Ranking the Presidents

Ranking The Presidents...
2/18/02 - President's Day

On this presidents day I thought it might be fun to play a little parlor game.

Below, you will find my selections for the Top and Bottom 10 Presidents in U.S. history.

Lists like this are, admittedly, highly subjective by their very nature. Yet various ranking lists - from the great original done by Arthur Schlesinger in 1948 to C-SPAN's poll in 1999 - all indicate similar results for the best and worst. My own results (listed below) are relatively close with most difference being in individual rankings.

For judging the top ten Presidents in U.S. history, I chose the following criteria;

Their handling of Crisis Management, Domestic & Economic Policy, Foreign Policy, Moral Character, Leadership, Legacy, and the pursuit of Civil Rights and Individual Liberty.

Thus, Wilson, who is typically ranked at or on the top ten on most polls, is not given that honor on my list, mostly due to his regressive policies towards blacks and civil rights as well as his foreign policy which was a complete failure.

Similarly, we have the presence of Jimmy Carter and (much as it pains me personally) Ulysses S. Grant in the bottom ten. Both were men of impeccable personal moral character, yet neither proved capable of leadership or crisis management as Chief Executive.

There are several choices which may not seem consistent with the above criteria (most notably Andrew Jackson and Thomas Jefferson) but mitigating or special circumstances may have influenced them.

In any case, that's how I did it. You may agree or not - I just thought I should try to spend this holiday wisely, as opposed to the way most of our free-vacations from work are handled (mine included).

In each case I give three reasons for my choice. In each case, the reasons match one of the top six criteria. (NOTE: this is true for the Top Ten anyway - for the Bottom Ten I just kind of rant since in most of the cases three reasons were not enough!).

The Top Ten - The Greatest Presidents in U.S. History :

I George Washington:

Created a living, breathing, working Presidency, out of theory and concept, through sheer force of will and unblemished moral character.
Established the precedent of peaceful, democratic transfer of power.
Led the United States of America into the greatest experiment (and success) in self-rule ever attempted in the history of civilization.

II Abraham Lincoln:

Saved the United States of America from Extinction
Solidified the Federal Government's authority over the States and gave birth to the United States of America that we now know.
The destruction of slavery - the great "Original Sin" which lay at the heart of this nations founding.

III Franklin Delano Roosevelt:

Saved the world from the greatest evil in the history of civilization.
Saved the world from the greatest evil in the history of civilization.
Saved the world from the greatest evil in the history of civilization.

IV Ronald Reagan:

Saved the world from the second greatest evil in the history of civilization.
Orchestrated the greatest, non-wartime, national rebirth (from the economic, military, and psychological ashes of the 70's) in U.S. history.
The re-establishment of the American Vision.

V Harry S. Truman

The courage, wisdom, and mercy (yes…mercy) that enabled him to end WWII by the use of nuclear weapons as opposed to the bloodbath of invasion (generous estimates of Hiroshima and Nagasaki dead are at 400,000 - conservative estimates of U.S. dead alone for an invasion of Japan were 500,000 with millions of dead Japanese).
The Truman Doctrine & Marshall Plan.
The desegregation of the U.S. military and all Federal Service.

VI Theodore Roosevelt:

The Panama Canal.
The establishment of an activist foreign policy which bolstered American security and prestige while simultaneously winning TR the Nobel Peace Prize.
The establishment of the American conservationist legacy by the Forest Reserve Act of 1891, which declared 235 million acres as permanent national forests and parks.

VII James K. Polk:

The Annexation of California and Texas
The Securing of the Oregon Territory (which simultaneously bolstered the credibility and precedent of the "Monroe Doctrine" by facing down the U.K.).
The establishment of an Independent U.S. Treasury.

VIII Grover Cleveland:

The most fiscally conservative Democrat in U.S. History. Cleveland forever entrenched in the American psyche the concept that free market capitalism was a great good and that tariffs and protectionism were evils to be abolished.
His attitude and respect for the indigenous peoples of Hawaii and Cuba (in the face of possible annexation) laid the foundations for the future handling of all U.S. foreign affairs with an eye towards restraint and conscience as well as the eventual rejection of colonial imperialism.
He was the most scrupulously honest and courageous President of the Gilded Age and these character traits did much to set the future tone of American politics, fiscal policies, and human rights.

IX Andrew Jackson:

The Annexation of Florida
The establishment of Federal Power over the States (and the delaying of a Civil War for a few more decades). South Carolina was but one step from secession over it's right to "nullify" Federal Authority as subordinate to States Rights. Jackson pointed out the error of their ways with the threat of U.S. military intervention.
Established the legacy of the President being beholden to the will of the people, as well as influencing the rise of mass political parties as a coalition of interests.

NOTE: His treatment of Native American's (the infamous "Trail of Tears") almost made me remove him but, unlike Jefferson, he did not talk out of both sides of his mouth on the issue and was very much a product of his time (as lame as that sounds) and in any case, his treatment was little different from that handed out by most U.S. Presidents before and immediately after him.

X Thomas Jefferson:

The Louisiana Purchase - which more than doubled the size of America with the stroke of a pen (and $15 Million to Napoleon).
"The Shores of Tripoli." - The Barbary Coast Wars. The first foreign military intervention by U.S. forces to secure American rights, which also set a precedent, still active today, of U.S. refusal to be blackmailed by "terrorists" or rogue states.

The Lewis & Clark Expedition

NOTE: Jefferson's position - at 10 - may be a conceit on my part (I harbor a secret fondness for him). The reality is that the majority of the great accomplishments he is most worshiped for came before his Presidency. In addition, it is impossible to gloss over his appalling hypocrisy on the issue of "all men are created equal" while continuing to own human beings due to no other motivation than personal greed. In the end, Jefferson is on my list as a representation of the highest ideals of America (even when we fail to achieve them).

Honorable Mentions:

Dwight D. Eisenhower:

Ike is on most of the "Top Ten" lists I have seen. His moral character and leadership are undeniable, and his reign during one of the most optimistic and golden periods in American history (the 1950's) is more than just coincidence. On the other hand, his foreign policy endeavors were largely appalling failures. The bay of Pigs was planned by his administration. His words on Communist Europe were proven (at great cost - just ask Hungary) to be all bluster while his policies on South East Asia began what would be the greatest military, domestic, and foreign policy disaster in U.S. history - Vietnam. When coupled with his lukewarm attitudes towards Truman's fledgling civil rights advances, he must be relegated to somewhere less than top 10.

James Monroe:

The Monroe Doctrine - nuff said
John F. Kennedy:

JFK was a womanizer, an elitist, and a political slickster who's administration double-dealed, held mortal grudges, and practiced the politics of personal vendetta. The Bay of Pigs was a fiasco, his personal war against Castro was illegal (and would eventually play a part in his assassination), and he accelerated the war in Vietnam.

Having said all that (which is why he is not in the Top Ten) He was also, if hypocritically so, deeply committed to Civil Rights advancement. His brinkmanship with Russia nearly ended the world - but did not - and for that he must be given great credit. He was the most fiscally conservative Democrat in the 20th Century and his vision for America and our role in the world (The Apollo Moon Missions, The Peace Corps, The international defense of liberty and democracy) was both real and genuinely stirring.

The Bottom Ten - The Worst Presidents in U.S. History:

I James Buchanan:

The worst President in U.S. history. Played with himself while the nation moved towards Civil War and 600,000 American deaths. His inaction was a colossal betrayal of trust and duty. When he did act, he only made things worse. Indeed, it was the incompetence and moral cowardice of Buchanan that underscored the superiority of his successor, Abraham Lincoln.

II Andrew Johnson:

After Lincoln's assassination, Johnson single-handedly ensured that reconstruction would fail. He undid all of Lincoln's promises of "Charity towards all, malice towards none" by simultaneously antagonizing white southerners while abandoning the recently freed slaves. A Southerner and racist, no one could have been a worse successor for the great Lincoln. He supported the enactment of "Black codes". He so alienated his own party and congress that they moved to hedge his authority. When he crossed them, the House of Representatives impeached him (one of only two Presidents in U.S. History). He was spared removal from office by one vote in the Senate.

III James E. Carter:

One of the most disappointing and tragic figures on my list. A man of great intelligence, sensitivity and moral fortitude, who turned out to be unable to face the challenges of office and adversity. A micromanager and idealist, Carter's naivet� coupled with an unwillingness to accept advice placed him a position of being feckless by default. On both the home front and internationally, tremendous energies were expended with nothing but backwards motion. The Soviet Union accumulated the greatest political and military advancements since the end of WWII while the Carter administration stood like a deer in the headlights. The oil crisis, unemployment, interest rates, and the Iranian Hostage crisis - like a great academic politico, Carter could not handle the big chair when it came time to actually sit.

IV William Jefferson Clinton:

Clinton's first inaugural promise of being "The most Ethical Administration in the history of the United States", is a joke of such cosmic, gargantuan proportions, it is almost difficult to believe he actually uttered them. His moral turpitude, horrifying contempt for the rule of law, and outright corruption, coupled with several large policy failures - on energy policy, foreign policy, Mid-East peace, and the military - are not offset by his one or two modest successes (GATT/WTO and welfare reform) nor his small part in one very large success (the economic boom). When you add in his perversion of the Justice Department in order to avoid criminal prosecution, and lack of personal accountability, Clinton emerges from the dust as a man of low practical ability and morals who played the instruments of personal politics and influence while the White House burned. The second President in U.S. history to be impeached. Like Johnson, he avoided being removed from office by one vote

V Calvin Coolidge:

If Clinton "fiddled while Rome Burned" then "Cool Cal" was in a coma under the guise of "minimalist conservative government". In addition, his high protective tariffs were a complete reversal of the free market ideals supported by his predecessors and aided in the coming of the Great Depression. Hoover often gets most of the blame for the great depression - I say it was Cal.

VI Lyndon B. Johnson:

His "great society" and "war on poverty" are legacies we are still paying for today. The class warfare battle lines and cycle of government dependency, created by his failed attempts at democratizing socialism, formed the basis of a divisive and counterproductive policy which helped lock hundreds of thousands of lives into permanent poverty and underclass. His escalation of the War in Vietnam, for purely personal political purposes, was underscored by his cowardice in refusing to run for a second elected term when it became clear he would be the "first President to lose a War". Only his support of civil rights (ironic considering what a vicious racist he was) prevents him from being in the top 5 of my list.

VII Gerald Ford:

Knew nothing, did nothing. As a congressman, never introduced ONE bill in 22 years! Was a gleeful participant in the greatest lie ever forced on the American people (the Warren Commission's investigation of JFK's assassination). While these had nothing to do with his presidency, we should have seen the rest coming. Gerald Ford's sole job was to secure a Presidential pardon for Nixon. That is the only reason Nixon picked him. There is no other way this cosmic milquetoast could have even managed a wet-dream about becoming President.

VIII George H. Bush:

Shocked are you? I know most people who are acquainted with me will be.

Even if you do not like him, "can he be that bad?" you ask? Yes.

Why? Forget leaving Saddam in power (not his fault) forget the economy (not his fault), Bush's biggest problem was his need to cover up his past and his willingness to utilize his most sacred Presidential powers to do so.

On Christmas Eve, 1989, George Bush ordered the invasion of Panama, a sovereign neighbor, to remove the arguably popularly supported head of state so he could stand CRIMINAL charges in an America Court for narcotics trafficking. Huh? That would be like Tony Blair unleashing the British military (on the 4th of July) to invade New Hampshire because the mayor of Butts-ville was doing 100 mph in a 55 zone. Why did Bush do it? To avoid impeachment. Noriega was a U.S. CIA puppet who helped run drugs and launder money for the CIA. Bush was involved (both as VP and as CIA director) and Noriega was too dangerous to leave around. During his trial, 4 DEA agents were barred from testifying, under oath, that Noriega was working with the U.S. Have ya ever wondered what happened to Noriega? Have not heard anything about that since have we? The whole thing just kinda went away...

IX Richard M. Nixon:

Obvious - Only two factors kept him out of the "Top Five Worst" (and ALMOST took him off the "Bottom Ten" list altogether);

a) Only Nixon could go to China...
b) He ended the Vietnam war.

X Ulysses S. Grant:

*sigh* Another one which makes me weep to have to place on the list. Like Carter - Grant was a great man, an honest man, a man of tremendous personal character and leadership. He was also naive, politically lazy, and a sucker. The most corrupt administration in U.S. history (due to the fact that Grant was surrounded by slime that he was never quite able to recognize or deal with). Only his personal character traits save him from more damaging condemnation.

Dis-Honorable Mentions:

- Zachary Taylor/Millard Fillmore/Franklin Pierce: The three Presidents who preceded Buchanan and Lincoln. All aided in their own way the coming storm of Civil War.