Comments on: Ranking the Presidents of the 20th century https://habitablezone.com/2013/05/23/ranking-the-presidents-of-the-20th-century/ Fri, 03 Apr 2026 22:41:18 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ER https://habitablezone.com/2013/05/23/ranking-the-presidents-of-the-20th-century/#comment-24381 ER Sun, 02 Jun 2013 19:59:28 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=33124#comment-24381 This was 20th century only, and Bush I was highly qualified and successful; his performance in Iraq masterful, even if Republicans hated him for raising taxes. Bush II was an embarassment to the nation and the biggest foreign policy disaster in American history, although the Republicans loved him for cutting taxes. (I would use the term "drooling cretin" again but it might offend those still making excuses for him.) Still, he was not in the survey period, so he gets a pass from me this time. Johnson created the Great Society, and Eisenhower guided us through the post-war years, both led us through the worst of the Cold War. Mistakes were made, but in retrospect, at the time, they seemed like the right thing to do. Both were the right men for their times. Reagan directly violated direct congressional orders, and he tried to trade arms for hostages while passing himself off as a take-no-shit-from-terrorists tough guy. He conducted his own foreign policy while ignoring Congress and attempting to providing weapons and comfort to our nation's enemies. Either qualify as treason. He deserved to hang for both of those crimes, but the press didn't have the balls to go after him because he was too popular with the Archie Bunkers. Carter had his heart in the right place, but the breaks were against him. A bad economy and losing a few airmen in the failed hostage rescue lost him a second term. Reagan lost 250 Marines in Lebanon, distracted us with Grenada, and got away with it. What he deserved was a spot on the gallows. I rated Reagan as high as I did because he was at least able to work with Congressional Democrats, and because he convinced Americans Conservatism was a true governing philosophy. That alone is a phenomenal accomplishment. I believe the Soviet Union would have collapsed regardless of who was President, but since it happened during his watch, he should get some credit for that too. Clinton could have been a great President, but he pissed it all away on a pathetic office romance. At least, he did no harm. Ford and Kennedy weren't in long enough to show us anything. Kennedy's Missile Crisis cancels out his Bay of Pigs, so his score is 0. Hoover is next-to-last for obvious reasons. And Nixon, in spite of his many accomplishments and talents, actually got caught and punished for his crimes. This was 20th century only, and Bush I was highly qualified and successful; his performance in Iraq masterful, even if Republicans hated him for raising taxes.

Bush II was an embarassment to the nation and the biggest foreign policy disaster in American history, although the Republicans loved him for cutting taxes. (I would use the term “drooling cretin” again but it might offend those still making excuses for him.) Still, he was not in the survey period, so he gets a pass from me this time.

Johnson created the Great Society, and Eisenhower guided us through the post-war years, both led us through the worst of the Cold War. Mistakes were made, but in retrospect, at the time, they seemed like the right thing to do. Both were the right men for their times.

Reagan directly violated direct congressional orders, and he tried to trade arms for hostages while passing himself off as a take-no-shit-from-terrorists tough guy. He conducted his own foreign policy while ignoring Congress and attempting to providing weapons and comfort to our nation’s enemies. Either qualify as treason. He deserved to hang for both of those crimes, but the press didn’t have the balls to go after him because he was too popular with the Archie Bunkers.

Carter had his heart in the right place, but the breaks were against him. A bad economy and losing a few airmen in the failed hostage rescue lost him a second term. Reagan lost 250 Marines in Lebanon, distracted us with Grenada, and got away with it. What he deserved was a spot on the gallows.

I rated Reagan as high as I did because he was at least able to work with Congressional Democrats, and because he convinced Americans Conservatism was a true governing philosophy. That alone is a phenomenal accomplishment. I believe the Soviet Union would have collapsed regardless of who was President, but since it happened during his watch, he should get some credit for that too.

Clinton could have been a great President, but he pissed it all away on a pathetic office romance. At least, he did no harm.

Ford and Kennedy weren’t in long enough to show us anything. Kennedy’s Missile Crisis cancels out his Bay of Pigs, so his score is 0. Hoover is next-to-last for obvious reasons. And Nixon, in spite of his many accomplishments and talents, actually got caught and punished for his crimes.

]]> By: FrankC https://habitablezone.com/2013/05/23/ranking-the-presidents-of-the-20th-century/#comment-24380 FrankC Sun, 02 Jun 2013 19:09:20 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=33124#comment-24380 I would move Johnson and Eisenhower down some, Carter to the bottom. You are surprisingly generous to Bush unless you are combining both of the Bush presidents. Reagan deserves a better spot. I would move Johnson and Eisenhower down some, Carter to the bottom.

You are surprisingly generous to Bush unless you are combining both of the Bush presidents. Reagan deserves a better spot.

]]>