The Worst President in History?

[InkL0sed]

As I'm studying for my AP US history tomorrow, my teacher has put up this link:
The Worst President in History

Written by a historian for the Rolling Stones magazine, it analyzes how Bush compares with other Presidents in history. A very interesting read.

EDIT: Poll added.

[reminisco]

haha, cool. i read that article when it ran. everyone should read it.

Rolling Stone reappeared on my radar of worthwhile magazines when Evan Wright reported from his embed position in the marines during the Iraq Invasion.

as for the poll, i would say that Lyndon Johnson was the worst President of the 20th century. but also the best. (i may have written about this here before)

he was the best because he had the balls enough to stick with the Civil Rights Act and ensure it was enforced as law.

he was the worst, because he lied to the American public, escalated in Vietnam, and cost thousands of needlessly lost American lives in the process.

Nixon would get 2nd place for worst of the 20th century -- for his malfeasance and division of the nation. however, he DID create the EPA and OSHA, and did keep his promise of ending Vietnam... so it's hard to hate on him completely. although, i didn't live under his administration, and that might color my opinion a bit.

Bush is awful, but as with all things in history, we have to give the distance of time before truly accurate analysis can be made. if his risky power plays in the Middle East over the last 6 years actually turn into positives changes for the USA and the world at large, history will look very differently on him. however, i think that's unlikely, and i can't wait until he leaves office.

oh, and Franklin Pierce was a worthless president too, but a different century.

good luck on the AP test. just have fun with it, and i'm sure you'll ace it.

[GabonX]

Where is the Jimmy Carter option?

[InkL0sed]

Who said we were talking about the 20th century? I said ever.

Anyway, Lyndon Johnson is nothing compared to Warren G Harding and Hoover -- both of the 20th century. He has redeeming qualities.

There was also a slew of non-entity Presidents before Buchanan that I didn't put up, because they were all pretty much the same. Buchanan was the worst of them.

Jimmy Carter also has one accomplishment -- Camp David Accords. Better than nothing, I should say. Much better than anyone else on the poll.

[PLAYER57832]

Actually, you have to answer this two ways.

As per the effect on the US population, George W. Bush is certainly up there.

However, one of the traditional views of presidential success is his ability to consolidate power and put forward his own policies. In that regard, George W. Bush gets an "A" ... and that is precisely why he is so very scary. The impact of his administration will far outlast him ... unfortunately.

[InkL0sed]

Has anyone but remi actually read the article?

[PLAYER57832]

Yes!

[InkL0sed]

Yes!

OK then... I was worrying it was tldr...

[tzor]

I read it. (Well most of it.)

[joecoolfrog]

Has anyone but remi actually read the article?

I read it

Its difficult to see how anybody can believe that the citizens of the USA and the standing of the nation have prospered under his leadership.

[Zaqq]

Yeah, G Dub is sucking it up purdy bad right now. But he is NOT the worst president ever.

I voted for Johnson because by the time he left office his only friends were the mice he kept under his desk in the oval office. THAT'S unpopular. He had the same ideas as Lincoln, but his incapability to handle a red-hot republican congress provided for polariztion of most former moderates into radicals which would punish the south, a South that would then feel wronged by the North and make segregation a hundred times worse than it would otherwise have been. He was unable to do anything at all, because the congress continuosly overrided him because they came to hate him. He did good stuff in Tennesee, but Woshington politics were too much for this unfortunate president. But guys like Fillmore and Peirce allowed the Civil War to happen in the beginning.
Nixon was not the first president I think who did stuff like he did, however he certainly did do the worst. But because of his work in Vietnam and China I think he did allright.
Then there are the Guilded Age presidents. Yay for utter boring nothingness.
And what about Kennedy's sucky handling of the USSR? Reagan also risked war with them. Or FDR's naive assumption that he could handle "Uncle Joe," and then losing half of Europe to him?

GW is NOT our worst president, and btw, the AP tests already finished.

[InkL0sed]

AP tests already finished.

Believe me... no they're not.

[MeDeFe]

I read the article, very interesting and to be highly recommended.

[Zaqq]

AP tests already finished.

Believe me... no they're not.

M I missing something? I just took the APUSH test two weeks ago!!! There's another one!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!??!?!?!


OMG HOLY F*CKING SH*T WFT M IGONNA DO SAVE ME OMGOMGOMG!!!! ITHOUGHTTHISWASFINISHEDWATAMIGOINGOTDOIMGOINGTODIEARENTIIMGONNADIEIMGONNADIEIMGONNADIE OMG IMGONNADIEITSKILLINGMEJUSTTOWRITETHISWITHNOSPACESISITBETTERONTHEOTHERSIDEIDONTWANNADIEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE SOMEBODY HELP ME!!!

IM A MAN ON THE EDGE!!!

please dont push me off....

well, I didnt' think it was SOOOO bad but that was the reaction of the piece of my brain interested in a social life. APUSH isnt so bad, but 5.5 AP classes next year would suck if there was more than one test.

[InkL0sed]

Whoa... lol chill. I think when you take it depends on the school. I even have a friend in my school who's taken it already...

[DaGip]

What? No George Washington?

[suggs]

Yeah, G Dub is sucking it up purdy bad right now. But he is NOT the worst president ever.

I voted for Johnson because by the time he left office his only friends were the mice he kept under his desk in the oval office. THAT'S unpopular. He had the same ideas as Lincoln, but his incapability to handle a red-hot republican congress provided for polariztion of most former moderates into radicals which would punish the south, a South that would then feel wronged by the North and make segregation a hundred times worse than it would otherwise have been. He was unable to do anything at all, because the congress continuosly overrided him because they came to hate him. He did good stuff in Tennesee, but Woshington politics were too much for this unfortunate president. But guys like Fillmore and Peirce allowed the Civil War to happen in the beginning.
Nixon was not the first president I think who did stuff like he did, however he certainly did do the worst. But because of his work in Vietnam and China I think he did allright.
Then there are the Guilded Age presidents. Yay for utter boring nothingness.
And what about Kennedy's sucky handling of the USSR? Reagan also risked war with them. Or FDR's naive assumption that he could handle "Uncle Joe," and then losing half of Europe to him?

GW is NOT our worst president, and btw, the AP tests already finished.

Oh my Random Chance.
Someone new. With a brain. There is hope.
Good on ya you winner.

[spurgistan]

I'd go with either Johnson, Grant, or Harding, although there are really way too many possibilities to make a definitive choice.

[bradleybadly]

I'd go with either Johnson, Grant, or Harding, although there are really way too many possibilities to make a definitive choice.

I agree with you on Grant

[spurgistan]

Just to clarify- Andrew, not Lyndon Baines. LBJ was OK, just a massive ego, as I wrote about before.

[InkL0sed]

Yeah, Grant probably could have been on the poll

[bedub1]

You can't pass judgment on Bush for another 100 years. The founding fathers would have been "worst presidents ever" if the revolution had failed. Instead it worked, and they are great. I liked the quote about the poll telling more about the current crop of "historians" than bush.

[InkL0sed]

You can't pass judgment on Bush for another 100 years. The founding fathers would have been "worst presidents ever" if the revolution had failed. Instead it worked, and they are great. I liked the quote about the poll telling more about the current crop of "historians" than bush.

A hundred years?? Are you saying we can't judge any President from the 20th century -- not even FDR, and maybe not TR either?

I mean, maybe I could accept your saying that about Presidents of the last, say 20 years (although I'm actually inclined to disagree) -- but the past 100 is insane.

[bedub1]

Maybe 100 years is too long.

Clinton inherited the first bush's shit. The second bush inherrited Clintons shit. Whever is elected now will inherit bush's shit. You can't judge when he's still president....because his actions are far more reaching than his term. What he has done doesn't end when he leaves office. And you can't judge anybody until you can see the fullness of the results of their actions.

He might be unpopular, but if this all works out good in the long run, the terrorists die, iraq is free etc...then he would be one of the BEST presidents ever. It's like trying to name a "Player of the Year" when you are only halfway through the season.

[PhatJoey]

Where is Bill Clinton? Jimmy Carter?

They're both still embarrassing us and undermining our credibility.