Top 5 presidents of all time...

[Insein]

I saw a list recently by some so called prestigious group on their top 5 presidents. It made me think that we've never really had the debate before here (both boards).

Here's my top 5.

1. George Washington: He established what a president should be. He was a good military leader but also listened to the social concerns of the nation. Also he could have become king of america had he truly wanted to after being elected for 12 years but he gave the power back to the people by stepping down. Protypical American President and has to be #1 overall.

2. Thomas Jefferson: A true Republican. He founded the principles of minimal government and opposed every form of tyranny against man (aside from slavery at the time apparently). He would be considered a Radical to the hardest core from the Right today wanting the government to stay out of everyday life as much as possible. Also made the LA Purchase gaining a huge chunk of land and resources for the USA.

3. Abraham Lincoln: He might have been one of the most unpopular presidents in the history of the US, but he is one of the most important. He kept this country together at its most dire time in history. If not for Abe's controversial decisions, we would not have a USA like we do today.

4. Franklin Roosevelt: He created a few government programs that still stifle us today, but he made a nation regain its national pride in the depths of the Great Depression. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" rings true today as it did then. He made a nation believe in itself again.

5. Ronald Reagan: Similar to FDR, he got a nation that was going through a recession, facing ridiculous interest rates, gas shortages, Soviet Fear, Iran hostage crisis, etc to believe in itself again. He stood up to evil in the world and didnt flinch by demanding that the Soviet Union tear down the Berlin wall and let those people from the East free. He built up the military and modernized their weaponry forcing the enemy to bankrupt itself under the communist system. He forced the Soviet Union to crumble without firing a single shot (so to speak cause there were minor skirmishes) by forcing their hand and not allowing them to impose fear on the world any longer. He also restarted the conservative movement by getting people to return to less government and more personal responsibility principles.

[LiberalNation]

Ronald Reagan would in No way be on my list. he was not all that great of a president.

My list

George Washington- first president helped found the country ect.

Thomas Jefferson- for buying the Louisiana purchase and doubling the size of the US.

Teddy Roosevelt- for inspiring the nation, being one of the great a trust busters, started the panama Canal.

Franklin Roosevelt- Brought America back from the Great depression. Important during WW2.

James K Polk- expanded the US greatly with the Mexican American War even though he is not well remembered I'd say he's was more important to the country than Reagan.

[5stringJeff]

1. Washington, no doubt.

2. Jefferson. Probably had the best outlook on the role of the federal gov't of any president we've had.

3. Andrew Jackson, for fighting the Bank of the United States and for working towards the vision of an America that stretched from coast to coast.

4. Teddy Roosevelt. The president who made the US a true world power.

5. Ronald Reagan. Won the Cold War and understood government better than anyone since Jefferson.

Honorable mention: Calvin Coolidge, the original supply side economics President!

[eighballsidepocket]

1. Washington
2. Lincoln
3. Teddy Roosevelt
4. Ronald Reagan
5. Franklin Roosevelt

I know I'm going to get flak for this, but I'd even nominate Richard Nixon. He said he'd get us out of Vietnam and he did it. He did a lot of things militarily that LBJ wouldn't do.......He mined Haiphong Harbor and that stopped the sea delivery of SAM's by the U.S.S.R.. He invaded Cambodia, basically he followed through with his campaign promise to get our fighting men home.

Nixon was a commie hater, and yet still opened up China in ways that many might think are a curse to the U.S. now, but actually Nixon opened up the populous of China to exposure to democracy, free enterprise......etc... He may some day, in retrospect go down as the man that brought down the Communist regime of China, because he made the first "crack" in the Red wall, that hasn't been closed. Don't think that those Chinese students for Democracy in Tinamen square have been forgotten.

China may be hitting us with a deluge of products that keep us in a constant negative import deficit, but also remember that China also needs our consumer dollars like we need Middle East Oil. Both China and ourselves have vested interests that we don't want to jeopardize. That's why we walk on "egg shells" in the Middle East, and that's why we can pressure China to put pressure on N. Korea, and also keep them from invading Taiwan. China, whether they like it or not are hitched to us economically, and need us. That's our "ace" card. When we figure out how to become Middle East oil independent, the belligerent countrys there will not have an extortion hook in us anymore.

Nixon's Watergate will be a "spit" in the bucket one day in retrospect, compared to what his policies did for the long run.

[manu1959]

1. Washington
2. Lincoln
3. Teddy Roosevelt
4. Ronald Reagan
5. Franklin Roosevelt

I know I'm going to get flak for this, but I'd even nominate Richard Nixon. He said he'd get us out of Vietnam and he did it. He did a lot of things militarily that LBJ wouldn't do.......He mined Haiphong Harbor and that stopped the sea delivery of SAM's by the U.S.S.R.. He invaded Cambodia, basically he followed through with his campaign promise to get our fighting men home.

Nixon was a commie hater, and yet still opened up China in ways that many might think are a curse to the U.S. now, but actually Nixon opened up the populous of China to exposure to democracy, free enterprise......etc... He may some day, in retrospect go down as the man that brought down the Communist regime of China, because he made the first "crack" in the Red wall, that hasn't been closed. Don't think that those Chinese students for Democracy in Tinamen square have been forgotten.

China may be hitting us with a deluge of products that keep us in a constant negative import deficit, but also remember that China also needs our consumer dollars like we need Middle East Oil. Both China and ourselves have vested interests that we don't want to jeopardize. That's why we walk on "egg shells" in the Middle East, and that's why we can pressure China to put pressure on N. Korea, and also keep them from invading Taiwan. China, whether they like it or not are hitched to us economically, and need us. That's our "ace" card. When we figure out how to become Middle East oil independent, the belligerent countrys there will not have an extortion hook in us anymore.

Nixon's Watergate will be a "spit" in the bucket one day in retrospect, compared to what his policies did for the long run.

jfk got a pass on the bay of pigs.....i give nixon a pass on watergate.....i thought nixon was a fine president for the reasons you state

oh yea:

washington: started it
jeferson: defined it
linclon: held it together
fdr: defended it
reagan: defined it

[GW in Ohio]

I saw a list recently by some so called prestigious group on their top 5 presidents. It made me think that we've never really had the debate before here (both boards).

Here's my top 5.

1. George Washington: He established what a president should be. He was a good military leader but also listened to the social concerns of the nation. Also he could have become king of america had he truly wanted to after being elected for 12 years but he gave the power back to the people by stepping down. Protypical American President and has to be #1 overall.

2. Thomas Jefferson: A true Republican. He founded the principles of minimal government and opposed every form of tyranny against man (aside from slavery at the time apparently). He would be considered a Radical to the hardest core from the Right today wanting the government to stay out of everyday life as much as possible. Also made the LA Purchase gaining a huge chunk of land and resources for the USA.

3. Abraham Lincoln: He might have been one of the most unpopular presidents in the history of the US, but he is one of the most important. He kept this country together at its most dire time in history. If not for Abe's controversial decisions, we would not have a USA like we do today.

4. Franklin Roosevelt: He created a few government programs that still stifle us today, but he made a nation regain its national pride in the depths of the Great Depression. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself" rings true today as it did then. He made a nation believe in itself again.

5. Ronald Reagan: Similar to FDR, he got a nation that was going through a recession, facing ridiculous interest rates, gas shortages, Soviet Fear, Iran hostage crisis, etc to believe in itself again. He stood up to evil in the world and didnt flinch by demanding that the Soviet Union tear down the Berlin wall and let those people from the East free. He built up the military and modernized their weaponry forcing the enemy to bankrupt itself under the communist system. He forced the Soviet Union to crumble without firing a single shot (so to speak cause there were minor skirmishes) by forcing their hand and not allowing them to impose fear on the world any longer. He also restarted the conservative movement by getting people to return to less government and more personal responsibility principles.

Your list is almost identical to mine, with one exception. I would move Lincoln to #5. Although he was a great leader during our most trying period, I also think he might have prevented the Civil War. If he had been more restrained during the occupation of Fort Sumter....if he had not sent federal troops into the South at that time but rather tried diplomacy, the Southern states might not have called up their militias in response to what they perceived as the threat of Northern aggression and the war might have been prevented.

But what the hell, hindsight is 20/20. If that asshole JW Boothe hadn't shot Lincoln, we would have had a much better reconstruction.

[glockmail]

FDR was a commie, IMO. He lengthened the Depression with his policies, created the entitlement society, which may eventually bring down this otherwise great US of A. True he was a warrior, but it could be argued that WW2 started due to crappy treatment of the Germans after WW1 and the lengthly world-wide economic despair that FDR was largely responsible for.

[GW in Ohio]

FDR was a commie.....



You crack me up, man.....

[gabosaurus]

Certainly you can't be serious about Reagan. Have you forgot Iran Contra and arms for hostages? How about Reaganomics and his meddling in Central and South America?
Though I will give Reagan credit for being America's first vegetable president.

[glockmail]

FDR was a commie.....



You crack me up, man.....

Far easier to laugh then face reality. I expected more from you. :sad:

[glockmail]

....
Though I will give Reagan credit for being America's first vegetable president.

Compassionate Liberal. An oxymoron if there ever was one.

[jimnyc]

Though I will give Reagan credit for being America's first vegetable president.

Was that supposed to be funny?

I'm not a great historian, so I'm only going to nominate one that I lived through, and that was Ronald Reagan. He was a great president that lead us through some tough times, and was a damn good man personally as well. Some of his words still make me think about him today. He was a powerful man who was not just feared, but also respected by many.

And unlike the idiotic comments above, I find it very sad that his legacy ended the way it did, but was happy at the same time with the wonderful farewell he received.

[gabosaurus]

If you didn't notice that Reagan was a horrible leader, you weren't paying attention. His "Cowboy Ronnie" approach to foreign policy was disgraceful.
The more I read about Reagan, the more I am convinced that he was an idiot.

[jimnyc]

If you didn't notice that Reagan was a horrible leader, you weren't paying attention. His "Cowboy Ronnie" approach to foreign policy was disgraceful.
The more I read about Reagan, the more I am convinced that he was an idiot.

So you make light of someone who had a deadly disease because you didn't agree with his politics? Absolutely disgusting.

[gabosaurus]

So you make light of someone who had a deadly disease because you didn't agree with his politics? Absolutely disgusting.

I know. I am becoming more Republican with each passing day.