sure,

but the best president probably focused more on making our country a better place rather than being a popular president; therefore, you probably don't read too much about the best presidents in the history books.

Answer 6

For past Presidents, I would choose Thomas Jefferson as the best. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Jefferson

Richard Nixon was the worst. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon

For future President, I would choose Congressman Dr. Ron Paul (R-TX) for president of the United States. I think Gov. Jeb Bush of FL would be the worst choice for president.

Reason: Congressman Dr. Ron Paul (R-TX) is a man of uncompromising principles, and a man who dares to face the truth. His moral compass is unwavering, and he does not follow the crowd - he follows his own principles. He is one of the few who will abolish income taxes - since income taxes are unconstitutional. He stands for civil liberties and he is against invasive Patriot Act (Patriot Act takes away individual liberties and privacy) and Gun Control (Guns don't kill by themselves - people do, and gun control isn't about guns, but about control). He is pro life, and loves children (he has 5 children, and he is an obstetrician who has delivered thousands of babies). He is for closing of borders and against illegal immigration, since the country cannot afford to take care of illegal immigrants. He is against irresponsible government spending and against big government, since big governments tend to be less efficient and more prone to corruption. He voted against the Iraq war, and he is for bringing back the troops because America cannot afford to lose more American lives and American tax payer's money, and because escalation of war will lead to more military expenses that America cannot afford. He is a proponant of government transparency and accountability. He stands for return to sound money principles such as gold and silver backed currency that holds value, and is resistant to inflation and degradation of purchasing power of money (paper money has lost more than 90% of it's value).

Answer 7

FDR is probably the best president for his work on the New Deals (too bad he never finished it) and for his role in winning WWII. Unfortunately, GWB is probably the worst president. That's hard for me to say since I'm Republican.

Answer 8

Teddy Roosevelt-Best

Baby Bush-Worst