James K. Polk
Posted on 02/18/2005 2:23:36 PM PST by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at gallup.com ...
Bill Clinton ranks ahead of George Washington? That tells us more about the respondents than the presidents. (Bill Clinton is not worthy to lick Washington's boots -- nor would Washington let him.)
I can't figure out why anyone on either side would say Clinton, other than out of sheer laziness of thought: He's the first to come to mind for some because he was the last Democrat in office. I mean, if I were a liberal, Clinton still wouldn't even be in the top 10!
The top ten
1. Washington
2. Lincoln
3. Reagan
4. Coolidge
5. Eisenhower
6. Jefferson
7. McKinley
8. Monroe
9. Theodore Roosevelt
10.Warren G. Harding (Don't laugh; he dismantled the high taxes and police state policies of Woodrow Wilson; Paul Johnson argues persuasively that he was a great president)
Just goes to show you the idiocy of the people Gallup picked for this poll.
My "poll" ( which is just as relevant as a Gallup poll because I say it is) has Reagan at #1, Washington at #2, Theodore Roosevelt at #3 and George W. Bush at #4 and climbing.
Clinton, impeached and disgraced "polled" at #-8
And any misleading and lying "news" reports were in his favor.
James K. Polk
You're right. I'm ashamed.
Is it just me - or has Dubya accomplished about for times as much in his first term than the impeached *Crinton did in eight years?
Try not to be too upset by polls like this. I can still remember when Carter was always mentioned. Well, history finally has him in his designated spot, near the last.
FOUR times!
I am in agreement. It would have to be George Washington. He only helped found a Republic.
I think Lincoln though comes pretty close to Washington.. I would name them: 1. Washington 2. Lincoln 3. Reagan....
Even if they renamed it 'the greatest President of our time', there's no way Clinton belongs there. Clinton was the Democrats' platform, principles, and future of the party. Now that he's not President, they have nothing and have had nothing for the last five years. Except Ted Kennedy's rants and Howard Dean's YEEEEEEARGH!
He survived impeachment?
That was his major accomplishment.
All the significant (and popular) legislation he signed were Republican sponsored bills that he opposed initially but ended caving on after sticking his finger in the wind.
Aside from the 1993 tax increase, there were no major pieces of legislation in 8 years that were initiated by the Clinton administration. That must be some sort of modern record.
C'mon, you remember: GW was that racist, rich, white, land-holding slave onwer who died 200 yrs ago.
BTW, that was a fairly close quote to a discussion I heard on C-SPAN that was held by a group of "Progressives" in Boston's Old North Church during the Dim Convention last yr. IT'S TRUE! Check it out yourself.
Now report to Tolerance University for your reedumucation. :)
Maybe people thought they meant Greatest American Perverts.
It's just you. :)
I agree that JFK is overrated, but in many instances the actual man isn't important to history--his myth is. JFK has become a Legend, and that's fine--a sort of noble grandeur surrounds him. So what if in actuality he was mediocre--people are inspired by his memory and will work for his ideals. And his ideals were solid--freedom-loving and anti-Communist, pro-business, pro-low taxes, individualistic. It may be that his policies never matched his rhetoric, but the advantage of being martyred is that it is your rhetoric that is remembered. A nation needs Heroes to sustain it, and if Kennedy is to become one of them, then I say welcome to the Pantheon.
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