Posted on 02/20/2007 1:00:17 PM PST by presidio9
Just in time for President's Day, a new Gallup poll finds Abraham Lincoln now topping Ronald Reagan as the public's idea of the greatest U.S. president ever.
John F. Kennedy edges Bill Clinton for the #3 spot, with Franklin D. Roosevelt coming in at number five. George Washington can do no better than sixth.
Gallup notes that respondents tend to favor presidents of later vintage.
Reagan had bested traditional leader Lincoln in the previous poll, in 2005, in the aftermath of the former's death.
Eighteen percent of Americans today name Lincoln as the greatest U.S. president. He is closely followed by Reagan, with 16%, and John F. Kennedy, with 14%. Bill Clinton (13%) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (9%) round out the top five.
After Washington at #6 comes Truman at #7 and then a tie for #8 with Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Jefferson, Carter -- and George W. Bush, all at 2%. Bush had stood at 5% two years ago.
The poll was taken February 9-11.
Lincoln was the devil incarnate.
BJ? What in the world did he do for this country? Madness.
My birthday is Saturday. George Washington is my 12th cousin. His great grandparents are my great great etc etc grandparents. And Mary Todd Lincoln is a cousin of mine, as is Dolly Madison. Yes I have the papers to show it.
Hmmm. How many voters in this poll, were around when Lincoln was President??
That's unbelievable.
The only way Bill Clinton makes the top five in a Presidential poll is if the list asks for the top five U.S. Presidents post-Gerald Ford. Even then, I'd have reason for suspicion.
BJ well he made BJs in the Oral Office famous and they never included Hillary!
If you hate America, he certainly was.
Yes. It's a shame that people this stupid even vote.
And remember, 14 percent think JFK was the greatest. Ditto.
Just swap Carter for Reagan and you would have a “Worst Presidents” list.
Where's all of you that believe "W" is the best Prez ever? C'mon, I know you are out there...
There are still a few "the south will rise again" types out there.
The libs don't know their history, that is how BJ comes in 4th! They can't remember any farther back to vote for any of the others.
Lincoln was always the best. I'd rank Washington two, Reagan 3, and Eisenhower 4.
There's a case to be made against Lincoln. More than any President, he increased the power and scope and intrusiveness of the federal government. FDR, LBJ, and W, of course, have increased it even more, though.
You and I know the backstory, but 99% of the American people don't.
If the usual version of the CMC were true, JFK would have been a fairly impressive guy. Plus his assassination was a huge myth-booster.
Clinton has no such accompanying myth - his supposed "greatness" is inexplicable.
I've asked Clinton supporters what he accomplished on the stage of history and the only think they can come up with is: "The economy went really great when he was President."
Worse than that, if you extrapolate the 2% for Jimmy Carter, there are presumably 6mm Americans who think that he was our greatest president.
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