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x-42 is not highly rated by anyone except the most die hard lunatics. Jefferson has been accorded hosannas of praise from the University professors for 200 yrs. and has his bust on a Mountain yet his administration achieved one thing of value, it blundered into the Louisiana Purchase (which in his insane interpretation of the Constitution he believed unconstitutional.) Napoleon essentially threw it into Jefferson's lap as a reward for his pro-French activities including support of the French attempt to re-enslave Haiti. Napoleon's defeat there spelled an end to his plans to invade Louisiana and reconquer that lost in the New World by France decades before.

Even Jefferson's supporters do not deny that his second term was a disaster. He destroyed the military and wanted to reduce the navy to impotence believing navies were a source of war. Thus, we were to have no navy or merchant marine. His social theories of an agricultural nation with a pitifully weak federal government would have resulted in a weak country with no means of protecting itself. The military consequences of this almost resulted in disaster under his protege, Madison, as the nation's capital was burned by 5,000 British soldiers.

His idea of foreign policy, an embargo of France and Great Britain, caused immense misery in the American seaports and prevented farmers from shipping their grain abroad hurting them as well. This policy was the equivalent of hiding under the bed and was cowardly as well as being unsuccessful.

His reputation was blown up and enhanced by a hired crew of Republican flacks created to destroy the influence of Hamilton. He allowed them to traduce the reputation of Washington while he was in office earning that gentleman's eternal contempt so that he never spoke to him after he left the cabinet.

His version of the Constitution disemboweled it and made it into a mockery totally reversing the ideals of Washington, Adams and Hamilton and even the pre-1790 Madison. And the Virginia dynasty entrenched itself so firmly through his thought that it strengthened the influence of Slavers and eventually led to the Civil War.

Do some research about the real Jefferson. It is disgusting and horrific after about 1790. And that does not even consider the fact that he enslaved his own children. His highflown phrases are not the real Jefferson but rather his actions (mostly hidden from view.)

I'm right with you on this. The guy showed flashes of brilliance throughout his life, especially in his philosohpical and oratorical side. But when it came to administering something and preserving it, whether it was his country or his own affairs, he just couldn't do it. He was like the consummate revolutionary who doesn't know what to do once he won and he had a state to manage.

Thanks for your reply. I will have to do further study. I was aware to some small degree about some of his faults, but not to the degree that you espouse. I have to wonder how much is just distortion by his (then and now) critics and how much is fact. Not that any of the Founders were perfect, but I am suspicious of such derogatory (or is it revisionist) history - especially in light of clinton's defender's effort to bring TJ down to the level of WJC.

"His reputation was blown up and enhanced by a hired crew of Republican flacks created to destroy the influence of Hamilton. He allowed them to traduce the reputation of Washington while he was in office"

The republicans weren't around until 1854. That's quite a bit later.