Ranking the presidents

I thought it might be fun to play a little parlor game. Below, you will find my selections for the Top and Bottom 10 Presidents in U.S. history. Lists like this are, admittedly, highly subjective by their very nature - and yet, various ranking lists from the first great original done by Arthur Schlesinger in 1948 to C-SPAN's poll in 1999 all indicate similar results for the best and worst. My results below match fairly closely to these others with mostly differences in ranking by no more than 5 spots or so.

For judging the top ten Presidents in U.S. history, I chose the following criteria: Their handling of Crisis Management, Domestic/Economic Policy, Foreign Policy, Moral Character, Leadership, Legacy, and the pursuit of Civil Rights and Individual Liberty.

Thus, Wilson, who is typically ranked at or on the top ten on most polls, is not given that honor on my list, mostly due to his regressive policies towards blacks and civil rights as well as his foreign policy which was a complete failure.

Similarly, the presence of Jimmy Carter and (much as it pains me personally) Ulysses S. Grant on the bottom ten portion - Both were men of impeccable personal moral character - yet neither proved capable of leadership or crisis management as Chief Executive.

There are several choices which may not seem consistent with the above criteria (most notably Andrew Jackson and Thomas Jefferson) but mitigating or special circumstances may have influenced them.

In any case, that's how I did it. You may agree or not - I just thought I should spend this holiday wisely as opposed to the way most of our free-vacations from work are handled (mine included).

In each case I give three reasons for my choice. In each case, the reasons match one of the top six criteria. (NOTE: For the Top Ten anyway - for the Bottom Ten I just sorta rant as in most cases, 3 reasons were not enough).

Created a breathing, working Presidency from theory and ideals through sheer force of will and unblemished moral character.

Led the United States of America into the greatest experiment (and success) in self-rule ever attempted in the history of civilization.

Solidification of the Federal Government's authority over the States and the establishment of the United States of America we now know it.
The destruction of slavery and the great "Original Sin" which lay at the heart of this nations founding.

Saved the world from the greatest evil in the history of civilization.
Saved the world from the greatest evil in the history of civilization.

Orchestrated the greatest non-wartime national rebirth (from the economic, militarily, and psychological ashes of the 70's) in U.S. history.

The courage, wisdom, and mercy (yes…mercy) that enabled him to end WWII by the use of nuclear weapons as opposed to the bloodbath of invasion (generous estimates of Hiroshima and Nagasaki dead are at 400,000 - conservative estimates of U.S. dead alone for an invasion of Japan were 500,000 with millions of dead Japanese).
The Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan - nuff said…
The desegregation of the U.S military and all Federal Service.

The Panama Canal - nuff said
The establishment of an activist foreign policy which bolstered American security and prestige while simultaneously winning TR the Nobel Peace Prize.
The establishment of the American conservationist legacy by the Forest Reserve Act of 1891, which declared 235 million acres as permanent national forests and parks.

VII James K. Polk:

The Securing of the Oregon Territory (while simultaneously furthering the "Monroe Doctrine precedent by facing down the U.K.).
The establishment of an Independent U.S. Treasury.

VIII Grover Cleveland:

The most fiscally conservative Democrat in U.S. History, Cleveland forever solidified in the American psyche the concept that free market capitalism was a great good and tariffs and protectionism were evils to be abolished.
His attitudes and respect for the indigenous peoples of Hawaii and Cuba (in the face of possible annexation) laid the foundations for the future handling of all U.S. foreign affairs with an eye towards restraint and conscience as well as the eventual rejection of colonial imperialism.
He was the most scrupulously honest and courageous President of the Gilded Age and these character traits did much to set the future tone of American politics, fiscal policies, and human rights.

IX Andrew Jackson:
The Annexation of Florida
The establishment of Federal Power over States (and the delaying of a Civil War for a few more decades). South Carolina was but one step from secession over it's right to "nullify" Federal Authority as subordinate to States Rights. Jackson corrected them with the threat of U.S. military intervention.

Established the legacy of the President being beholden to the will of the people, as well as the rise of mass political parties as a coalition of interests.
NOTE: His treatment of Native American's (the infamous "Trail of Tears") almost made me remove him but, unlike Jefferson, he did not talk out of both sides of his mouth on the issue and was very much a product of his time (as lame as that sounds) and in any case, was no different from the treatment handed out by most U.S. Presidents.

X Thomas Jefferson:
The Louisiana Purchase - which more than doubled the size of America with the stroke of a pen (and $15 Million to Napoleon).

The Shores of Tripoli." - The Barbary Coast Wars. The first foreign military intervention by U.S. forces to secure American rights and which also set a precedent, still active today, of U.S. refusal to be blackmailed by "terrorists" or rogue states.

NOTE: Jefferson's position - at 10 - may be a conceit on my part (I harbor a secret fondness for him). The reality is that the majority of the great accomplishments he is most worshiped for came before his Presidency. In addition, it is impossible to gloss over his appalling hypocrisy on the issue of "all men are created equal" while continuing to own human beings due to no other motivation than personal greed. In the end, Jefferson is on my list as a representation of the highest ideals of America (even when we fail to achieve them).

Ike is on most of the lists I have seen. His moral character, and leadership are undeniable, and his reign during some of the most optimistic and golden periods in American history (the 50's) is more than just coincidence. On the other hand, his foreign policy endeavors were largely appalling failures. The bay of Pigs was planned by his administration. His words on Communist Europe were proven (at great cost - ask Hungary) to be bluster while his policies on South East Asia began what would be the greatest military, domestic, and foreign policy disaster in U.S. history - Viet Nam. When coupled with his lukewarm attitudes towards Truman's fledgling civil rights advances, he must be relegated to somewhere less than top 10.
James Monroe:

JFK was a womanizer, an elitist, and a political slickster who's administration double-dealed, held mortal grudges, and practiced the politics of personal vendetta. The Bay of Pigs was a fiasco, his personal war against Castro was illegal (and would eventually play a part in his assassination), and he accelerated Vietnam.
Having said all that (which is why he is not in the Top Ten) He was also, if hypocritically so, deeply committed to Civil Rights advancement. His brinkmanship with Russia nearly ended the world - but did not - and for that he must be given great credit. He was the most fiscally conservative Democrat in the 20th Century and his vision for America and our role in the world (The Apollo Moon Missions, The Peace Corps, The international succoring of liberty) where both real and genuinely stirring.
The Bottom Ten - The Worst Presidents in U.S. History:

The worst President in U.S. history. Played with himself while the nation moved towards Civil War and 600,000 deaths. His inaction was a colossal betrayal of trust and duty. When he did act, he only made things worse. Indeed, it was the incompetence and moral cowardice of Buchanan that underscored the superiority of his successor, Abraham Lincoln.

II Andrew Johnson:
After Lincoln's assassination, Johnson single-handedly ensured that reconstruction would fail. He undid all of Lincoln's promises of "Charity towards all, malice towards none" by simultaneously antagonizing white southerners while abandoning the recently freed slaves. A Southerner and racist, no one could have been a worse successor for the great Lincoln. He supported the enactment of "Black codes". He so alienated his own party and congress, they moved to hedge his authority. When he crossed them, the House of Representatives impeached him (one of only two Presidents in U.S. History). He was spared removal from office by one vote in the Senate.

One of the most disappointing and tragic figures on my list. A man of great intelligence, sensitivity and moral fortitude, who turned out to be unable to face the challenges of office and adversity. A micromanager and idealist, Carter's naiveté coupled with an unwillingness to accept advice placed him a position of being feckless by default. On both the home front and internationally, tremendous energies were expended with no forward motion. The Soviet Union accumulated the greatest political and military advancements since the end of WWII while the Carter administration stood like a deer in the headlights. The oil crisis, unemployment, interest rates, and capped off by the Iranian Hostage crisis. Like a great academic politico, Carter could not handle the big chair when it came time to actually sit.

IV William Jefferson Clinton:

Clinton's first inaugural promise of being "The most Ethical Administration in the history of the United States", is a joke of such cosmic, gargantuan proportions, it is almost difficult to believe he actually said them. His moral turpitude, contempt for the rule of law, and outright corruption, coupled with several large policy failures (Energy Policy, Foreign Policy, Mid East Peace, The Military) are not offset by his one or two modest successes (GATT/WTO and welfare reform) nor his small part in one very large success (The economic boom). When you add in his horrifying disregard for the law, ethics, and personal accountability, Clinton emerges from the dust as a man of low practical ability and morals who played the instruments of personal politics and influence while the White House burned. The second President in U.S. history to be impeached. Like Johnson, he avoided being removed from office by one vote

V Calvin Coolidge:
If Clinton "fiddled while Rome Burned" then "Cool Cal" was in a coma under the guise of "minimalist conservative government". In addition, his high protective tariffs were a complete reversal of the free market ideals supported by his predecessors and aided in the coming of the Great Depression. Hoover often gets most of the blame for the great depression - I say it was Cal.

His "great society" and "war on poverty" is a legacy we are still paying for today. The class warfare attitudes and cycle of government dependence created by his failed attempts at democratizing socialism formed the basis of a divisive and counterproductive policy which helped lock hundreds of thousands of lives into permanent poverty and underclass. His escalation of the War in Vietnam for purely personal political purposes was underscored by his cowardice in refusing to run for a second elected term when it became clear he would be the "first President to lose a War". Only his support of civil rights (ironic considering what a vicious racist he was) prevents him from being in the top 5 of my list.

VII Gerald Ford:
Knew nothing, did nothing. As a congressman, never introduced ONE bill in 22 years! Was a gleeful participant in the greatest lie ever forced on the American people (the Warren Commission investigation of JFK's assassination). While these had nothing to do with his presidency, we should have seen the rest coming. Gerald Ford's sole job was to secure a Presidential pardon for Nixon. That is the only reason Nixon picked him. There is no other way this cosmic milquetoast could have even managed a wet-dream about becoming President.

Shocked are you? I know most people who are acquainted with me will be.
Even if you do not like him, "can he be that bad?" you ask? Yes.
Why? Forget leaving Saddam in power (not his fault) forget the economy (not his fault), Bush's biggest problem was his need to cover up his past and his willingness to utilize his most sacred Presidential power to do so.

On Christmas Eve, 1989, George Bush ordered the invasion of Panama, a sovereign neighbor, to remove the arguably popularly supported head of state so he could stand CRIMINAL charges in an America Court for narcotics trafficking. Huh? That would be like Tony Blair unleashing the British military (on the 4th of July) to invade New Hampshire because the mayor of Butts-ville was doing 100 mph in a 55 zone. Why did Bush do it? To avoid impeachment. Noriega was a U.S. CIA puppet who helped run drugs and launder money for the CIA. Bush was involved (both as VP and as CIA director) and Noriega was too dangerous to leave around. During his trial, 4 DEA agents were barred from testifying, under oath, that Noriega was working with the U.S. Have ya ever wondered what happened to Noriega? Have not heard anything about that since have we? The whole thing just kinda went away...

Obvious - the only reasons which kept him out of the top five (and ALMOST took him off the top ten)
a) Only Nixon could go to China...
b) He ended the Vietnam war.

X Ulysses S. Grant:
*sigh* Another one I weep to place on the list (like Carter). Great man, honest man, man of tremendous personal character and leadership. Naive, politically lazy, and a sucker. The most corrupt administration in U.S. history (due to the fact that Grant was surrounded by slime that he was never quite able to recognize or deal with). Only his personal traits save him from more damaging condemnation.

- Zachary Taylor/Millard Fillmore/Franklin Pierce: The three Presidents who preceded Buchanan and Lincoln. All aided in their own way the coming storm of Civil War.

I have in fact watched almost every single tape about the Gulf War on those channels and in fact the History Channel has updated the ones with Kent Clark, the guy who covered the first Gulf War, were run last week and re-run during the weekend. The only person who said they felt bad about the Highway of Death was Colin Powell, which is most likely some revisionism. However, the Highway of Death had nothing to do our armored "left hook" that was halted from driving to Baghdad, since the arabs and liberals made sure the resolution did not upset that non-existant 'arab street'. Consequently, the Iraq "cease fire" was a UN resolution since our units were mixed.

No, the Liberals haven't gotten to me. It so happens that JFK made a speech to the Economics Club of New York to pitch his plan to jumpstart the economy by lowering taxes. That came from Rush Limbaugh not any damned Liberals! The thing about the "space race" was my recollection of High School History (courtesy of the Public School System),so that is questionable.

I will not sit idly by and be accused of letting Liberal get to me. Get bent!

The illegalities in the justice department weren't numerous. Daughtery, for example, was never convicted of any crime. The VA was a different matter. Forbes was a real scum-bag.

Harding was not involved, however, in any of these scandals hence at best you could fault him for incompetency on this matter not "total" immorality. Again, when taken as a whole the money and power manipulations in these scandals were minimal compared to funny business which went on under FDR, LBJ, and Nixon. BTW, remember Truman and the Pendergast machine? In many of those other presidential scandals, unlike those under Harding, the presidents were directly involved.

Well, everybody is entitled to their own opinion.

I don't like Wilson because he started the income tax and got us involved with WW1, which, I believe, was a mistake.
The Europeans were quite good at killing each other without any help from us. They had done so for years. Wilson was a elitist Anglophile and was providing the British with assistance long before we actually got into war with the Germans. The Kaiser's record on human rights was no worse than the British - look at Ireland, India and Africa. As for the French - they were spoiling for a fight over Alscae-Lorraine - really GERMAN territory returned back to the Germans a few centuries after Louis XIV stole those territories. We should not have gotten involved.
Look at the gratitude we have today from our European "allies".

I don't like Lincoln, because I believe that in saving the Union, he destroyed the Republic.

I though Ford was a bumbling idiot and still is. Rumor had it Nixon selected him as insurance against his own removal from office. I remember Ford as a bit of a clown and an embarrassment who could scarcely deliver an intelligible address. Some of his recent comments on issues also leave me guessing about his intelligence if not his political viewpoint - but I couldn't give you specifics on that so don't ask me.

I will not sit idly by and be accused of letting Liberal get to me. Get bent!

Um, "Liberals have gotten to you," was said with tongue in cheek, so there was no need to get so offended. We're on the same side.

Just out of curiosity, when did you graduate from high school? I'm interested in documenting the Kennedy myth as developed by liberal "Social Studies" teachers, who, I'm sorry to say, did in fact "get to you."

The illegalities in the justice department weren't numerous. Daughtery, for example, was never convicted of any crime. The VA was a different matter. Forbes was a real scum-bag. Harding was not involved, however, in any of these scandals hence at best you could fault him for incompetency on this matter not "total" immorality. Again, when taken as a whole the money and power manipulations in these scandals were minimal compared to funny business which went on under FDR, LBJ, and Nixon. BTW, remember Truman and the Pendergast machine? In many of those other presidential scandals, unlike those under Harding, the presidents were directly involved.

...Harding is more history's choice as a bad president, than mine...

I think Johnson's manuevers were crucial to the breaking of Jim Crow - whatever his shady motivations.

For the same reason, Ike should be moved up the list. His appointment of Republican Federal Judges in the deep south are what began breaking the back of Jim Crow.

As to the criticism of not doing anything about the Hungarian Revolution is bogus. The fact is that in 1956, the only thing we could have done was either go for all out nuclear war or get our asses kicked in a conventional European land war against a much larger Soviet Army.

As to the tin foil hat stuff about Panama, the writer says this;

"On Christmas Eve, 1989, George Bush ordered the invasion of Panama, a sovereign neighbor, to remove the arguably popularly supported head of state..."

There was nothing popular about Noriega. He was a pure thug who had his hired goons beat and kill opposition leaders and eventually sent them after Americans who happened to venture outside the Zone.

He's right that if you want to do this at all seriously, you have to have, state and defend objective criteria, not just one's own subjective preferences. But that is very hard to do.

In no way is JFK even close to the top ten. Anti-imperialist Cleveland looks strange sandwiched between expansionists like Roosevelt, Polk, Jackson and Jefferson. Something doesn't look too objective there. Cleveland also convinced very few that free trade was the right policy. It would be later Democrats, more committed to big government, who did that. And if we blame other Presidents for not coping with depressions and recessions, Cleveland's desire to let the economy fix itself, an admirable decision in itself, lowers him rating. Grover Cleveland may have been an admirable man, but clearly he doesn't belong with the others.

Buchanan has to be the worst, but Pierce was a worse President than Coolidge. And worse than Grant, Harding, Carter, Ford, Bush or either of the Johnsons, too. Zachary Taylor, like Jerry Ford, falls in a category close to that of Garfield and the first Harrison: those who weren't in office long enough to do much good or evil. Taylor might have been a very good President had he lived. And Ford did much to pick up the pieces after Nixon.

Ford may have been the most mediocre of mediocrities, but he was not a failure in the same sense as the others. In fantasy, he might have done any number of things. In reality his options were limited, and he did leave the country better than Nixon left it to him.

Probably the George Bush rating is the most controversial. I don't want to believe it, but GHWB did blow a lot of splendid opportunities.

"Um, "Liberals have gotten to you," was said with tongue in cheek, so there was no need to get so offended."

The only thing that ticks me off more than the Liberals themselves is the accusation of being a sympathizer, or lacky to the ideology of Liberalism.

You are wrong in stating that JFK didn't accomplish anything. I previously mentioned the only two things that he did accomplish. Jimmy Carter, William Jefferson Clinton were the two Presidents that didn't accomplish anything.

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