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Ten "Best" and "Worst" Presidents
AOL ^

Posted on 02/14/2009 10:56:52 PM PST by Eleutheria5

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These "experts," it seems, can't even be consistent, let alone honest. Abraham Lincoln was Prez Numero Uno because he finally prevailed in the civil war, after mishandling it for five years. Grant, in one battle, lost more men in one day of fighting than we lost in five years of fighting in Iraq. The generals he employed sent the Union armies out to defeat after defeat, lied to the public, and allowed their procurement system to become riddled with corruption and theft. Had Sherman not sacked Atlanta in October of 1864, Lincoln would not have been reelected, and the Union would have negotiated an unpalatable armistice with the Confederacy. As for civil rights, what part of "suspended habaeus corpus" don't these "experts" get? Oh, and isn't having your generals burn a city and several regions to the ground count as a war crime?

Then let's look at Dubya, ranked 37th worse in a tie with Richard M. Nixon. Yes, he did mishandle the occupation of Iraq for a time. But in the end, he prevailed, just like Lincoln did. Yes, homeland security is still not what it should be, but at the same time, he kept us safe from terrorist attacks by keeping the terrorists busy going down to defeat in Iraq, which is now emerging as a new democracy, the first positive change in the Middle East since 1967 (heh). And what's up with those quotes around the "war on terror"? Would they work to downplay "World War II," which their number 3 best president used to justify the massive internment of US citizens of Japanese descent? Finally, they bizzarely mention Dubya's approval rating at the end of his term. But their number 8 best president, Ronald Reagan, also left office with low approval ratings over Iran-Contra! Since when are approval ratings even a factor in determining the historical worth of a president?

These "experts," I suspect, are a bunch of left-leaning, ivory tower-skulking academics without an ounce of integrity between the lot of them. Dubya is in the spot more appropriate for Jimmy Carter. As for his ultimate place in history, let's wait ten years or more to find out. Such judgments are best made posthumously.

1 posted on 02/14/2009 10:56:52 PM PST by Eleutheria5
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To: Eleutheria5
Apparently Carter and LBJ were just peachy keen. One mismanaged the Vietnam war. were we lost more then 10 times what we have lost in Iraq. And the other emboldened terrorists and dictators.
2 posted on 02/14/2009 11:01:50 PM PST by JimC214
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To: Eleutheria5

Definitely left wing, ivory tower types.

W’s main problem was his inability to communicate forcefully, and effectively. However, even then, these types wouldn’t have liked him. Perhaps they might have hated him a little less.


3 posted on 02/14/2009 11:04:40 PM PST by period end of story (Give me a firm spot, and I will move the world.)
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To: Eleutheria5

It’s ridiculous to judge so early, but O’Bama is certainly looking good for worst right now. What a horrible first month.


4 posted on 02/14/2009 11:06:06 PM PST by Rastus
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To: JimC214

Let’s not forget Carter’s record high unemployment rate, interest rates, inflation rates, and disgraceful behavior since leaving office. While we’re at it, let’s talk about LBJ’s “war on poverty”. In brief, poverty’s alive and well. LBJ isn’t.


5 posted on 02/14/2009 11:07:01 PM PST by Eleutheria5 (www.publishedauthors.net/benmaxwell/index.html. Donate to members.tripod.com/tva_israel/HOME.HTM)
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To: Eleutheria5
Top 10:
1. Lincoln
2. Washington
3. Franklin Roosevelt
4. Jefferson
5. Theodore Roosevelt
6. Eisenhower
7. Truman
8. Reagan
9. Polk
10. Wilson

Worst 10: 1. Buchanan
2. Pierce
3. Van Buren
4. William Henry Harrison
5. (tie) Nixon
5. (tie) George W. Bush
7. Hoover
8. Harding
9. (tie) Garfield
10. (tie) Filmore

Of interesting note: Wilson established the Federal Reserve in his first term and led America into World War I in his second term. I would have put him in the worse 10 for those very same reasons.

6 posted on 02/14/2009 11:07:24 PM PST by KarlInOhio (On 9/11 Israel mourned with us while the Palestinians danced in the streets. Who should we support?)
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To: period end of story

W deserves his ranking. Sorry he has made a mess of everything. His bills are still arriving. For example, he signed the bill that won’t allow kids under eleven to have anything with any lead in it at all. This is a thread on FR if you would like to read.


7 posted on 02/14/2009 11:08:45 PM PST by napscoordinator
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To: KarlInOhio

Gee whiz. What would we have done if all those antiquated monarchist regimes had continued to beat each other bloody ‘til 1920? That War To End All Wars thing sure worked out great.


8 posted on 02/14/2009 11:10:49 PM PST by Eleutheria5 (www.publishedauthors.net/benmaxwell/index.html. Donate to members.tripod.com/tva_israel/HOME.HTM)
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To: period end of story
these types wouldn’t have liked him. Perhaps they might have hated him a little less.

No, they would have hated him just the same ...

(To paraphrase your screename, Period. End. Of. Story.)

9 posted on 02/14/2009 11:11:29 PM PST by Mr_Moonlight
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To: Eleutheria5

Lincoln would be nothing had not Thomas Jefferson come before him. Just sayin.


10 posted on 02/14/2009 11:11:50 PM PST by quantim (Victory is not relative, it is absolute.)
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To: napscoordinator
This is a thread on FR if you would like to read.

Why don't you read it for me , and maybe I'll learn something.

11 posted on 02/14/2009 11:13:49 PM PST by period end of story (Give me a firm spot, and I will move the world.)
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To: Eleutheria5

These lefty “experts” write the history books. Dubya will stay in the toilet on these lists.


12 posted on 02/14/2009 11:14:54 PM PST by Anti-Bubba182
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To: Eleutheria5
What would we have done if all those antiquated monarchist regimes had continued to beat each other bloody ‘til 1920?

Then all the European combatants in the Great War would have collapsed in bloody exhaustion, and worked out some sort of Agreement to Cease Hostilities.

No Treaty of Versailles, no economic collapse of Germany, no rise of Adolph Hitler.

I trust you can take it from there.

"The Great War" would still be known as "The Great War".

13 posted on 02/14/2009 11:14:55 PM PST by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: Eleutheria5

We’re still picking up leftovers from that war. Balkans? Post WWI division of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Iraq? Post WWI division of the Ottoman Empire. Israel and everyone else in the empire? Also the breakup of the Ottoman Empire with the addition of the British Balfour declaration.


14 posted on 02/14/2009 11:15:19 PM PST by KarlInOhio (On 9/11 Israel mourned with us while the Palestinians danced in the streets. Who should we support?)
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To: Mr_Moonlight
(To paraphrase your screename, Period. End. Of. Story.)

Better.

15 posted on 02/14/2009 11:16:07 PM PST by period end of story (Give me a firm spot, and I will move the world.)
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To: KarlInOhio

It’s even worse. The U.S. military was poorly funded and poorly equipped due to Wilson’s policies, prior to asking for a Declaration of war. The solders didn’t even have helmets!


16 posted on 02/14/2009 11:16:31 PM PST by MCF
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To: napscoordinator

W infuriated me with his plans for immigration amnesty, his 11th-hour bailouts of financial institutions that should have gotten a mercy bullet, his failure to pardon Libby, and his inability to control spending. I don’t doubt that he’s outlawed lead pencils.

But he accomplished great things at the same time, things that O’Bama cannot even Hope! to match, and will probably Change!, i.e, sabotage. I don’t know if he deserved to be in the top 10, but he certainly didn’t deserve to be in the bottom 10, either.


17 posted on 02/14/2009 11:18:03 PM PST by Eleutheria5 (www.publishedauthors.net/benmaxwell/index.html. Donate to members.tripod.com/tva_israel/HOME.HTM)
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To: period end of story

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2185948/posts

lol. Here you go.


18 posted on 02/14/2009 11:18:54 PM PST by napscoordinator
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To: Eleutheria5
Jimmy Carter barely managed to escape the bottom 10

That's all one needs to see to know whoever ranked the presidents were idiots. Carter was the worst US president of the modern era and quite possibly of all time.

19 posted on 02/14/2009 11:19:34 PM PST by highlander_UW (The only difference between the MSM and the DNC is the MSM sells ad space in their propaganda)
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To: Anti-Bubba182

“These lefty “experts” write the history books. Dubya will stay in the toilet on these lists.”

If that were true, Ronald Reagan would be a dirty word. Their hatred is a sure sign that Dubya will be treated better down the line.


20 posted on 02/14/2009 11:20:57 PM PST by Eleutheria5 (www.publishedauthors.net/benmaxwell/index.html. Donate to members.tripod.com/tva_israel/HOME.HTM)
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