The basis for the article is a rating by RantPolitical of the Best and the Worst.
In going through The Best I found a few problems and I'm not much interested in American history prior to the Twentieth Century so I skipped most from before that period.
12 - Lyndon B Johnson
While his work on civil rights was laudable, he was President when Che Guevara was assassinated. It looked good that he pushed the policy of Democrats internally but outside the country it was the same illegal right-wing agenda we've seen ever since.
10 - Andrew Jackson
Absolutely unacceptable. He is possibly the most unrepentant Indian killer of all time and he is the reason for the Cherokee Trail of Tears.
It is true he was badass. No question of it, in fact. Badass of the Week: Andrew Jackson
However, in terms of existence as a human being, he just does not qualify.
9 - John F Kennedy
If he gets a point for the Cuban Missile Crisis then he loses it because of the Bay of Pigs fiasco. He started some good dreams (e.g. a fit and healthy America with 'vim and vigor,' let's go to the Moon, etc), but he didn't actually do all that much, he didn't have time.
8 - Woodrow Wilson
Wilson accomplished a great many things and is routinely regarded as one of the best ... but ... I believe it was during his tenure that taxation on the rich was dropped thus setting the stage for the Great Depression. When it came, Herbert Hoover raised the tax rates back up again and ended up taking the fall for something which never should have happened in the first place.
This needs to be reviewed further.
5 - Bill Clinton
It was during the Clinton administration that banking across state lines became legal and this gave rise to 'banks too big to fail' and all the problems that gave. It's valid in liberal concept in that it seeks efficiency through central management but the consequence is as we've seen. These days Bank of America probably has a fee if you so much as walk on the grass. There was a time when they would give you a free toaster for opening an account. You tell me what happened to that.
Note: Reagan deregulated the Savings & Loan companies, precipitating that financial collapse, but it was Clinton specifically who signed for interstate banking.
4 - Harry Truman
The decision to start the Cold War was his alone. He initiated above-ground testing and thus provoked the inevitable response from the Soviet Union. Sixty years later the world still pays for that failure in diplomacy.
As to the others, I either agree or have no comment.
Additions:
Jimmy Carter
While routinely vilified by conservatives, Jimmy Carter is easily the most principled man I have ever seen take the office of President. If being a patriot is staying true to American ideals and principles, in my judgment, Jimmy Carter did it better than anyone I've ever seen and it's been quite a few now.
And the Worst:
11 - Herbert Hoover
He is tagged with the Great Depression but it was the failure of economic policies prior to his that caused it. More review is needed but I believe there's plenty of blame to go around on that mess.
It may annoy some of you to see Barack Obama listed as one of the worst but so are Reagan and both of the Bush boys. The reasons are plain enough but I have more. I wouldn't remove any of them from The Worst list.
In going through The Best I found a few problems and I'm not much interested in American history prior to the Twentieth Century so I skipped most from before that period.
12 - Lyndon B Johnson
While his work on civil rights was laudable, he was President when Che Guevara was assassinated. It looked good that he pushed the policy of Democrats internally but outside the country it was the same illegal right-wing agenda we've seen ever since.
10 - Andrew Jackson
Absolutely unacceptable. He is possibly the most unrepentant Indian killer of all time and he is the reason for the Cherokee Trail of Tears.
It is true he was badass. No question of it, in fact. Badass of the Week: Andrew Jackson
However, in terms of existence as a human being, he just does not qualify.
9 - John F Kennedy
If he gets a point for the Cuban Missile Crisis then he loses it because of the Bay of Pigs fiasco. He started some good dreams (e.g. a fit and healthy America with 'vim and vigor,' let's go to the Moon, etc), but he didn't actually do all that much, he didn't have time.
8 - Woodrow Wilson
Wilson accomplished a great many things and is routinely regarded as one of the best ... but ... I believe it was during his tenure that taxation on the rich was dropped thus setting the stage for the Great Depression. When it came, Herbert Hoover raised the tax rates back up again and ended up taking the fall for something which never should have happened in the first place.
This needs to be reviewed further.
5 - Bill Clinton
It was during the Clinton administration that banking across state lines became legal and this gave rise to 'banks too big to fail' and all the problems that gave. It's valid in liberal concept in that it seeks efficiency through central management but the consequence is as we've seen. These days Bank of America probably has a fee if you so much as walk on the grass. There was a time when they would give you a free toaster for opening an account. You tell me what happened to that.
Note: Reagan deregulated the Savings & Loan companies, precipitating that financial collapse, but it was Clinton specifically who signed for interstate banking.
4 - Harry Truman
The decision to start the Cold War was his alone. He initiated above-ground testing and thus provoked the inevitable response from the Soviet Union. Sixty years later the world still pays for that failure in diplomacy.
As to the others, I either agree or have no comment.
Additions:
Jimmy Carter
While routinely vilified by conservatives, Jimmy Carter is easily the most principled man I have ever seen take the office of President. If being a patriot is staying true to American ideals and principles, in my judgment, Jimmy Carter did it better than anyone I've ever seen and it's been quite a few now.
And the Worst:
11 - Herbert Hoover
He is tagged with the Great Depression but it was the failure of economic policies prior to his that caused it. More review is needed but I believe there's plenty of blame to go around on that mess.
It may annoy some of you to see Barack Obama listed as one of the worst but so are Reagan and both of the Bush boys. The reasons are plain enough but I have more. I wouldn't remove any of them from The Worst list.
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