Posted on 06/27/2010 6:55:12 AM PDT by Publius772000
In the lead-up to Independence Day, I thought it would be interesting to get your opinion on who was the greatest U.S. president. I have my own view, which I’ll share in a July 4 posting. Historians have their take, as well, consistently ranking FDR and Lincoln at the top of the list. I'll be using the results in my AP Government class, so please participate!
You can also reach the poll through direct link at: Who was the greatest President of the United States?
or by going to http://theconstitutionalalamo.com
Thanks!
(Excerpt) Read more at theconstitutionalalamo.com ...
Series, James Polk belongs as one of the greatest: he put the manifest in Manifest Destiny. Texas and Oregon entered the union. We took Mexico City, looked around and left it to them.
He put the world on notice that the middle of north America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and between Canada and Mexico, belonged to the united States.
Of course this also set us up for the war between the states about ten years later.
Some part of those 26-29% strong approvals in Ras polls would indeed vote for the buffoon.
You won't find too many Wilson fans on this board, but this is an interesting, and obviously Southern perspective.
In 1898, William McKinley, a former Union officer, also did his part to bury the bloody shirt by getting the Blue and Gray to march together against the Spaniards. Soldiers from both sides of the Potomac saw action in Cuba under General Fitzhugh Lee, a Confederate war hero who had fought with the Army of Northern Virginia.
Jefferson, Washington, Reagan(especially when you consider the USSR could have ended us)
FDR is the source of much of the crime and dependency we see these days. He was a pitiful megalomaniac.
John Adams put his country before his own political career. The only one term President of the first five,(his son John Quincy became the second one termer) he went directly against his party, the Federalists, who wanted to go to war with France in the closing days of the 18th century. Working through somewhat covert diplomatic channels, he avoided war with France, a war which more than likely would have destroyed the United States before it even got started. By doing so, Adams alienated his own party, therefore giving up any chance of winning re-election in 1800.
The best? I don’t know. But how many President’s gave up their life’s work and a second Presidential term and saved the country in the process?
Feel free to vote for Polk in the “Other” section. I didn’t want to list every president, and I knew going in that there would be some favorites left out. Someone wrote in Andrew Johnson, I’m assuming because he fought against the Radical Republicans’ play to strengthen the federal government. I don’t agree with him being the greatest, but I allowed a write-in for those who supported presidents not on the list.
My vote is for William Henry Harrison ...
"The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time: the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them." - Thomas Jefferson
The vision of America's Founders was of a place where individuals could live together in liberty, enjoying its blessings within a system of self-government constituted by their own written consent. Their consent document--The Constitution of the United States of America--was to be the "sheet anchor" (Andrew Jackson) against those who might decide to oppress "the People."
A truly "great" President lives by that vision, articulates it for present generations, and protects its promise for future generations.
"Proclaim liberty throughout the land." - Inscription on Liberty Bell (Holy Bible)
Coolidge.
The reason FDR, Lincoln, and Washington are always considered the greatest is because people are lazy or want to pick who they think everyone else is going to pick.
I believe that it is a very hard thing to create something new so my vote is for George Washington. He was the utter "indispensable man" for this time and place and the imprint he left on the job of President is self-evident 200+ years later. When you have the Monarch, George III, whom he revolted against, specifying him as the "Greatest Man" when he voluntarily gave up all power after the end of the Revolution, (and again after his 2nd Presidential term when all around him wanted him to remain) you truly have the measure of the man!
If asked to rank the top 5 I would leave out Reagan as he is still too close in history for me and then go 2) Lincoln; 3) Jefferson; 4) Theodore Roosevelt and then 5) Franklin Roosevelt. Lincoln is utterly obvious. Jefferson for what he did prior to the presidency and the Louisiana Purchase that allowed the USofA to be more than an Atlantic Ocean country. TR comes next because he re-oriented the USofA from an isolationistic, internally oriented nation into a nascent world power. Finally, FDR for as much as I dislike many of his policies and growth of the government, because even with those detriments he 'may' have saved us from a far worse world in both his guidance in WW2 and by the sheer effect of serving 3 full terms.
i voted for calvin coolidge— he reminds me of sarah palin—lol
Barack Obama
signed
Pinch Sulzberger
Seriously — Washington — hands down.
Without him there would be no presidents.
I think Lincoln can probably be described as the best loved President. But for the most part none of us have been around for all of them, we only have to go by what the historians wrote about most of them. I grew up during the post war boom so I’m a little slanted to the happy days of the Ike years. As far as I am concerned, Reagan was the best in my time. JFK was the media’s darling, he was built up bigger than he was. Washington was the first, the greatest, but did he win the majority? He had 10 others running against him. I wonder what percentage voted for him? With a total of 11 candidates all he needed to win would be in the 25 -30% range thus making him unpopular with the 70-75%?
Coolidge was really one of the forgotten presidents until recently. I believe Glenn Beck has praised Coolidge on several occasions, and the Bill Bennett American history textbook (America: The Last Best Hope, which I recommend everyone interested in U.S. history read) treats Coolidge very well.
My favorite Coolidge anecdote concerns his refusal to speak unnecessarily. When a woman approached him at a dinner, she informed the president, “I made a bet with my friends that I could get you to say more than two words.” Coolidge’s reply? “You lose.”
Should be on Mt Rushmore: Reagan
Way Overrated: JFK
Most Bi-Polar: Nixon
Under Rated: John Tyler
Worst: Buchanan
The ‘What the hell were/they we thinking of’ President: Obama/Carter
Luckiest: Clinton
Most Racist: Wilson
Biggest Fraud: FDR
Best Capitalist: Coolidge
Not as conservative as one would believe: Teddy Roosevelt
Best at solving the Illegal Immigration Problem: Eisenhower
Would NEVER get elected as a Democrat Today: Truman
Bigger Crook then Nixon that Never gets mentioned by Historians: LBJ
Flawed but Principled: GW Bush
Biggest Disappointment: George H Bush
Best Founding Father: Jefferson
Washington won a unanimous popular vote. Unanimous. All 69 electors then cast a vote for Washington (in the formal election), and then their other votes were cast for their choice for VP. John Adams, of course, won that second-place vote. There was no degree of unpopularity with Washington.
The MSM described the Community Organizer as “popular” because he had big crowds. No one opposed Washington for president. In fact, the office was given more powers than many of the delegates wished simply because all the delegates knew Washington would be the first president. Read Brookheiser’s book, Founding Father, if you’d like to learn more about why Washington was unopposed.
There wouldnt be a U.S.A. without George Washington.
No Brainer!
Reagan
“I think Lincoln can probably be described as the best loved President.”
I think if you go back into history you will find that not ot be the case. Those of the time knew him as a tyrant dictator. Only modern propaganda has him as an angelic leader.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.