The 'Best' & 'Worst' U.S. Presidents In History

[Kedri]

Harding is associated with several scandals and gambled away presidential china.

Which is obviously right up there with removing protection from birds as among the worst things any US president has ever done.

I mean, Buchanan saw the country collapse into a destructive civil war as a direct result of his actions and inactions, but Trump removed protection from birds, and Harding gambled away presidential china - so Buchanan's just fine.

Sure, but I figured mentioning Buchanan would be beating a dead horse at this point.

[Qabea]

Unpopular opinion... Best: Richard Nixon. Opening relationships with China and eventually ending Kennedy and Johnson's war was high-key based.

Worst: Four-way tie between George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama.

[Kedri]

Unpopular opinion... Best: Richard Nixon. Opening relationships with China and eventually ending Kennedy and Johnson's war was high-key based.

Worst: Four-way tie between George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama.

Yeah, Nixon seems hated mostly for Watergate, which was entirely his fault. Otherwise, he actually seemed like a pretty decent president.

[Major-Tom]

Unpopular opinion... Best: Richard Nixon. Opening relationships with China and eventually ending Kennedy and Johnson's war was high-key based.

Worst: Four-way tie between George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama.

Smart was it was at the time to open relations w China, I think we're now seeing a few unforeseen consequences (IE China's unparalleled economic growth to our dependability as a trade partner has been a self-serving, not mutually beneficial relationship, on their end). Not that Nixon shouldn't have opened relations, but still...

Either way, Nixon is highly underrated in some facets, but far from the best in large part due to his partial culpability for the intense balloon in prison populations, utilization of the Southern Strategy that continued to tear the fabric of the country apart, and of course, the corruption angle (though modern-day political corruption arguably pales in comparison to Watergate, just through utilization of modern technology in politics alone).

[Novus America]

Unpopular opinion... Best: Richard Nixon. Opening relationships with China and eventually ending Kennedy and Johnson's war was high-key based.

Worst: Four-way tie between George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama.

Smart was it was at the time to open relations w China, I think we're now seeing a few unforeseen consequences (IE China's unparalleled economic growth to our dependability as a trade partner has been a self-serving, not mutually beneficial relationship, on their end). Not that Nixon shouldn't have opened relations, but still...

Either way, Nixon is highly underrated in some facets, but far from the best in large part due to his partial culpability for the intense balloon in prison populations, utilization of the Southern Strategy that continued to tear the fabric of the country apart, and of course, the corruption angle (though modern-day political corruption arguably pales in comparison to Watergate, just through utilization of modern technology in politics alone).

It should be noted Carter is more to blame, and especially Bush I and Clinton.

Nixon never recognized the PRC, remained allied with the ROC, and only wanted to make a temporary alliance of convenience with the PRC (while supporting the ROC at the same time) Just to troll the Soviets. And it was more political than economic.

We should have cut off trade with the PRC in 1989 or 1991 or 1993 or...

Just as we stopped supporting the Soviets after WWII, we should have cut off the PRC after the Cold War, but that was not Nixon.

[Vetalia]

We should have cut off trade with the PRC in 1989 or 1991 or 1993 or...

Just as we stopped supporting the Soviets after WWII, we should have cut off the PRC after the Cold War, but that was not Nixon.

Honestly, by the time Gorbachev came to power there was no longer any need to support China. Arguably Clinton was the worst in regards to China given how much they got away with during his time in office, to say nothing of all the financialization that went on...if it weren't for the tech boom and dot-com bubble he'd be one of the worst presidents in history.

[Aeritai]

I'm surprised no one didn't make any opinions on John Adams and James Madison yet. Opinions on those guys?

[Antityranicals]

Best: Thomas Jefferson

Worst: FDR

[Antityranicals]

I'm surprised no one didn't make any opinions on John Adams and James Madison yet. Opinions on those guys?

Definitely don't like John Adams's presidency. If the Alien and Sedition acts aren't reason enough to condemn it, I don't know...

Madison, however, was okay, though not really great. He could have handled the War of 1812 better, but I've no real major complaints.

[Antityranicals]

Best: Calvin Coolidge
He didn't do big speeches, he is the only president to shrink the government, and he refused to run for a second term. - We need a president like this right now

Worst: Herbert Hoover
Added a bunch of government programs that just made the depression worse

Coolidge's "shrink the government" and deregulation presidency all but caused the depression.

Now that's just false. Hoover's reaction, and Roosevelt's following total destruction of American freedom, is the only reason why it didn't end like the Depression of 1920.

[Aeritai]

Best: Thomas Jefferson

Worst: FDR

Care to elaborate on these points?

[Kowani]

Coolidge's "shrink the government" and deregulation presidency all but caused the depression.

Now that's just false. Hoover's reaction, and Roosevelt's following total destruction of American freedom, is the only reason why it didn't end like the Depression of 1920.

Hoover’s reaction of “do nothing except spend millions on hydroelectric dams”, you mean?

[-Astoria]

Best: Trump

Obama's wife said it best, "I guess anyone can be president now"... because even electing a black man couldn't prove that, it took Trump to destroy the final glass ceiling. The first female president better thank Trump because without him their NEVER would have been a female president.

Worst: Obama

A weak and cowardly lier, acted like it was the cold war... unironically would have been a much better president during the cold war. Basically, he was a man born out of time.

Because there has been a female president before...

[Farnhamia]

Best: Trump

Obama's wife said it best, "I guess anyone can be president now"... because even electing a black man couldn't prove that, it took Trump to destroy the final glass ceiling. The first female president better thank Trump because without him their NEVER would have been a female president.

Worst: Obama

A weak and cowardly lier, acted like it was the cold war... unironically would have been a much better president during the cold war. Basically, he was a man born out of time.

Because there has been a female president before...

You know how people said Bill Clinton was the first black president? Maybe Trump's the first female president. Think about it, he carries on as if he's constantly going through stereotypical PMS or menopause, with all the mood swings and hot flashes. It makes a certain perverse sense.

[The Rosary Isles]

Best: Abraham Lincoln, Barack Obama
First one is a president who was successful in keeping the country together after the Civil War and laid the stepping stones for emancipation of African-Americans, and the second is an progressive president who took bold steps ( Bin-Laden's murder, Gay marriage liegalisation etc.), along with bailing the nation out of the 2008 recession rather smoothly.

Worst: Trump
Attitude towards immigrants, when his own wife is an immigrant ; Complete lack of knowledge of how diplomacy and macro-economics work despite being a businessman, running the country like it is a corporation and apathy towards racism and injustice.

[-Astoria]

You know how people said Bill Clinton was the first black president? Maybe Trump's the first female president. Think about it, he carries on as if he's constantly going through stereotypical PMS or menopause, with all the mood swings and hot flashes. It makes a certain perverse sense.

Good lord, I'd never heard of that rumour before.

[Farnhamia]

You know how people said Bill Clinton was the first black president? Maybe Trump's the first female president. Think about it, he carries on as if he's constantly going through stereotypical PMS or menopause, with all the mood swings and hot flashes. It makes a certain perverse sense.

Good lord, I'd never heard of that rumour before.

I just made it up but really, if you think about it ...

[Neanderthaland]

Because there has been a female president before...

You know how people said Bill Clinton was the first black president? Maybe Trump's the first female president. Think about it, he carries on as if he's constantly going through stereotypical PMS or menopause, with all the mood swings and hot flashes. It makes a certain perverse sense.

You are what you grab.

[Crockerland]

Best: Trump

Obama's wife said it best, "I guess anyone can be president now"... because even electing a black man couldn't prove that, it took Trump to destroy the final glass ceiling. The first female president better thank Trump because without him their NEVER would have been a female president.

Worst: Obama

A weak and cowardly lier, acted like it was the cold war... unironically would have been a much better president during the cold war. Basically, he was a man born out of time.

Because there has been a female president before...

Well, there was that one time...

[Czechostan]

Because there has been a female president before...

You know how people said Bill Clinton was the first black president? Maybe Trump's the first female president. Think about it, he carries on as if he's constantly going through stereotypical PMS or menopause, with all the mood swings and hot flashes. It makes a certain perverse sense.

He loves having the most stylish, golden hotels, he always talks about how he's the best, he hates when other people are in the spotlight... He's a diva.

[Crockerland]

Best: Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson did some good things as president, however my main issue with him is that he was also a pedophile child rapist.

I will concede that, out of the presidents who raped children, Jefferson was probably the best.

[-Astoria]

Because there has been a female president before...

Well, there was that one time...

By 'president', I meant elected as one, not as a temporary acting one.

[Sundiata]

Coolidge's "shrink the government" and deregulation presidency all but caused the depression.

Now that's just false. Hoover's reaction, and Roosevelt's following total destruction of American freedom, is the only reason why it didn't end like the Depression of 1920.

Really? Imagine living through the Great Depression. The government has a responsibility to the public.

[West Leas Oros 2]

I’m far more interested in the “okay” presidents than the best and worst. We talk about them enough, we need to think about the mediocre majority of Presidents.

[Chan Island]

I’m far more interested in the “okay” presidents than the best and worst. We talk about them enough, we need to think about the mediocre majority of Presidents.

Well... what's there to say about the middle of the road guys? Like, woo, Gerald Ford didn't set anything on fire?