I had a knew jerk reaction to agree with you on Nixon going down as one of the better presidents if it hadn't been for Watergate. Nixon did accomplish a lot both domestically and in the foreign arena. But much like LBJ, Vietnam was always in the background. Would South Vietnam have fallen if Nixon continued in office unhindered by Watergate? I have a tendency to think not. One of the main reason South Vietnam fell was the cut off of aid by congress. From 2 billion in 1973 to 800 million in 1974 and zero, nothing in 1975. When you have to count every bullet you fire knowing you won't be able to replace any, that really effects how you deal with the NVA invasion. I really do not know if South Vietnam would have fallen or not or if Nixon would have resumed intensive bombing like he did during the Eastertide offensive in which the ARVN did all the fighting on the ground. Who really knows. But Vietnam would always be there. Much like Iraq and Afghanistan has followed Bush the second and will probably follow Obama.
Please go to this thread and vote. I bollixed this post, and would appreciate if people would go to the revised post and cast a vote. http://www.politicalforum.com/political-opinions-beliefs/429938-worst-president-modern-era.html
are you as unaware of what the 20th century encompasses as you are of Carter, Harding, and Wilson? - - - Updated - - - actually Ford's pardon is why many people who actually understand things rate him rather highly. HE put the good of the country ahead of his own election. He was advised that pardoning Nixon would cost him the election. He did it anyway
I agree with this assessment. The two worst presidents of my lifetime are GWB, and BHO. No one else even comes close. GWB's screwing up of the M.E., and BHO's abject, inept failure at... well.... pretty much everything, leaves all others (to include Carter) head and shoulders above. Why The People do not seek to elect people of integrity to our highest offices is a real mystery to me.
Well, a nation's government is a reflection of the people and culture they govern, at least in the long term;it can't be any other way. We get corrupt (*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)s because the public prefers them, and/or is incapable of discerning morals and principles from ideological gibberish. Thrown in a media process that is awash in astroturf shilling and it becomes extremely unlikely the public will be able to make remotely sound political decisions; a country has to have sound core morals and principles, at least among the majority, whether 'right' wing or 'left'. We no longer have that, we have simplistic astroturf sloganeering instead. So, you get trash for 'candidates'. Obviously the public is pretty happy with that or they wouldn't be voting based on it.
no president in US history created more lasting harm than FDR. what is different is that FDR's evil was based on HOW effective he was while the failures of Carter, Obama, W and others was due to bad luck, ineptness or obstructions from the opposition
Perhaps if your gauging by volume, but I look at Wilson because he I believe, set the stage for FDR -- Wilson was a bully and a fascist. He's commonly ignored the constitution and thought power was exclusive and above the laws. He created the first propaganda organization in US history and passed the Sedition Act where he claimed US citizens were the highest threat (Sounds familiar to today's great threats being internal but only on one side of the political isle). He literally was as close to a dictator and fascist this country has ever come to elect. I guess I give him extra marks for being the first ... and his love of socialist principles, 100 years ahead of Bernie Sanders.
What you see as Obamas failures he and libs see as his greatest achievements. FDR and Wilson are in the top 3 for sure
Yes, FDR was indeed horrible. He was so horrible he was elected four times, because voters just couldn't believe how so excruciatingly awful he was that they kept electing him over and over again, just to see if it was humanly possible that he could get even worse every time!!! ... Quit reading Ann Coulter's AstroTurf crap; it causes brain damage. Or quit drinking and posting, which ever.
War sure helped. Most think Lincoln was a great president as well thought I think he is one of the worst.
Warren G Harding. His Presidency was, in it's level of cronyism and corruption, the blueprint for the George W Bush adminstration, right down to Teapot Dome!
