Leftist “historians” rate worst-ever US president Obama as 12th best

https://www.jihadwatch.org ^ | 02/17/2017 | Robert Spencer

[heterosupremacist]

Barack Obama has been whisked to a very good table at the club of former presidents, according to a C-SPAN survey of 91 presidential historians published on Friday. Obama’s 12th-place ranking only a month after leaving office is the best for any president since Ronald Reagan, who ranks ninth in the new survey.

The list updates previous C-SPAN surveys compiled in 2009 and 2000.

Historians gave Obama high marks for pursuing equality, managing the economy, public persuasion and “moral authority.” On the other hand, he was judged to have been below-average in handling international relations. Overall, he placed ahead of such generally well-regarded chief executives as James Monroe and James Polk.

History’s view of the best and worst presidents was unchanged since 2009. The top spot once again went to Abraham Lincoln — the quintessential self-made man who saved the Union, emancipated the slaves, and launched the Transcontinental Railroad. He ranked no lower than fourth in all ten of the criteria by which presidents were judged. He finished first in crisis leadership, administrative skill, vision setting, and pursuit of equal justice; second in economic management, moral authority, and “performance within the context of the times”; third in public persuasion and international relations; and fourth in working with Congress.

Lincoln was followed by George Washington, with the two Roosevelts — Franklin and Theodore — in third and fourth place. The bottom spots went to the men who served just before and just after Lincoln: James Buchanan and Andrew Johnson.

“Once again the Big Three are Lincoln, Washington and FDR — as it should be,” said one of the shepherds of the survey, Douglas Brinkley of Rice University in Houston. “That Obama came in at number 12 his first time out is quite impressive,” Brinkley added.

[okie 54]

Even Kenya would rate 0bama as high as piss poor

[Impy]

We should do our own ranking.

First thing we need is clear cut criteria.

Harding and Coolidge governed to Reagan’s right, but given the circumstances and what he accomplished should Reagan be rated higher?

Obama has a lot of competition for “worst. Forget that he’s the most recent devil. Did Obama really do more damage to the country than FDR? LBJ? Farter? To what extent should other factors besides pure “damage” be considered, ideology and what not.

Democraps Wilson-Obama are at the very bottom of my list.

I might let JFK off the hook of the lowest bottom, but only because he died and Johnson ended up doing most of the nasty stuff he would have.

[GOPsterinMA]

I think you have to go back to James Polk to find a good RAT POTUS.

[fieldmarshaldj]

That JFK is often placed in the top 10 of Presidents is ludicrous by any stretch and is leftist idol worship. #1, he stole the election; #2, he behaved like an utter degenerate in office; #3, he was addicted to prescription drugs; #4, he nearly started WW3; #5, his assassination kicked off the official decline of our nation to date across the board.

I would place him at or near the bottom. Also, he ranks in a lot of ways as “incomplete”, since he never finished a single term in office. Giving “great” speeches is also no substitute for accomplishments, either.

Incomplete terms also rule out ranking people like William Henry Harrison and James Garfield, as we can only go by what might’ve been. In the case of Garfield, some historians claim he had the potential to be a great President, at least the best post-Lincoln to the 20th century. Had he not been assassinated, he might’ve served two terms and prevented Cleveland’s first term. We’ll never know for certain, though.

If I had to rate them in broad terms without actual numbers going by order of service, I’d put it somewhere like this:

Excellent:
Washington
Lincoln
Reagan

Fine/Good:
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
Madison
Monroe
Polk
McKinley
Harding
Coolidge

Fair:
JQ Adams
Jackson
Cleveland
Benj. Harrison
T. Roosevelt
WH Taft

Subpar (generally left the office in worse shape than they found it):
Van Buren
John Tyler
Fillmore
Pierce
Buchanan
Andrew Johnson
Grant
Hayes
Arthur
Hoover
Truman
Eisenhower
Nixon
Ford
GHW Bush
GW Bush

Destructive (willfully harmed the nation via policies that ran counter to the Constitution, moral degenerates and/or dividers):
Wilson
FDR
JFK
LBJ
Carter
Clinton
Obama

Incomplete:
WH Harrison
Zachary Taylor
Garfield
Trump (*but rates good so far)

[GOPsterinMA]

My Grandmother emigrated to the USA in 1922, died in 1986. Worshipped RR (runs in the family), but said Calvin Coolidge was better.

My “Best” choice needs no explanation.

The rest of my family, past and present, pretty much put/puts RR and Eisenhower as #1.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Ike destroyed the GOP and it took 40 years to recover from the damage.

[GOPsterinMA]

I’m just telling you what I heard for decades. I understand what you’re saying.

[GOPsterinMA]

This is good!

http://www.returnofkings.com/115142/trump-vs-the-deep-state-the-war-for-americas-soul

[Impy]

A good article. But a terrible problem.

[GOPsterinMA]

Yes and yes.

[Impy]

Thanks, good list.

I’d put Hairy Pooman in the “destructive” list but you know that. ;d

[fieldmarshaldj]

If Truman had served one term and been defeated in 1948, he might’ve rated “good.” Given that he had to make perhaps the single most difficult decision in American history, to kill or not kill 100,000 people with one act, I cannot give him an outright “horrible” rating. As a Christian, I’m not sure I could’ve given that order to drop the bomb, the moral implications would’ve haunted me to an early grave.