Greatest U.S. President? Public Names Reagan, Clinton, Lincoln

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE ^ | 2/18/05 | Joseph Carroll

[NYGOPRULEZ]

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- Depending on where Americans live, on Monday they'll be celebrating the birthday of the nation's first president, George Washington, or Washington's birthday and President Abraham Lincoln's birthday. A recent Gallup Poll asking Americans to name, without prompting, the "greatest United States president," finds Americans most often mentioning Ronald Reagan. Republicans and Democrats differ sharply in their views of the greatest president, with Republicans most often mentioning Reagan and Democrats most often mentioning Bill Clinton. When asked to choose the greater president between Lincoln and Washington, Americans pick Lincoln by a wide margin.

Reagan Tops List

The poll, conducted Feb. 7-10, finds that Reagan is mentioned more often than any other president in history as the greatest, at 20%. Four other presidents trail closely behind: Clinton (with 15% of the mentions), Lincoln (14%), Franklin D. Roosevelt (12%), and John F. Kennedy (also 12%). The current president, George W. Bush, and the first president, Washington, are each mentioned by 5% of Americans.

[tryon1ja]

The present George will be #1 when his term is up and people realize just how great he is. Right now it is hard for some people to see the forest for the trees.

[GatorGirl]

Just another example of liberal lunacy. Clinton???? LOL!

(But it is gratifying that MOST respondents named Ronald Reagan. There is hope, after all!)

[libertyman]

I personally wouldn't have put President Lincoln on that list. Go to lewrockwell.com & read their "King Lincoln" articles.

[NorCalRepub]

I"m sure they are negative by your abhorrence to my list. Well I've done some study but not an expert.....but hell, If the Wall Street Journal agrees with me than I don't feel so bad. I'm not a learned scholar on the Presidents, only what I studied on Lincoln from the civil war and odd bits on the History channel etc......

[Rocky Top]

Just like my bumpersticker back in the day....NIXON NOW.

[pollywog]

CLINTON?????????????????????????

and ABOVE WASHINGTON!!!!!!!!!! This poll is a joke of JOKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BenLurkin]

Got it. Thanks for clearing that up.

[BenLurkin]

He accomplished the Republican ascendancy in Congress and tried to take credit for much of the Contract With America. If losing that much makes a president great then . . .

[quesera]

RE: post #72

I was quite young during Nixon, Carter, and Reagan. I Actually remember quite a bit and how I felt in general during Reagan . I really became aware of politics during Reagan, in fact I was inspired by him. There will never be another one like President Reagan. I also love W, but he will be great in his own way.

I can't say I know much about the earlier Presidents except what I learned in HS and College. President Reagan should be among one of the greatest Presidents. I am also troubled by the fact that Nixon was placed in same category as carter, President Nixon deserves to be placed way above Carter. As far as I am concerned Both Carter and Clinton should be placed at the very bottom as two of the worst. Hate is a word I don't use often but I really hated Clinton for what he did to the Oval Office.

President Bush I am hoping will also find a place among one of the greatest.

[Mudboy Slim]

"...has Dubya accomplished about for times as much in his first term than the impeached *Crinton did in eight years?"

Dubyuh should not measure his success against Slick Willie's...MUD

[writer33]

He accomplished the Republican ascendancy in Congress and tried to take credit for much of the Contract With America. If losing that much makes a president great then . . .

I agree. I was just being my normal sarcastic self. He isn't, nor will he ever be great.

[Dysfunctional]

The top 3 corrupt: Harding, Grant and Clinton.

All came to office merely to skim the system.

[Dysfunctional]

This shows you the leftist, totally feminized educational system is doing its job.

The only famous Washingtons known by democrats today are sports figures or historic black educators.

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

Mount Rushmore does not have even one Democrat honored. How sweet it is!

Reagan should be added so we can put another Republican up there and make it three Republicans. Ronald Reagan did far more to earn this right than even Teddy Roosevelt did. Reagan won a major war, he tore down the Berlin wall practically by himself and he restored pride in America like no other past president.

[onyx eyes]

drtl said; I say: take the poll a few years from now, and people will say he's the Pres. we had before we knew what time of day it is. Before, we were made painfully aware of the real world out there. The world Clinton hid from us for eight long years of con-man deceptions.

[harpo11]

He squirted and stained the oval office. This makes him a liberal icon.

[GOPcapitalist]

My list of the greatest:

1. Coolidge
2. Reagan
3. Jefferson
4. Monroe
5. Polk
6. Washington
7. Pierce
8. Harding
9. Cleveland
10. Bush II

My list of the worst (starting with the worst):

1. FDR
2. Lincoln
3. Clinton
4. LBJ
5. Carter
6. Grant
7. Wilson
8. JQ Adams
9. Hayes
10. Truman

Best VP: John Calhoun

Worst VP: Henry Wallace

[GOPcapitalist]

Agreed. I have yet to hear a reputable historian with the take on Lincoln that DiLosero has.

What's your definition of a "reputable historian" then?

I do know one thing about the historians: all the communist ones love Lincoln, and so did Karl Marx himself.

[zarf]

Your smoking some potent weed.

[zarf]

Or better yet: You're smoking some potent weed.