Not the Man For the Job: The Worst Ever U.S. Presidents

[Great Minarchistan]

Jackson, Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Harding, and Wilson. No particular order. I also don't know why the last one doesn't get more hate. He claimed he was doing good for the **** race by firing every black govt employee, and segregating the navy.

Don't forget about the Fed, IRS, 16th amendment and WW1 not necessary intervention.

Why do people hate Harding so much btw? He fixed 1920 depression pretty quick tbh.

[Farnhamia]

meh, there's a point in what you say.

I still don't think Trump can actually screw everything over.

Try us. He's screwed over everyone and it's only been a month. His supporters are as dumb as rocks.

*** Warned for trolling. ***

[Internationalist Bastard]

Well Beuchanan since he kinda just left the country set up civil war.
Also, depaite my hatred if Trump it's jnfair to judge a president as the worst before their presidency even ends

[Victoria and Vacuna]

Jackson, Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Harding, and Wilson. No particular order. I also don't know why the last one doesn't get more hate. He claimed he was doing good for the **** race by firing every black govt employee, and segregating the navy.

Don't forget about the Fed, IRS, 16th amendment and WW1 not necessary intervention.

Why do people hate Harding so much btw? He fixed 1920 depression pretty quick tbh.

He was an incorruptible pushover with corrupt friends.

Buchanan is the worst.

[San Marlindo]

I always thought US presidents who started protracted, unnecessary wars abroad were the worst (I guess part of that is because I'm from a "Third World" country and the thought of being invaded by the US or have them militarily intervening in our political situation simply because they're bigger and more powerful is simply repugnant). I'm afraid I cannot judge them on American domestic issues because those aren't important to me.

I also don't blame those presidents who followed after them because they were usually stuck with cleaning up the military situation they're predecessors left behind.

All that being said, in recent memory that would make the two worst US presidents in my opinion Johnson and Bush.

[The Great Devourer of All]

recent memory

Johnson

So how did you manage to time travel, anyway?

[Free Missouri]

A long list of possible candidates for the position, but a select few I would consider on my shortlist:

Lincoln

1. 1st Military conscription, something that wasn't even considered in the cards in the anglo-saxon world pre-Lincoln
2. 1st Income Tax (and BEFORE the 16th Amendment which was the Federal Government's way of flipping off the states and going around the constitution by ramming through the amendment under other pretenses)
3. Suspension of the Writ of Habeus Corpus
4. Blockade of CSA Ports, an act of war, which can only be ordered with a declaration of War via Congress as per the Constitution
5. "copperhead" newspapers and any others against him were censored or improperly investigated , violation of the 1st.
6. Court-martialed a sitting congressman for opposing the war, exiling him to the CSA, based on General Order 38. Imagine if HIllary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, or Barack Obama had been ordered arrested by Bush for opposing Iraq, or if Rand Paul or Ron Paul were ordered to be arrested by Obama for opposing Libya or any involvement in Syria.
7. With the support of Congress, reorganized the judiciary in the District of Columbia with the sole purpose of removing a number of judges who had earlier granted a Writ of Habeus Corpus, one of which a General had had placed under House Arrest to avoid having to comply with the Writ.
8. an unspeakable number of actions against the UNION state of Maryland. Many of which I would actually place under treason.

FDR

1. Internment Camps
2. The Social Security Program which was practically designed to fail from the start. except in the opposite way that it is.
3. Desecrated two national holidays, one of which a sacred religious holiday held important by a majority of the US Population, by moving Thanksgiving up a week because the economy "could use the extra shopping"
4. Creation of "dictators" ("Czars" in the modern political nomenclature.)
5. Censored Media... (wow, for all this "Trump is going to crack down on the media" talk, a lot of leftist idols seem to have done the same thing)
6. Used the IRS to harass political opponents in a way that Mrs. Lois Lerner only wished she could've, long before it was cool
7. I could go on, but we'd be here all day.

Woodrow Wilson

1. Involving us in WWI
2. Failure known as the "League of Nations"
3. 16th Amendment and first "constitutional" income tax
4. Singlehandedly set in motion the progressive movement of the interwar progressive movement.

Honorable Mentions:

Johnson (Vietnam, among other things), Bush II (Iraq, GWOT, Patriot Act, and the constitutional violations that followed, Doubled Debt), Barack Obama ( NDAA, NSA/PRISM, GWOT pt II, "JV Team", and all constitutional violations to follow, doubled debt, and multiple first amendment issues with reporters), and, of course, John Adams (Alien and Sedition Act. Nothing more.)

[Internationalist Bastard]

A long list of possible candidates for the position, but a select few I would consider on my shortlist:

Lincoln

1. 1st Military conscription, something that wasn't even considered in the cards in the anglo-saxon world pre-Lincoln
2. 1st Income Tax (and BEFORE the 16th Amendment which was the Federal Government's way of flipping off the states and going around the constitution by ramming through the amendment under other pretenses)
3. Suspension of the Writ of Habeus Corpus
4. Blockade of CSA Ports, an act of war, which can only be ordered with a declaration of War via Congress as per the Constitution
5. "copperhead" newspapers and any others against him were censored or improperly investigated , violation of the 1st.
6. Court-martialed a sitting congressman for opposing the war, exiling him to the CSA, based on General Order 38. Imagine if HIllary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, or Barack Obama had been ordered arrested by Bush for opposing Iraq, or if Rand Paul or Ron Paul were ordered to be arrested by Obama for opposing Libya or any involvement in Syria.
7. With the support of Congress, reorganized the judiciary in the District of Columbia with the sole purpose of removing a number of judges who had earlier granted a Writ of Habeus Corpus, one of which a General had had placed under House Arrest to avoid having to comply with the Writ.
8. an unspeakable number of actions against the UNION state of Maryland. Many of which I would actually place under treason.

FDR

1. Internment Camps
2. The Social Security Program which was practically designed to fail from the start. except in the opposite way that it is.
3. Desecrated two national holidays, one of which a sacred religious holiday held important by a majority of the US Population, by moving Thanksgiving up a week because the economy "could use the extra shopping"
4. Creation of "dictators" ("Czars" in the modern political nomenclature.)
5. Censored Media... (wow, for all this "Trump is going to crack down on the media" talk, a lot of leftist idols seem to have done the same thing)
6. Used the IRS to harass political opponents in a way that Mrs. Lois Lerner only wished she could've, long before it was cool
7. I could go on, but we'd be here all day.

Woodrow Wilson

1. Involving us in WWI
2. Failure known as the "League of Nations"
3. 16th Amendment and first "constitutional" income tax
4. Singlehandedly set in motion the progressive movement of the interwar progressive movement.

Honorable Mentions:

Johnson (Vietnam, among other things), Bush II (Iraq, GWOT, Patriot Act, and the constitutional violations that followed, Doubled Debt), Barack Obama ( NDAA, NSA/PRISM, GWOT pt II, "JV Team", and all constitutional violations to follow, doubled debt, and multiple first amendment issues with reporters), and, of course, John Adams (Alien and Sedition Act. Nothing more.)

Ok, um on number, one, what th hell do you even mean by "The anglo saxon world?"

[Outer Sparta]

The people on the political right would say that Obama was just a bozo "community organizer" and spent most of his time in an academic ivory tower- Harvard law, rather than being out doing jobs more based in the real world. Where your work experience, skills, and references are king- rather than your degree, alma mater, and alumni.

Don't forget the fact that Obama only had political experience for one term as a senator. Same reason why many on the right didn't like Rubio.

Any experience beats having no experience.

[Great Minarchistan]

Ok, um on number, one, what th hell do you even mean by "The anglo saxon world?"

United States and Canada. Welp, those are the anglo-saxon america IIRC.

[Great Minarchistan]

Don't forget the fact that Obama only had political experience for one term as a senator. Same reason why many on the right didn't like Rubio.

Any experience beats having no experience.

Uh no. Sometimes poorly experienced politicians perform much worse than a no experience one. Also, I prefer the non-politician profile tbh.

[Republic of the Cristo]

Probably Grant.

His entire administration was linked to corruption, scandal, cronyism, and incompetence.

[Conserative Morality]

Probably Grant.

His entire administration was linked to corruption, scandal, cronyism, and incompetence.

He was a strong proponent of diplomacy and civil rights, and was a champion against corruption. The difference is, he acknowledged it as a problem rather than quietly embracing it as previous administrations had done.

[Free Missouri]

A long list of possible candidates for the position, but a select few I would consider on my shortlist:

Lincoln

1. 1st Military conscription, something that wasn't even considered in the cards in the anglo-saxon world pre-Lincoln
2. 1st Income Tax (and BEFORE the 16th Amendment which was the Federal Government's way of flipping off the states and going around the constitution by ramming through the amendment under other pretenses)
3. Suspension of the Writ of Habeus Corpus
4. Blockade of CSA Ports, an act of war, which can only be ordered with a declaration of War via Congress as per the Constitution
5. "copperhead" newspapers and any others against him were censored or improperly investigated , violation of the 1st.
6. Court-martialed a sitting congressman for opposing the war, exiling him to the CSA, based on General Order 38. Imagine if HIllary Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, or Barack Obama had been ordered arrested by Bush for opposing Iraq, or if Rand Paul or Ron Paul were ordered to be arrested by Obama for opposing Libya or any involvement in Syria.
7. With the support of Congress, reorganized the judiciary in the District of Columbia with the sole purpose of removing a number of judges who had earlier granted a Writ of Habeus Corpus, one of which a General had had placed under House Arrest to avoid having to comply with the Writ.
8. an unspeakable number of actions against the UNION state of Maryland. Many of which I would actually place under treason.

FDR

1. Internment Camps
2. The Social Security Program which was practically designed to fail from the start. except in the opposite way that it is.
3. Desecrated two national holidays, one of which a sacred religious holiday held important by a majority of the US Population, by moving Thanksgiving up a week because the economy "could use the extra shopping"
4. Creation of "dictators" ("Czars" in the modern political nomenclature.)
5. Censored Media... (wow, for all this "Trump is going to crack down on the media" talk, a lot of leftist idols seem to have done the same thing)
6. Used the IRS to harass political opponents in a way that Mrs. Lois Lerner only wished she could've, long before it was cool
7. I could go on, but we'd be here all day.

Woodrow Wilson

1. Involving us in WWI
2. Failure known as the "League of Nations"
3. 16th Amendment and first "constitutional" income tax
4. Singlehandedly set in motion the progressive movement of the interwar progressive movement.

Honorable Mentions:

Johnson (Vietnam, among other things), Bush II (Iraq, GWOT, Patriot Act, and the constitutional violations that followed, Doubled Debt), Barack Obama ( NDAA, NSA/PRISM, GWOT pt II, "JV Team", and all constitutional violations to follow, doubled debt, and multiple first amendment issues with reporters), and, of course, John Adams (Alien and Sedition Act. Nothing more.)

Ok, um on number, one, what th hell do you even mean by "The anglo saxon world?"

At that time the US and colonial Canada alongside any other British colonies.


Any country that had a legal and political system based off of English common law, ours included.

[Republic of the Cristo]

Probably Grant.

His entire administration was linked to corruption, scandal, cronyism, and incompetence.

He was a strong proponent of diplomacy and civil rights, and was a champion against corruption. The difference is, he acknowledged it as a problem rather than quietly embracing it as previous administrations had done.

Intentions and results are two entirely different things. He may have championed against corruption, but that did not detract from the fact that his administration is practice was incredibly corrupt.

That being said though, now that I think about the 15th amendment and his policies with Indian nations, I can't say he was the worst.

[Great Minarchistan]

Probably Grant.

His entire administration was linked to corruption, scandal, cronyism, and incompetence.

He was a strong proponent of diplomacy and civil rights, and was a champion against corruption. The difference is, he acknowledged it as a problem rather than quietly embracing it as previous administrations had done.

Tbh that's the problem of politics. Sometimes you begin a major operation against corruption and find your whole cabinet involved, and then people call your administration (ironically) corrupt. On the other hand you can be a corrupt politician and don't give a shit to anti-corruption operations. Your mandate gets no scandal unveiled and you are remarked as "honest".

[Major-Tom]

If I had to say the worst Presidents, I'd say:

Jackson
Nixon
Reagan

And if Trump's recent weeks have been any sign, I fully expect to add him to the list after his tenure.

Nixon and Reagan? Nah.

Nixon was actually quite good, as was Reagan(albeit hyped by too many of my fellow right wingers.) Nixon may've been one of the best Post WW2 presidents, and I stand by that. He is the most unfairly cariactured politicians I can think of.

Jackson was a cock. Also FDR was overrated, but not one of the worst.

Buchanan, Harding, Adams, Bush Jr were some of the worst. As for worst character, LBJ takes the cake for most villainous piece of garbage, but he didn't do a terrible job running the country, so he isn't one of the worst presidents.

[Conserative Morality]

Nixon and Reagan? Nah.

Nixon was actually quite good, as was Reagan(albeit hyped by too many of my fellow right wingers.) Nixon may've been one of the best Post WW2 presidents, and I stand by that. He is the most unfairly cariactured politicians I can think of.

Nixon I agree with, but Reagan? I doubt history will look on him kindly.

Also, the fact that Nixon did have some pretty seriously shady dealings (and I don't mean just Watergate) does mean that he's one of the few presidents whose dedication to American democracy is actively in question.

Jackson was a cock. Also FDR was overrated, but not one of the worst.

Agreed on both counts.

[Internationalist Bastard]

Ok, um on number, one, what th hell do you even mean by "The anglo saxon world?"

United States and Canada. Welp, those are the anglo-saxon america IIRC.

America does not equel world

[Major-Tom]

Nixon and Reagan? Nah.

Nixon was actually quite good, as was Reagan(albeit hyped by too many of my fellow right wingers.) Nixon may've been one of the best Post WW2 presidents, and I stand by that. He is the most unfairly cariactured politicians I can think of.

Nixon I agree with, but Reagan? I doubt history will look on him kindly.

Also, the fact that Nixon did have some pretty seriously shady dealings (and I don't mean just Watergate) does mean that he's one of the few presidents whose dedication to American democracy is actively in question.

Jackson was a cock. Also FDR was overrated, but not one of the worst.

Agreed on both counts.

Reagan is a mixed bag, albeit, certainly not one of the worst. Deregulatory policies were largely successful, as was his approach towards the USSR. On the negative side, he ignored the AIDs crisis and pursued some pretty crappy foreign policy decisions. A bit shady too. Gipper worship is silly as is gipper hatred.

Nixon is arguably less shady than any president after Ford. Not to mention, Nixon's role in Watergate is exaggerated to a certain extent. Nixon was a foreign policy genius, and from an economic standpoint, he did a decent job getting us out of a rut. I like Nixon, and truthfully, I think his rise, fall, rise, then fall again is one of the most interesting American stories.

[Great Minarchistan]

United States and Canada. Welp, those are the anglo-saxon america IIRC.

America does not equel world

idk

[Major-Tom]

America does not equel world

idk

says the huezilian.

[Conserative Morality]

Reagan is a mixed bag, albeit, certainly not one of the worst. Deregulatory policies were largely successful, as was his approach towards the USSR. On the negative side, he ignored the AIDs crisis and pursued some pretty crappy foreign policy decisions. A bit shady too. Gipper worship is silly as is gipper hatred.

His policies neutered American unions and his approach towards the USSR was one of needless agitation towards a failing beast headed, for much of his terms, by a reformer. Agitation that costed us billions, and set the tone for future inflated defense budgets.

Also Iran-Contra. Borderline treasonous.

Nixon is arguably less shady than any president after Ford. Not to mention, Nixon's role in Watergate is exaggerated to a certain extent. Nixon was a foreign policy genius, and from an economic standpoint, he did a decent job getting us out of a rut. I like Nixon, and truthfully, I think his rise, fall, rise, then fall again is one of the most interesting American stories.

Genius can be used for good or evil.

His sheer Machiavellian amorality is astounding. Also, less shady than any president after Ford? Ike, Truman, Coolidge?

[Major-Tom]

Reagan is a mixed bag, albeit, certainly not one of the worst. Deregulatory policies were largely successful, as was his approach towards the USSR. On the negative side, he ignored the AIDs crisis and pursued some pretty crappy foreign policy decisions. A bit shady too. Gipper worship is silly as is gipper hatred.

His policies neutered American unions and his approach towards the USSR was one of needless agitation towards a failing beast headed, for much of his terms, by a reformer. Agitation that costed us billions, and set the tone for future inflated defense budgets.

Also Iran-Contra. Borderline treasonous.

Nixon is arguably less shady than any president after Ford. Not to mention, Nixon's role in Watergate is exaggerated to a certain extent. Nixon was a foreign policy genius, and from an economic standpoint, he did a decent job getting us out of a rut. I like Nixon, and truthfully, I think his rise, fall, rise, then fall again is one of the most interesting American stories.

Genius can be used for good or evil.

His sheer Machiavellian amorality is astounding. Also, less shady than any president after Ford? Ike, Truman, Coolidge?

Iran Contra was a mess, and Bush Sr's involvement with it was also very very bad too. Thats the thing with the gipper, decent economic programs that helped Middle Class America, and actually rose incomes for poor americans as well, but we couldn't balance a damn budget because of defense spending.

Yes. Ike Truman and Coolidge were all before Ford.

Actually...so was Carter, Carter wasn't shady, just incompetent. Reagan, Bush SR and JR, Clinton, and Obama have all arguably and demonstrably done worse things in and out of office than Nixon and his machiavellian mindset.

[Conserative Morality]

Iran Contra was a mess, and Bush Sr's involvement with it was also very very bad too. Thats the thing with the gipper, decent economic programs that helped Middle Class America, and actually rose incomes for poor americans as well, but we couldn't balance a damn budget because of defense spending.

Actually, incomes over the course of his terms didn't grow by any unusual amount. He just gets credit for a slowly-advancing world and being around as Carter's depression left.

Yes. Ike Truman and Coolidge were all before Ford.

Actually...so was Carter, Carter wasn't shady, just incompetent. Reagan, Bush SR and JR, Clinton, and Obama have all arguably and demonstrably done worse things in and out of office than Nixon and his machiavellian mindset.

I misread what you said. Again, though, I disagree. Bush SR (in office), JR, Clinton, and Obama all have done plenty of shady things, but none that I would argue are outright dangerous to democracy. I'll begrudgingly include Reagan there too, despite suspicions about the 'October Surprise'. When I say shady, I don't mean "Sending in the CIA to topple democratically elected administrations abroad", I mean "Subverting democracy at home".