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Reagan, Clinton “Greatest” U.S. Presidents (George Washington barely ahead of Carter)
Angus Reid Consultants - CPOD Global Scan ^ | 2.20.05

Posted on 02/21/2005 1:27:27 PM PST by ambrose

(Angus Reid Consultants - CPOD Global Scan) – Americans rank a Republican as their best head of government, according to a poll by Gallup released by CNN and USA Today.

Bill Clinton, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were next on the list, followed by George W. Bush, George Washington, Jimmy Carter, Harry S. Truman, Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson. The three least popular presidents mentioned on the survey were George H. Bush, Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon.

Polling Data

Whom do you regard as the greatest United States president?

 

Feb. 2005

Nov. 2003

Ronald Reagan

20%

13%

Bill Clinton

15%

9%

Abraham Lincoln

14%

17%

Franklin D. Roosevelt

12%

11%

John F. Kennedy

12%

17%

George W. Bush

5%

3%

George Washington

5%

7%

Jimmy Carter

3%

3%

Harry S. Truman

2%

3%

Theodore Roosevelt

2%

3%

Thomas Jefferson

2%

3%

George H. Bush

1%

2%

Dwight Eisenhower

1%

2%

Richard Nixon

1%

1%

Other

1%

2%

No opinion

3%

4%

Source: Gallup / CNN / USA Today
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,008 American adults, conducted from Feb. 7 to Feb. 10, 2005. Margin of error is 3 per cent.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: nationofdumbies; presidents; topten
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To: LS

I don't share your fondness for Cleveland, but I see Polk, Coolidge and Harding as being underrated.


81 posted on 02/21/2005 3:44:51 PM PST by ambrose (....)
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To: ambrose

If you say so. Ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ha,ah,ah...


82 posted on 02/21/2005 3:47:47 PM PST by cubreporter (U)
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To: theDentist

I think you've actually touched on something--libs seem to like soap opera "feelings", i.e. if you can fake empathy, if you can do that "I'm stoically trying bot to cry over this touching moment" thing, libs love you. When you actually DO something, though, it's just a shrug of the shoulders. I think it has something to do with the need for "drama" in some people's lives--expressions of emotion mean more to repressed, sad people than the hard fact of passing laws that actually affect people you can't see on your TV screen.


83 posted on 02/21/2005 3:49:22 PM PST by Darkwolf377 (Happy President's Day! Abraham Lincoln= our greatest president)
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To: ambrose
Methodology: Telephone interviews to 1,008 American adults,

no chance of bias there -

would be interesting to hear how it was worded also

84 posted on 02/21/2005 4:08:37 PM PST by maine-iac7 (."...but you can't fool all of the people all of the time" LINCOLN)
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To: writer33
Unfortunately, greatness shouldn't be irrelevant. It culminates back toward the public screwel system as well.

Yup, and that's a disgrace.

85 posted on 02/21/2005 4:29:24 PM PST by Labyrinthos
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To: sageb1

"If anyone had been asked to give reasons why, I'll bet the ones who voted for Clinton couldn't have answered the question."

I'll bet they couldn't, either.


86 posted on 02/21/2005 4:31:54 PM PST by DustyMoment (Repeal CFR NOW!!)
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To: Labyrinthos

It is.


87 posted on 02/21/2005 4:43:49 PM PST by writer33 ("In Defense of Liberty," a political thriller, being released in March)
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To: ambrose

This is a glaring example of the failure of the American education system.


88 posted on 02/21/2005 5:05:38 PM PST by msnimje
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To: Darkwolf377
I don't think one has to be a republican to look at that rating for Clinton and ask , "WHY?" I mean--what did he do to be ranked above Lincoln?

Although I'd have voted for Washington because he helped form a nation out of nothing; Republican partisans could certainly make a strong case for voting for Bill Clinton as "Greatest President". I mean seriously, who thought back in 1990 that the Republicans would ever carry both Houses of Congress? I thank President Bill for this miracle -- and the subsequent implosion of the Socialist (democrat) party.

89 posted on 02/21/2005 5:15:40 PM PST by El Cid
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To: El Cid

LOL OK, I can see the logic now. I guess we should give Terry McAuliffe some kind of award to go with this honor.


90 posted on 02/21/2005 5:17:33 PM PST by Darkwolf377 (Happy President's Day! Abraham Lincoln= our greatest president)
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To: ambrose

What don't you like about Grover? He steadfastly refused to use his power in extra-constitutional means; he battled the bloated GAR pension fund dispersal; he fought for the gold standard; and he was OK on defense (maybe a little behind the curve there).


91 posted on 02/21/2005 5:28:03 PM PST by LS (CNN is the Amtrak of news (there is no c in Amtrak and no truth in MSM news))
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To: sageb1
My sweet little kindergarten granddaughter last week asked me, "Gramma, were you alive when Martin Luther King was alive?" I answered her and then asked, "Do you know who George Washington was?" She said no.

She does now.

92 posted on 02/21/2005 5:29:02 PM PST by BBT
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To: LS

Ma Ma, Where's My Pa?


93 posted on 02/21/2005 5:29:09 PM PST by ambrose (....)
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To: ambrose
a) It was never proven that was his kid, although he must have had sex with her because he supported the kid all his life.

b) That appeared to be a single mistake and not a lifelong character flaw. We have no other record of him ever being implicated in anything similar.

94 posted on 02/21/2005 5:31:32 PM PST by LS (CNN is the Amtrak of news (there is no c in Amtrak and no truth in MSM news))
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To: LS

Curious... did he pull an Algore after losing to Bejamin Harrison?


95 posted on 02/21/2005 5:33:13 PM PST by ambrose (....)
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To: ambrose
This isn't something I researched extensively, but my recollection is that Cleveland was not "sour grapes" vs. Harrison---but he was very hurt by the convention spurning him for Bryan in 1896.

Since you are pressing me, I have to say that the thing I like least about Grover was his treatment of J.P. Morgan when the banker was bailing the U.S. out of a depression. Cleveland was rude to him, and never gave him the proper respect Morgan deserved for saving the economy---even if he made $7 million doing it.

96 posted on 02/21/2005 5:37:36 PM PST by LS (CNN is the Amtrak of news (there is no c in Amtrak and no truth in MSM news))
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To: LS

Little off topic, but... ever wondered how different things might have been had Lincoln not dumped Hannibal Hamlin from the ticket in 1864?


97 posted on 02/21/2005 5:40:27 PM PST by ambrose (....)
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To: ambrose

Well, MUCHO. NO Republican would have had the trouble that Johnson had, and few individuals were as combative as he was. That, in turn, probably would not have left HH a one-term pres, and would have pushed Grant back. A ripple in the pond.


98 posted on 02/21/2005 5:44:31 PM PST by LS (CNN is the Amtrak of news (there is no c in Amtrak and no truth in MSM news))
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To: ambrose

My top 5:

5. George W. Bush -- he has freed two countries from oppressive regimes, lowered the general tax burden, and may just slay the Social Security pyramid scam.

4. Ronald W. Reagan -- he almost single-handedly defeated communism, slowed (if not halted) the growth of government, and made one proud to be American.

3. Abraham Lincoln -- he loses points for suspending habeus corpus and instituting an income tax, but he did believe in freedom for all and led the country through the Civil War.

2. Thomas Jefferson -- he doubled the size of the country and presided over the first peaceful change of power in history.

1. George Washington -- OK, so I'd give him 1 and 2 if I could. No one did more to limit the power of government than Mr. Washington. He refused a third term after winning his first two unanimously, he refused a salary when he could easily have demanded one, and he championed the cause of liberty at every opportunity.

Furthermore, he governed so well that he once decided to tour the South. He got on his horse and rode off. The federal government spent the next three months trying to find him.

Finally, he is the only Commander-in-Chief to actually see battle as Commander-in-Chief. He once got on his horse (notice a trend here?) and personally led the Army to settle a rebellion without firing a shot. His mere presence calmed all tensions.

There has been, and never will be, a greater patriot than George Washington.


99 posted on 02/21/2005 9:05:57 PM PST by MikeD (Columnated ruins domino...)
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To: ambrose

Big bogus. If you can't filter out current popularity you can't discern best or greatest. For goodness sake, Kofi Annan has a Nobel Peace prize and his stewardship sucks. Even having gotten current awards in a context I have to sound out against them. They will be so influenced by irrelevant facts that they cannot be trusted but rather must be validated by future disinterested generations.


100 posted on 02/21/2005 9:11:27 PM PST by jimfree (Freep and Ye Shall Find)
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