Who is America's greatest president?

[Alcala-Cordel]

Pulling the US out of a depression is a big feat. I'd hardly say he's overrated.

Yeah, no. The only thing he might have done was prolong the depression. The economy was saved by WW2.

On the contrary, he did help us out of the depression. WW2 is what made us a superpower, because military industrialism never fails.

[503]

Why is Trump not on this list? He made many unique contributions to the world and American society.

[503]

FDR won the largest war in human history, pulled us out of the largest economic depression ever, started the United Nations, and was very based with regards to the 4 freedoms and second bill of rights.

The Soviets and British Empire provided most of the resources and firepower, the United States' contribution is small compared to theirs.

[Necroghastia]

Why is Trump not on this list? He made many unique contributions to the world and American society.

Well, he certainly did do that.
Whether those things were positive, let alone "great," however...

[503]

Why is Trump not on this list? He made many unique contributions to the world and American society.

Well, he certainly did do that.
Whether those things were positive, let alone "great," however...

Regardless of if you wear red or blue or yellow, you cannot deny that his contributions are absolutely monumental.

[Ethel mermania]

Well, he certainly did do that.
Whether those things were positive, let alone "great," however...

Regardless of if you wear red or blue or yellow, you cannot deny that his contributions are absolutely monumental.

Whether they are or not, you can't really make a best or worst judgment about a president till you see the results completely fall out. I dont know that you can judge any 21st century president yet for this question.

[Neoliberal Consensus]

Clinton, Bush, Obama. In that order.

[Jolthig]

FDR. America needed some reforms badly at the time and we could use another FDR

Yes, his Supreme Court appointments can be debated, but overall, I like FDR.

[LibRight Libertarianism]

I am seriously surprised that so little people are saying Lincoln. The man who ended slavery and kept the Union together. FDR was fine(not really), but Lincoln is the greatest politician in our nation's history.

[Herador]

So now we're giving Presidents credit for not wigging out and doing something cataclysmically stupid?

Teensy bit, yeah. Probably should extend that same credit to every leader with a stake in the Cold War and nukes too, if I'm honest.

[503]

The threat Reagan faced from global communism in 1981 was far more dangerous than the threat FDR faced from Nazi Germany in 1936.

FDR was no Ronald Reagan.

Reagan was a dotard who swam in a sea of corruption (Iran-Contra, etc), sold drugs in his own country, slashed welfare, started a pandemic that killed hundreds of thousands (AIDS), and overthrew several democracies around the world.

Also, "threat of communism"? The US was the greatest threat to the world under Reagan's rule.

[503]

Clinton, Bush, Obama. In that order.

I think I just vomited.

[Conservative Republic Of Huang]

Explain exactly how FDR could possibly get Congressional approval for such an act and garner public support. In 1936, mind you.

Earlier you mentioned that you felt FDR overreached constitutionally. Now you want him to send a Marine division into Germany. Reconcile that.

Explain exactly how Reagan could possibly get Congressional approval to:

1) Install intermediate range nuclear missiles in Western Europe in 1984.
2) Support myriad anti-Soviet proxies in Africa, Central America, and Asia
3) Dramatically increase US defense spending
4) Begin R&D on a revolutionary anti-ballistic missile system (SDI)
5) Become the first leader to successfully remove a communist nation from power
6) Break the will of the USSR and bring them to the negotiating table
7) Inherited and ended the most severe recession since WWII before the midway point in his first term

The list goes on and on.

And Reagan DID get bi-partisan Congressional approval for these enterprises and in one case (Contra aid), his agents in the bureaucracy illegally got it down.

They didn't call Reagan the Great Communicator for nothing. Also, he played longtime Democrat Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill like a cheap harmonica.

The threat Reagan faced from global communism in 1981 was far more dangerous than the threat FDR faced from Nazi Germany in 1936.

FDR was no Ronald Reagan.

1. Lie his ass off.
2. Live in one of the most hawkish periods of American history.
3. Because he didn't do a lot of that.

[Herador]

Teensy bit, yeah. Probably should extend that same credit to every leader with a stake in the Cold War and nukes too, if I'm honest.

It doesn't reflect well on Kennedy though. Particularly if you consider committing to war in Vietnam as one of the stupid things.

I would say the Soviets were a greater apparent threat in the 60's than the 80's. Their nukes weren't as good as the Americans thought, but with deterrent weapons what the enemy thinks is rather crucial. You also have to consider the US really believed the Domino Theory.

Genuine question: would you say Kennedy positively or negatively impacted how the US responded to the Cuban Missile Crisis. My big mark for him was that I for some reason always thought he helped things turn out positively, but I'm going off of things I read a decade and a half ago.

[Vikanias]

If I had to rank a top five this would be my list:

1. Teddy Roosevelt.
2. Lincoln.
3. FDR.
4. JFK.
5, Ulysses S. Grant.

[Lazarene Ryccia]

For me, it's the person who allowed this to happen in the first place. Washington didn't take absolute power as some had hoped and was a role model on civilized republican values (for the time, that is), thus permitting the development and evolution of our current republican form of governance (even if it's sh*t for this era and desperately needs an update, but his actions were crucial for his time).

[The Remote Islands]

I'm just disappointed LBJ isn't on the poll. Apart from Vietnam he was great.

[Herador]

I'm just disappointed LBJ isn't on the poll. Apart from Vietnam he was great.

I dunno man, anyone who has people gathered outside their house chanting "Hey, Hey, (insert name here), how many kids have you killed today" might not nab the #1 spot. I get he did other stuff besides Vietnam, but Vietnam was kind of a big deal.

[LibRight Libertarianism]

I am seriously surprised that so little people are saying Lincoln. The man who ended slavery and kept the Union together. FDR was fine(not really), but Lincoln is the greatest politician in our nation's history.

A Libertarian who has no problem with a big war.

If you are talking about the American Civil War then yes. I have no problem with a war to free my people.

[Engadine Mcdonalds 1997]

What too much Fox News does to a mf

Your post is vitriol and opinion unsupported by a shred of fact, logic or empirical evidence.

I actually love it because it confirms that the opinions and views on the left are dominated by fallacies and emotion, not much else.

By the way, there is a strong current of socialism in government and civil society in Europe. Indeed, it's where the cousins socialism and fascism were spawned.

What too much Fox News does to a mf

[Engadine Mcdonalds 1997]

Well, he certainly did do that.
Whether those things were positive, let alone "great," however...

Regardless of if you wear red or blue or yellow, you cannot deny that his contributions are absolutely monumental.

So monumental that the majority of his changes were overturned by Biden within like the first week, and they're nothing but memories

[Vassenor]

Well, he certainly did do that.
Whether those things were positive, let alone "great," however...

Regardless of if you wear red or blue or yellow, you cannot deny that his contributions are absolutely monumental.

500000 dead Americans thanks to his stupidity is pretty monumental, yes.

[LibRight Libertarianism]

If you are talking about the American Civil War then yes. I have no problem with a war to free my people.

Over 600 thousand dead. Wouldn't you say that's a clumsy and Statist way to free the slaves?

The civil war was worth the fight. It was to FREE SLAVES. I am not libertarian on everything.

[LibRight Libertarianism]

The civil war was worth the fight. It was to FREE SLAVES.

I don't think the Confederates saw it that way. Maybe if Lincoln had carefully explained to them, that he was going to free the slaves whether they liked it or not, then they could have made some arrangement?

But no, slavery is evil and you should never negotiate with evil *yawn*

So you think that the method of war was wrong and Lincoln should have asked nicely?

[LibRight Libertarianism]

The civil war was worth the fight. It was to FREE SLAVES. I am not libertarian on everything.

Despite having it twice in your nation name. Well, dud nation name, I've done that.

Considering that my ancestors were slaves I am quite happy that the Civil War was fought. What, you expect me to believe in everything libertarian?