This is my look at the 10 worst presidents in our history. A couple of things to remember:
1) I did not include the sitting President: I personally would not include him anyway, but even if I was not in favor it is too early to make a judgement on an acting president.
2) This is my opinion: There may be (probably is) man on this list you disagree with, that is okay in the "comments" section feel free to tell me why.
Here we go:
10) George Bush (first): While he may have had some success in the Gulf War, he will be forever remembered for his "No New Taxes" speech that did not come true. Getting taken to the woodshed in this re-election by Clinton did not help either.
9) Clinton: I know many will be upset, but I am going strictly on morals, and the fact that he is only the second man ever to be impeached.
8) Carter: Peanut farmer from Georgia was not a great president. Not getting hostages released from Iran for over a year hurt his legacy, as they were only freed right before Reagan was coming in.
7) Pierce: Kansas-Nebraska Act really got him in hot water (as it should). Not even re-nominated by party in the next election.
6) Harrison: Dies after 1-month after giving longest Inauguration Speech ever in frigid temperatures. Who knows what would have happened if he would have lived.
5)Tyler: Former Vice President who is never elected to presidency struggled. Impeachment attempt on his office really hurts his legacy.
4) Harding: The “partying president”, actually gambled away part of white house China one time, Many friends given high positions that took government money. I cleaned up this statement by him "My *Goodness, this is a *heck of a job!" Harding said. "I have no trouble with my enemies, but my *darn friends, my *Dad-gummed friends... they're the ones that keep me walking the floor nights!" A man whose corrupt friends ruined his presidency.
3) Grant: Corrupt friends also hurt this former General. Smoked 20 cigars a day as well (that is just a sidenote, not why he made the list).
2) Nixon: Watergate. Enough said.
1) Johnson: Not elected to his post and not re-elected. Takes over for one of best presidents in a bad situation and makes it worse. The Radical republicans do not like how he is easy on the South and he barely escapes being thrown out of office by one vote.
Well that's my thoughts.
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17 comments:
Think you could put Jackson in the bottom 10 for that little "Trail of Tears" incident.
There's a lesson to be learned there from Harding's legacy: corrupt friends corrupt character. I always struggle, though, with putting that in perspective with my faith. As a Christian, I should have at least some level of contact with unbelievers. But I'm getting way off topic here.
When I was a little kid, I thought that Harding University was named after Warren G. Harding, and that he must have been a pretty good guy. Imagine my surprise to find out that it wasn't, and he wasn't.
If people are going to make the bad list for their morals (which I think they should), then JFK should be there: the man had ties to organized crime, and enough extra-marital activity to put him in the same class as Wilt Chamberlain.
I like Bush 1, but the "Read my lips, no new taxes" was a PR nightmare. It was certainly his undoing, but in many ways, not his fault (he was forced into raising taxes by a Democratic congress).
I've always liked, or at least felt extreme sympathy for Andrew Johnson. As if following Lincoln wouldn't have been hard enough (let alone an assassinated, martyred Lincoln), he also had to deal with the Reconstruction issue. He was denounced for his "soft" plan, but it was harder on the South than Lincoln's would have been, and as history has shown, was certainly hard enough.
Jon: Yes that did factor in a little.
Jason: Great point, and notice here I am answering each comment with a separate comment to up my total.
Luke: You'd be surprised how many at Harding would believe you if you told them that.
Johnson did have a hard role, but he didn't do much to help himself.
I am surprised no backlash for Clinton...
Clinton: preaching to the choir here.
What about LBJ - not a real great one either
What Bill Clinton did was wrong, but it involved him and his wife. As for being a leader, he's a much better leader than our current president. Saying you have morals and you're a christian doesn't make it so . . . actions speak louder than words . . . it seems it's only "sinful" to kill in the womb, not when you're old enough to enlist in another man's war and die.
we had presidents named pierce and carter?? wow. wherehave I been???
kbpb: I don't want to go off about abortion here but...I would think that men who enlist are willingly going to die if need be for their country, whereas children in the womb do not have much of a choice.
sure clinton was a great pres... that's why he while he was getting his jollies from lewinski he didn't have time to pursue the 1st twin towers bombing or go after bin laden after Somalia - yep it was between him and his wife and the rest of the country suffered on 9/11 because of that
Seriously, man. Where's Millard Fillmore?
Seriously?
this country has gone to hell in a handbasket under the current administration ...
AND HELLO - do any of you realize that 9/11 happened on GWB's watch??
Just kidding about my boy, Millard. I don't think most people know he was actually one of our Presidents.
I feel like I should personally apologize for J. Carter. I grew up just down the road from his home in Plains and like most locals was very proud to have "one of us" actually become president. I still respect him as a person in many ways. It is amazing that he could go from peanut farmer to president. He still seems, at times, down to earth and regularly teaches Bible class at the Baptist church in Plains. But his passive approach to dealing with evil regimes (past and present) has proven less than ideal. He was too honest and naive to "play the game" in D.C. and ended up with 19% interest rates, high gas prices, and lots of national problems. That comes to mind for me during every election cycle--good morals and good intentions do not always lead to good leadership at that level.
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