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Greatest U.S. President? Public Names Reagan, Clinton, Lincoln
GALLUP NEWS SERVICE ^ | 2/18/05 | Joseph Carroll

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 ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: abelincoln; gallup; impeachedx42; poll; presidents; reagan; topten
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To: NYGOPRULEZ
How about Coolidge. We cant under estimate the wisdom in leaving well enough alone and let capitalism lead as it does naturally to prosperity.
61 posted on 02/18/2005 2:48:16 PM PST by Archon of the East (The Constitution is a terrible thing to waste)
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To: Patti_ORiley

"...FDR should be up there because of leadership during times when our country was engaged in major wars that threatened our national existence"

FDR was laid up in bed most of the time our "greatest generation" was out fighting the war that he promised to keep us out of - before prodding Japan into dragging us in.

Then he turned half of Europe over to Stalin in exchange for his "united nations" fantasy, starting the cold war and leaving us answering to France as his legacy.


62 posted on 02/18/2005 2:48:43 PM PST by Undecided
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To: churchillbuff

I don't see Polk on your list. Polk was a superstar--he should have at least made it into your top 10!


63 posted on 02/18/2005 2:49:18 PM PST by Cyclopean Squid (The 80s belonged to the Gipper, the Aughts belong to Dubya!)
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To: libertyman
C'mon, you remember: GW was that racist, rich, white, land-holding slave onwer who died 200 yrs ago.

It's becoming clearer now. He was the guy that forced all the Native Americans off their land, taking more and more territory for white people.

I remember the guy. :)

64 posted on 02/18/2005 2:50:00 PM PST by writer33 ("In Defense of Liberty," a political thriller, being released in March)
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To: Recovering_Democrat

Yes! Manifest Destiny all the way.


65 posted on 02/18/2005 2:50:08 PM PST by Cyclopean Squid (The 80s belonged to the Gipper, the Aughts belong to Dubya!)
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To: Recovering_Democrat

Mexicans shrink back at the sound of his name.


66 posted on 02/18/2005 2:51:18 PM PST by My2Cents (Fringe poster since 1998.)
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To: libertyman
Too bad so few of my FReeper friends have read "The Real Lincoln" by Thomas DiLorenzo.

I read it. DiLorenzo is to Lincoln as Michael Moore is to Bush. That book isn't history. It's pure political propaganda designed to tantalize the historically ignorant and the radical fringe.

But like Moore, I'm sure DiLorenzo has made a lot of money from the Lost Cause Lunatics.

67 posted on 02/18/2005 2:52:35 PM PST by Ditto ( No trees were killed in sending this message, but billions of electrons were inconvenienced.)
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To: Recovering_Democrat

Do you realize that photo of Polk is larger than life-like? LOL


68 posted on 02/18/2005 2:52:38 PM PST by My2Cents (Fringe poster since 1998.)
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To: writer33

Must not fall asleep. The Pods are everywhere!


69 posted on 02/18/2005 2:52:38 PM PST by Conspiracy Guy (Reading is fundamental. Comprehension is optional.)
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To: Undecided

Who the hell is FDR? I need a big mac! Just kidding. Hey, I don't think you intended to reply to my post, but it is nice to hear from you anyway.


70 posted on 02/18/2005 2:54:02 PM PST by Patti_ORiley
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To: Ditto
But like Moore, I'm sure DiLorenzo has made a lot of money from the Lost Cause Lunatics.

There's a lot of money to be made in fiction.

71 posted on 02/18/2005 2:54:46 PM PST by Non-Sequitur
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To: NYGOPRULEZ
I am not one for slavish subscription to the opinion of academics, but the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal recently published the rankings of the Presidents of a group of scholars. The rankings seem to be reasonably accurate, with a few exceptions. I printed the rankings out to keep...here they are:

GREAT
1. George Washington
2. Abraham Lincoln
3. Franklin Roosevelt

NEAR GREAT

4. Thomas Jefferson
5. Theodore Roosevelt
6. Andrew Jackson
7. Harry Truman
8. Ronald Reagan
9. Dwight Eisenhower
10. James Polk
11. Woodrow Wilson

ABOVE AVERAGE

12. Grover Cleveland
13. John Adams
14. William McKinley
15. James Madison
16. James Monroe
17. Lyndon Johnson
18. John Kennedy

AVERAGE

19. William Taft
20. John Quincy Adams
21. George H.W. Bush
22. Rutherford B. Hayes
23. Martin Van Buren
24. Bill Clinton
25. Calvin Coolidge
26. Chester Arthur

BELOW AVERAGE

27. Benjamin Harrison
28. Gerald Ford
29. Herbert Hoover
30. Jimmy Carter
31. Zachary Taylor
32. Ulysses Grant
33. Richard Nixon
34. John Tyler
35. Millard Fillmore

FAILURE

36. Andrew Johnson
37. Franklin Pierce
38. Warren Harding
39. James Buchanan

William Henry Harrison was president for only 30 days, and James Garfield was in office only six months. The scholars thought their early deaths made it too difficult to evaluate their tenures, so their presidencies were not included.

I don't agree with all of this...Coolidge ought to be a little higher, in my opinion...Kennedy and Clinton a little lower. Nixon wasn't "below average"--at least not down below Carter. But I think this list is a reasonable representation of a ranking of the Presidents.

72 posted on 02/18/2005 2:54:52 PM PST by Recovering_Democrat (I'm so glad to no longer be associated with the Party of Dependence on Government!)
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To: NorCalRepub

OMG!!!!!! You can't be serious.


73 posted on 02/18/2005 2:55:16 PM PST by libertyman
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To: RWR8189

They all need to study the history of the most corrupt administration in history.


74 posted on 02/18/2005 2:56:50 PM PST by cloud8
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To: NorCalRepub

A couple of years ago, we took to the kids to see the homes of Washington, Jackson, Madison, Jefferson, and Monroe. As we heard of their personal lives, I found my admiration of Washington increasing and my admiration of the others decreasing. As someone who believes in God's Providence, I think that Washington was God's gift to our fledgling nation.


75 posted on 02/18/2005 2:56:56 PM PST by CommerceComet
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To: Ditto
There have been other very good presidents, but none have been even close to Washington.

That is true. And his Farewell Address is still as apropos to the future, as at any time in the past:

Washington's Farewell Address.

William Flax

76 posted on 02/18/2005 2:56:56 PM PST by Ohioan
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To: Cyclopean Squid

I give JFK credit for getting through the Cuban Missile Crises without destroying the world. He deserves honorable mention for that.


77 posted on 02/18/2005 2:57:10 PM PST by faq
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To: NYGOPRULEZ
Bill Clinton as the greatest President?
What did he accomplish?
Created an economic bubble but passed along a recession.
Paid $90,000 to Paula Jones for exposing himself without admitting guilt.
Lied under oath in front of a Federal Grand Jury, had his law license removed for 5 years.
Splattered his semen over Monica Lewinsky's dress.
Fired rockets at the eve of his impeachment hearings at a suspected bin Laden campsite, destroyed a pill factory.
Sold pardons to the highest bidders.
Greatness?
78 posted on 02/18/2005 2:57:39 PM PST by hermgem
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To: NYGOPRULEZ

When school curriculum is dictated by left wing, corrupt union thugs who quit teaching American history in our schools, it isn't suprising that the contributions of George Washington would be ignored.

While an impeached president, who received oral sex in the oval office at the same time he was on the phone conducting government business, is included in the list.

Is this dumbing down the country or what!!


79 posted on 02/18/2005 2:58:02 PM PST by hgro
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To: Conspiracy Guy

:)


80 posted on 02/18/2005 2:58:46 PM PST by writer33 ("In Defense of Liberty," a political thriller, being released in March)
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