Who were the best, and worst, U. S. Presidents of the Twentieth Century?  Give your reasons why, too!?
440854
I agree with most of your comments.\n\nI agree that Truman was one of the best.  He, above all other things, accepted responisibility for his actions and wanted the President to be a man of unquestioned integrity.\n\nFor that reason, I believe the two Bushes to be the worst.  Neither has shown any desire to be a President that would make the American people proud.  All three of their combined terms have been marked by avoidance of responibility and the pursuit of personal interests over the good of the country.\n\nKennedy was overrated.  Didn't really do very many things well.  He relied almost completely on charisma.\n\nCarter was in way over his head and deserves to be among the worst, but has been a great ex-president.  I think he deserves some respect for his dipomacy and charity work since leaving office.\n\nRight on about Harding and Silent Cal.  I am torn on Clinton, although the country was relatively peace and prosperous during his tenure, I think much of the credit goes to Congress and gridlock rather than his own actions.  And he didn't have a strong sence of honour and integrity.\n\nI noticed you left off FDR and LBJ.  Both of whom were inexplicably popular.  FDR had good luck and charisma, JBL had bad luck and charisma.  I would put FDR on the best list, but not very high.  The circumstances surrounding his presidency would have made anyone look good.  Johnson belongs on the worst list in my opinion.  Although he did much good, he chose to sacrifice thousands of lives in Vietnam rather than make the unpopular decision to pull them out.
385081
All the Bushes and Clintons....everyone needs to study up a little bit.\n\nFavorite:  Abraham Lincoln.  His writings alone qualify him for this post, regardless of his accomplishments.\n\nLeast Favorite:  Franklin Pierce.   This kid was a mess.  The Kansas-Nebraska Act led to the civil war and unrest in the west.  Drank himself to death and once ran over an elderly woman when driving his carraige drunk.  What a tool.
638142
Second worse is a tie between Daddy Bush and Dutch (the speechreader) Reagan.  If you go back and look at the crock of sh-t Reagan spread during his reign of terror , you'd agree.\n\nMy personal favorite was his smoozing up to the air traffic controllers and then backstabbing them as soon as he took office.\n\nMy second favorite was his "War on Drugs".  During this fiasco we had more drugs in America than ever before or after!  Shoot, even on of the S.S. guards at the White House reportedly said that when the Vice President's kids came to visit ( this would be W and his brothers) that they ( the S.S. guards) felt they should pat them down for weapons.  \n\nThe guards also stated the "boys" liked their white powder and left traces of it in the rooms.
165916
I did a report on Ulysses and he seemed to be a better general than a president. I can only assume FDR was better.
1078764
In my lifetime, it was undoubtedly Ronald Reagan.  He shifted our policies dramatically, and allowed the U.S. to recover from a very weakened state in the 70's.\n\nOf course Washington outlined what it meant to be president, and established a great precedent.  People like Jefferson, Madison, and even as far forward as Grover Cleveland followed through in that tradition.  Reagan could also be seen as part of that tradition.\n\nOn the other hand, a number of presidents changed America's course in ways that were less positive.  I blame Woodrow Wilson for leading us into an interventionist foreign policy; Herbert Hoover and FDR for adopting segments of socialist economic policy; and Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon for combining those two failed ideals.  GWBush could also be seen as a part of this tradition.\n\nEveryone's opinion of what makes a great president will differ, depending on what they think makes a great nation.  I prefer the freedom-oriented leaders, such as the early presidents, who valued liberty more than security.
611913
So, if I'm to be limited to your time frame, this would mean only Presidents since 1946, so which of these Presidents?\n\nHarry S. Truman\nDwight Eisenhower\nJohn Kennedy\nLyndon Johnson\nRichard Nixon\nGerald Ford\nJimmy Carter\nRonald Reagan\nGeorge H. W. Bush\nBill Clinton\nGeorge W. Bush\n\nEach has had his strengths, weaknesses, crisis's, conflicts and scandals but I'd order them like this and why:\n\nRonald Reagan - Gave America back it's pride after the 1980 election  against Jimmy Carter. Reagan broadened his appeal by espousing moderate policies, gaining much of his support from disaffected Democrats and blue-collar workers. The incoming administration immediately set out to “turn the government around” with a new economic program. Over strenuous congressional opposition, Reagan pushed through his “supply side” economic program to stimulate production and control inflation through tax cuts and sharp reductions in government spending. However, in 1982, as the economy declined into the worst recession in 40 years, and support for supply-side economics faded.\n\nNominated Sandra Day O'Connor as the first woman on the Supreme Court.  Reagan's place in history will rest, perhaps, on the short- and intermediate-range missile treaty consummated on a cordial visit to the Soviet Union  with the Soviet leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. Reagan could point to numerous domestic achievements as well: sharp cuts in income tax rates, creating economic growth without inflation, and reducing the unemployment rate.\n\nBill Clinton - Presided over the greatest economic expansion in our lifetime. Mastered the art of employing incremental, rather than large-scale, governmental action to effect change leaving the Republicans, with their announced mandate for fundamental change, to appear visionary and extreme. Having taken the center, and with stock markets continuing to boom and unemployment low, Clinton enjoyed high popularity, presiding over an enormous national surge in prosperity and innovation.\n\nDwight Eisenhower - Vastly underrated. preached a doctrine of Dynamic Conservatism. Maintained a conservative economic policy, with liberal social policies. Worked to reduce the size of government, contain inflation, and lower taxes., Simultaneously created the Department of Health, Education and Welfare.). His administration supported the civil-rights legislation that passed Congress (1957, 1960); and he prohibited discriminatory practices in the District of Columbia and in federal facilities such as navy yards and hospitals.\n\n\nJohn Kennedy - Promoted civil rights, space exploration, and made Americans hopeful with the promise of the "New Frontier". Yet his Presidencey lasted only slightly more than 1,000 days, he also set forward many changes to our nation that would  have lasting impact. \n\nHarry S. Truman - Truman was a folksy, unassuming president, and popularized phrases such as "The buck stops here" and "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen." He overcame the low expectations of many, particularly in the shadow of his politically-dominant predecessor, and although he was forced out of his re-election campaign in 1952 due to low approval ratings, he is now commonly rated among the great Presidents by historians.\n\nLyndon Johnson -  adopted a far-reaching civil-rights bill, a voting-rights bill, a Medicare program for the aged, and measures to improve education and conservation. Congress also began what Johnson described as “an all-out war” on poverty. The double tragedy of a war in Southeast Asia (which he himself escalated)and urban riots at home marked Johnson's last two years in office. Faced with disunity in the nation and challenges within his own party, Johnson surprised the country on March 31, 1968, with the announcement that he would not be a candidate for reelection.\n\nGeorge H. W. Bush - Bush pursued moderate policies in both domestic and
510832
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 35th President.\n\nJFK may have won the White House with the narrowest margin (until 2000) but he did much to win back support during 2 3/4 years in office. \n\nHis inaugural address is probably the best in Presidential history. It gave a sense of direction for the nation and opened up the challenges for the 60s. Kennedy was the first President born in the 20th century to occupy the White House and his young age drew a chord with the baby boomers.\n\nHe made a blunder with the Bay of Pigs, but one must must understand that the ColdWar was at it's height. The Chiefs of the Armed Forces were mainly hawks at the time, (given their experiences with WWII and the Korean Conflict) but Kennedy maintained control over them. This was best seen in the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.\n\nAgainst the advice of his top commanders, Kennedy held back and refused to allow an invasion, had he done so, the invasion force would have been wiped out by a Soviet force in Cuba which had tactical nuclear missiles and whose orrders were to use them in the event of an invasion. The General in charge said so in an interview in 1992. the reason was simple, in those days communications was not so easy, he wouldn't have time to call and get an answer from  Moscow, he would follow the last directive to use the weapons. Had that occured, the US would then be at war with the USSR and Cuba in a nuclear conflict.\n\nWe wouldn't be here today if that occured. So that was Kennedy's finest moment, preventing nuclear conflict and forcing the Soviets to back down with his naval blockade.\n\nHis assassination shocked the country and its' wounds are still felt today. It was like a loss of innocence for many. However, it did much to unite the people with the Presidency. LBJ was able to use that unifying force to get many Bills through and swept the 1964 elections in the biggest landslide in US election history.\n\nThe "Goldwater conservatives" who we see in abundance today took a heavy beating. \n\nIn life, Kennedy gave much character and hope to the American people (the same with Reagan, who gave us a sense of pride more than in achievement), at a time when Americans needed that uplift in spirit for the future. In death, he brought the people closer to the Presidency and gave much more drive to achieve the goals he set out, like putting a man on the moon, bridging blacks into mainstream America and putting America's future in the young.\n\nI will end with 2 quotes from his inaugural address which I personally like;\n\n'Let every other nation know, whether they wish us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend or oppose any foe, to assure the survival and success of liberty'\n\n'Finally whether you are citizens of America and of the world, ask of us here the same high standards of strength and sacrifise that we shall ask of you, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth, God's work must truly be our own'.
301630
These are the top ranking three Presidents—in chronological order, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt.  Frequently ranking just below those three are Presidents Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Woodrow Wilson. The remaining "top 10" ranks are often filled by Andrew Jackson, Harry S Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower.\nIn these polls, the highest ranking president who served only one term is usually James K. Polk or John Adams. The highest ranking president who served less than one full term is usually John F. Kennedy.\nFrequently ranking at the bottom of most polls are Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and Warren G. Harding.
1136318
NOT Reagan or Bush jr! \n\nModern: Clinton and Carter.\n\nRecent: Truman and FDR.\n\nOlder: Lincoln and Washington
581466
Even as a conservative, I say he is in no way the best we have had at President. But also, he is far from the worst (Nixon, Carter, Hoover, Clinton, McKinley, etc, all worse).\n\nHe's done good, but he has also made poor decisions, as all leaders do. I'd rank him as slightly above average.
289069
I would not classify him as a remarkable President.  He had no concept of Foreign Policy, his domestic policy was mediocre at best.  I would rate Abe Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and JFK as better presidents.
25887
Five Worst Presidents   \nJames Buchanan\nAndrew Johnson\nFranklin Pierce\nWarren G. Harding\nWilliam Henry Harrison\nCourtesy: C-SPAN
1138938
Franklin Delano Roosevelt\n\nHe got the country out of the Great Depression.  Enough said.
472858
Regan.  He was one of the best Presidents we've ever had.
855864
Many historians think that he's the worst in SOME AREAS.  For instance, his handling of the environment has been deemed the worst, and that even George Washington had more regard for the environment.  His tax policies that benefit mostly the rich are also extreme, in that they make Nixon look like a flaming liberal.  I think he has mis-handled the war in Iraq, but we also had Vietnam in recent history.  It is all a matter of opinion, and my opinion is that he definitely isn't the BEST president we've ever had.  And one can truly make the argument that he was put there by his peers so they (Rumsfeld, Rice, Cheney, etc) could run the country.  I actually feel pretty sorry for him, because I think he's just a simple guy that got in too deep.
1086929
In my lifetime Bill Clinton, he was the most successful at running the business of the country. I go back to Eisenhawer. He was the last one before Clinton to have a grasp of reality, FDR was great but he was before my time. Kennedy might have been but wasn't in office long enough to make enough difference. So I think Bill Clinton was the best.
1007211
Clinton?  The best?  I can't agree with you on that, but I definitely agree with you on Bush.   Simply the worst!!