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To: u-89
Solid presidents:

Andrew Jackson: The very best. He killed thae National Bank of that pecksniff and neo-Federalist Nicholas Biddle and his snob cronies. He was in battle with Jean Lafitte at his side, thoroughly ventilating Brit General Pakenham who, after all, had no business being in the US at all, then stuffed Pakenham's bullet-riddled corpse into a whiskey keg with whiskey as the preservative and sent the old boy back to his tea-sipping relatives. Grabbed Florida for the US, sent John Quincy Adams packing after having the previous election stolen by a cabal of Adams and Clay acting for the big shot interests against the folks, pet banks, spoils, wildly populist and popular. No one even thought of mesing with the US with him in the White House. Openly connived with cronies in early exercises of Manifest Destiny. You wanted him on your side in a personal gunfight too. The best, the very best.

Ronaldus Maximus: No need for discussion since he is recent enough. The very best of the 20th Century. Even now in his present condition, he would be a far better president than Woodrow Wilson, William Howard Taft (Federal Reserve, 16th Amendment gets under way), Herbert Hoover, Dwight Eisenhower, JFK, LBJ, RMN, Gerald Ford (by a margin of infinity to 1), Bush the Elder and, of course the Arkansas Antichrist. In his prime, he was better than the rest of his 20th century competitors. Gets extra credit for refusing to employ paleos.

Rutherford B. Hayes: Achieved office the old-fashioned way by buying it. He ended Reconsruction to satisfy the fifteenth and independent commissioner fro the South. He only did what was right and he got the presidency for it. He also ended the Civil War Income Tax and redeemed tha Civil War greenbacks in full face value in gold as a lesson to the nation and its politicians as to funny money. Then, having done about all a man could do, he went home to Ohio after one term.

Thomas Jefferson: As Ronaldus Maximus observed to a White House guest list of science pracitioners and professors, theirs was the second smartest average IQ get together in any one room at the White House and second only to Thoms Jefferson using the smallest room by himself. Helped American recover from dread Federalist days and policies.

James K. Polk: Jacksonian and vigorous practitioner of Manifest Destiny. What more need by said?

Warren Gamaliel Harding: There will never be another with a middle name like that. Used to give the slip to Secret Service and sneak out a secret White House exit with a cold case of beer to hand out in casual clothes to bleacher bums at Senators' baseball park. William Henry Harrison: Contracted pneumonia giving inaugural speech in the freezing rain for hours at age seventy. He died forty days later, having done no damage despite being a Whig.

Benjamin Harrison: Grandson of William Henry and a true naif and child of nature. Benny went to see his campaign manager, Matt Quay, the day after the election and said: Thank God, we won, Matt!. Quay realistically replied: God had nothing to do with it, Harrison. We bought every vote you got.

FDR and TR as aforesaid.

Chester Arthur: beneficiary of the marksmanship of a stalwart (conservative) assassin of the radical Garfield, he was expected to be the most corrupt crony-lover ever but disappointed and ran a clean government. Even so, he was very good.

Those are my favorite 11. Honorable mention: Franklin Pierce and ames Buchanan and Dubya.

154 posted on 08/22/2003 1:49:35 PM PDT by BlackElk ( We're off to hunt the RINOs, the RINOs who want to rule Oz! Becuz, becuz, becuz.....)
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To: BlackElk
I have no quibbles with your list other than FDR, which is a major item. I'd have to brush up on my history to see if I would add or swap some names, but they would be few...Madison(?), Monroe(?).
I could almost put Washington just for his farewell address reference to foreign entanglements.

BTW, I liked Nixon, though he was flawed, I wouldn't put him on the "great" list, and he was a globalist (ugh!). I liked Truman, too, though I wouldn't put him on the list.

Maybe you could do a worst 10. Wilson, Clinton, JFK, LBJ,...

Gridlock presidents and do-nothings are normally better than liberal activists.
156 posted on 08/22/2003 2:18:49 PM PDT by RaginCajunTrad (ask not what your government can do for you; ask your government not to do anything to you)
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To: BlackElk
Gets extra credit for refusing to employ paleos. -Black Elk
Uhhh, Black Elk, didn't President Maximus employ one Patrick Paleo-J Buchanan as his speechwriter? Casey, Watt and Meese at worst would be 'tweeners.
158 posted on 08/23/2003 4:57:38 PM PDT by sittnick (There's no salvation in politics.)
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