Presidential Leadership Rankings: Bush is Ranked "Average" Just Below LBJ (Liberal Historians Alert)

Wall Street Journal ^ | Setp 12,2005 | James Taranto

[LS]

I would put Bush, right now, somewhere in the top 10. Until the last few months, I had him #5 or 6, up there with 1) Washington, 2) Lincoln, 3) Reagan, 4) Coolidge, 5) Cleveland, 6) Bush or TR (quite similar---"big government" guys in some ways, strong on national defense). I actually kind of like Monroe, whom I think Bush also resembles in hiw attempts to be "bi-partisan."

[Nonstatist]

Nixon never fought the Dem Congress on economic matters; a wage price freeze ?... for a Republican?! And affirmative action, EPA and so on. He had his foreign policy and thats all he cared about.. so where was the leadership, otherwise..? He didnt bail out of Vietnam, which I suppose commends him some... But a RINO, he certainly was.

[JOE43270]

There running the poll with the ones they know will give the answers they want. President Bush is a really great leader and I'll agrue with anyone about that. He's led America and our troops threw things that I wouldn't want anyone else doing. America is being taken care of because our people in uniform are excelling and the civilians that are are working through the Katrina diaster are great. We are AMERIA not the government.

[nicollo]

I think Teddy Roosevelt is overrated.

Here for a thread that contains similar thoughts from ole Nicollo: Worst President Ever

I do disagree with this, from your post:

Taft hated being president and knew he probably wouldn't win.

[twigs]

Why do you disagree?

[bray]

Good find, ranking Reagan 26 was the same as W. He will go down as a true visionary when looking back.

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

[Inwoodian]

I agree with your overall opinion of the Nixon administration. Compared to Carter, however, he was George Washington.

[nicollo]

You wrote, "Taft hated being president and knew he probably wouldn't win."

There's a misconception in standing and popular histories that Taft "hated being president." Actually, he rather enjoyed his time in office, and he made the most of it. He actually instructed his children to take advantage of the privileges for he knew they wouldn't last.

His presidency was difficult and draining upon him. That doesn't mean that he "hated" it at the time. Looking back on it a decade later from his perch on the biggest chair on the biggest court in the land, he said that he hardly remembered it. As such he himself fed the impression that he "hated" being president. I've read enough of his correspondence and diaries of those around him to know that he did not not enjoy being president, and that he never once lamented the role while he was in office. He hated the stupid politics, but he played it as vigorously as anyone. And while the break with TR was mind-numbing and scary to him, when it came he fought back strenuously.

As to whether he thought he would win reelection or not, that was an emotion that came and went. As soon as he took office he realized that he was presiding over a possible break in his party, and by the next year he realized that he was presiding over a general shift, in Congress, at least, to the opposing party, partly as a result of his own party's troubles, and as part of the political flow, generally. Even during 1912 there were moments when he thought he could win. The assassination attempt on TR shut down Taft's late Summer momentum that had him pacing TR nationally, and outright outpacing him in other places. Between the sympathy vote and the split, Taft took only 8 electorals. If you look carefully at the state-by-state totals, it tells a different story, for in many states Taft came in 2nd behind Wilson. His 2nd place, which is significant in terms of the 3-way split, came in AR, CT, DE, ID, MA, MO, NH, NM, NY, OH, RI, TN, TX, VA, WI, and WY.

This view of Taft's sentiments towards his time in office as a measure of his presidency is misleading at best. To say that Taft's presidency was a failure because, supposedly, he was unhappy in it is as ridiculous as to say that TR's presidency was a success since he enjoyed it. If you really care about any of this, you might check out my (long) article on the 1912 election (warning: large PDF FILE!): The Constitution's Bodyguard.

Thanks for listening, and I'm well encouraged to read your posts!

[twigs]

You obviously know a lot more about Taft than I do. I read a biography about him several years ao, but I don't remember the name or author. My comments came from that book. I know that he had wanted to become a justice and made a good CJ. Thanks for the education!