Rating the Presidents

Townhall ^ | Tuesday, December 5, 2006 | Bruce Bartlett

[presidio9]

What is there to like so much about Jackson? Or Wilson for that matter?

[presidio9]

but considering there are only 12 carriers to have one named after you means something.

Nonsense. JFK got one named after him. BTW, why is CV 66 America, the newest carrier to be decomissioned, not going on inactive reserve at NISMF? It's a Kitty Hawk class ship.

[Verginius Rufus]

As for Jackson, his service in the Revolutionary War is worthy of admiration. As Congressman, he voted against a resolution honoring George Washington (as Washington was about to leave office) because he was mad at Washington for signing Jay's Treaty. Thomas Jefferson didn't think well of Jackson--said "his passions are terrible" and "he is a dangerous man."

Jackson is praised because he is the founder of the Democratic Party...so he gets a pass on being a slaveholder, killing people in duels, his role in the Trail of Tears, etc.

John Quincy Adams had three careers--as diplomat/Secretary of State, as President, and as Congressman. He was elected to Congress in 1830 and spent the last 17 years of his life as a Representative, becoming one of the leading anti-slavery voices in the country.

[presidio9]

I know what's NOT to like about Jackson. I am amazed that someone here actually thinks he was among our best presidents.

My top five are:
Lincoln
Washington
Reagan
Madison
Adams

[the OlLine Rebel]

Jackson was a child in the AmRevWar.

[Rembrandt_fan]

You wrote, "Do you suggest that Stalin might have backed out of the war if he did not get support from his allies?"

I suggest the USSR would've lost without Allied support and all of those German divisions would've headed West, probably just in time for the Normandy invasion.

But then, that's all alternate universe stuff. Things happened the way they happened.

[Sans-Culotte]

I agree that many things were possible. However, knowing that FDR was rather pro-Russia/pro Commie, and that he was surrounded by such people, it seems likely that he did not see Stalin for the evil man he was (easily the equal of, if not superior to Hitler in evil-ness).

Also, I did not even mention FDR's refusal to allow European jews to emigrate to the USA until after they had all been shipped to death camps.

[Rembrandt_fan]

You wrote, "...knowing that FDR was rather pro-Russia/pro Commie..."

Roosevelt's 'redness' has been brought up a number of times on this thread. We are, of course, talking about the same Roosevelt who dropped Wallace as his VP in favor of Harry Truman, a staunch anticommunist.

I know about FDR's decision not to allow Jewish immigration, and don't pretend to understand his reasoning. I do think, though, like everyone else in the civilized world at the time, FDR simply couldn't believe Germany was engaged in the systematic extermination of a whole people. Had he known, I'm sure he would've made a different decision.

[Verginius Rufus]

Yes, he was very young -- born 1767, 9 years old at the time of the Declaration of Independence -- but he joined the army at the age of 13 and was wounded by a British officer when he refused to clean his boots after he was taken prisoner. He had a gash on his head for the rest of his life.

[the OlLine Rebel]

I didn't know he joined as a "courier". I read on some site about this. But the famous boot incident apparently wasn't during service? I got the impression he was somehow out of service, then held hostage.

[timer]

Our first president was the GOLD STANDARD, 40+ guys have tried to reach that GOLD STANDARD throughout 200+ years...some closer than others...

[cpdiii]

This idea being pushed by some people today that Japan had really given up before the bombs were dropped is nothing but revisionist history being pushed by people who seem to have an unnecessary guilt complex.

If they had given up they would have surrendered after we dropped the first bomb. They thought we had a supply of them when we dropped the second bomb. We did not, but we were making them as fast as we could. There were more in the pipeline.

[Tanniker Smith]

What is there to like so much about Jackson? Or Wilson for that matter?

Their demoninations.
And I'm not talking about religious affiliation.

[Tanniker Smith]