Poll: Reagan, Clinton Most Popular Presidents

NewsMax ^ | 2 June 2006

[Aussie Dasher]

Americans believe George W. Bush is the worst president since 1945, while Ronald Reagan was the best and Bill Clinton made both lists in a national Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday.

Thirty-four percent of those surveyed ranked Bush at the bottom, 17 percent said Richard Nixon was the worst and 16 percent picked Bill Clinton. The poll found 56 percent of Democrats, 35 percent of independent voters and 7 percent of Republicans thought Bush was the worst.

"Democrats just plain don't like President Bush," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "His father, the 41st president, was voted out of the White House after one term. Nixon quit under fire. But most Democrats think Bush 43 wins the worst-president race."

The poll found 58 percent of voters disapprove of the job Bush is doing, the same number that gave him poor marks in a March 2 survey.

But another Republican got higher marks. Twenty-eight percent of voters ranked Ronald Reagan as the best president since 1945, putting him at the top of the list. Bill Clinton came in second with 25 percent, thought 40 percent of voters ages 18-29 ranked him at the top.

The telephone poll of 1,534 registered voters nationwide was conducted May 23-30 with a sampling error margin of about 2.5 percentage points.

[Aussie Dasher]

God bless The Great Ronald Reagan!!!!

[Digger]

The Great Ronald Reagan!!!!

THE BEST.

[mhx]

Funny, when Reagan was President, Democrats thought he was the worst President ever.

[patriciaruth]

In another 5-10 years a lot more people will start to realize how lucky they were when George W was the President. I believe a fair number of those people will be at FR.

And depending on historical turn of events, he will go down as a very good President or a great President.

He has certainly grappled with some huge issues, and frankly, I can't think of anyone living who could have done better.

[Liberty Wins]

Jimmy Carter is a great example of ignorance in action. Without bothering to read Khomeni's writings (the CIA didn't even have a copy), Jimmy booted out the Shah, the most enlightened, pro-Western ruler in the Middle East, and welcomed Islamic radicalism into Iran. Jimmy has never met a dictator he didn't like.

His economics were a worse disaster and the real reason he lost the election to Reagan. Skyrocketing unemployment, double-digit inflation, with interest rates so high it was impossible to finance large purchases like homes and cars, and he had the nerve to blame it on the American people and their "malaise."

Those were terrible times; I was there and I took notes.

[Jaysun]

Those were terrible times; I was there and I took notes.

Damn skippy.

[liliesgrandpa]

"In another 5-10 years a lot more people will start to realize how lucky they were when George W was the President. I believe a fair number of those people will be at FR.

And depending on historical turn of events, he will go down as a very good President or a great President.
"

Please leave the kool aid alone. Bush is the biggest spending, government growing, RINO around. I just don't understand why the democrats hate him, he gives them all the liberal action they want, except for abortion, and judges who support abortion.

Great? I'd put him in the same category as Carter. He shouldn't be used in the same sentence as a great president like Reagan.

[snugs]

One wonders if the same will prove true with GWB part of me thinks yes the other thinks with the sheer hatred abounding regarding him that it will not.

On the other hand Reagan was pretty vilified at the time.

[snugs]

Name who would have done better then rather than just attack another poster.

[dawn53]

On the other hand Reagan was pretty vilified at the time.

Exactly!!!

Reagan was criticized by the press and even conservatives at the time (remember he also had an amnesty bill.)

Hindsight is 20/20.

[Mo1]

Americans believe George W. Bush is the worst president since 1945,

I'll beat ya majority of those polled don't have a clue of who the Presidents were for the last 61 years

[Coldwater Creek]

Well that makes at least two of us.

If Reagan had avenged our Marines, we might not be in the WTO today. I will never forget!

Reagan was not loyal to his people. He acted like he had never heard of Iran Contra or Ollie North.

[Coldwater Creek]

Shows how near sighted that you are.

[Miss Marple]

I also think GWB will end up being one of our better presidents, if not one of the greatest. I think we have been very fortunate to have him as President, and many people will one day realize what they failed to appreciate when they had it.

[Coldwater Creek]

No one wants to admit how the Presidents hands have been tied by our inept Congress. They are the ones that should be vilified.

The critics should spend more time praying for President Bush and less running him down. Might make a big difference in what goes on in this country and abroad.

[Miss Marple]

I agree. Congress is full of cowards, crooks, and opportunists. I can count on one hand the number of Senators and Congressmen I admire.

[the right side jedi]

Yeah I think this poll says more about the Democrats and people polled than it does about the presidents. Anybody who says that Clinton is the best president ever (or worse) and Bush the worse is most likely short-sighted and focused on their feelings and whats going on around them and lacking in a history education. If Bush was not president, they would not be saying Clinton was the best because they are so focused on their hatred of Bush that they are nostalgic for any democrat president and Clinton is the only one their feelings can remember.

[Coldwater Creek]

You are right. Feelings come and go.

[Coldwater Creek]

Say what you want about Nixon, but he was the best foreign policy president that we have ever had.

Tricky Dick would have gone down in history as one of the greatest if he just had told the truth and not tried the cover up bit.