Best President in US History?

[EnvyDemon]

Really quickly, I'm just going to say that it will a requirement for said President to be dead (Ronald Regan, Gerald Ford are fair game, Bill Clinton or George W. Bush are not).

That being said, who do you think was the best president of the United States and why?

Personally, I think it was FDR, as he took power in a horrible bad situation, with the Great Depression devastating the country (and the world), and by the end of his presidency (he had a stroke, the man was elected 4 terms and is one of the major reasons we have term limits in the United States today), we were one month out from winning WWII, we were a Superpower, and the country was rallied around him, unlike any other president today. Keep in mind, he did this all while Handicapped from the waist down. I think he should defiantly be considered one of the major badasses in history.

Anyways, thoughts?

 

[Dr.Livingstone]

I'm a fan of FDR. Going from cripple stuck in a wheel chair to the longest serving leader of the strongest nation on earth is just great history. Not to mention he was pretty decent during his tenure too.

 

[Finnish Dragon]

I feel that FDR is slightly overrated as a president. I think that he was too soft on Stalin and Soviet Union. He most certainly belongs to the Top 5 US Presidents but I don´t think that he deserves the top spot.

I think this quote by FDR explains that very well:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_D._Roosevelt#Post-war_planning

While Churchill warned of potential domination by a Stalin dictatorship over eastern Europe, Roosevelt responded with a statement summarizing his rationale for relations with Stalin: "I just have a hunch that Stalin is not that kind of a man. ... I think that if I give him everything I possibly can and ask for nothing from him in return, noblesse oblige, he won't try to annex anything and will work with me for a world of democracy and peace."

I think both Abraham Lincoln and George Washington are better presidents than FDR. Lincoln navigated US through Civil War and ended slavery. George Washington created the US Presidential institution by his example. Washington was probably the best possible first president for US and all later presidents are compared to him in their personal qualities and how they performed during their tenure. Ultimately, I would say that IMHO, Abraham Lincoln was the best US president.

 

[Lord Finnish]

Another vote for FDR. His strengths overcome his flaws, though he's kind of cheating with his long ass reign.

 

[PMLF]

Washington probably the best, or Lincoln. I have always been a fan of Reagan too.

 

[DarthJF]

Washington. Great many men would have turned the fledgling young republic into their personal dictatorship in his place and ruined the fruits of the revolution. If US history ever had the right man at the right time it was George Washington.

 

[gagenater]

Lincoln - obviously Washington was nothing short of spectacular but if ot had been someone else he would have been the 'model' for presidency. Lincoln literally saved the country as well as organizing the 'new' mold for national organization. FDR is clearly a great president but not in the same league as these two.

 

[MCMartel]

I'd say probably Washington, for being the American cinncinatus and giving up power, or Lincoln, who saved the country and didn't even have the advantage washington had of coming into office as a phenomena unto himself. FDR probaly takes third place, but 1 or 2 is washington or lincoln and I think a strong argument can be made for each.

 

[Yakman]

Lincoln and Washington are probably tied. Both faced massive challenges, and both came out having not only overcome most of them, but leaving the country a much better place.

Nobody else even comes close.

 

[Sarmatia1871]

Taft Taft Taft!

 

[Jorlaan]

Washington and Lincoln are my top two contenders hands down. I have a hard time picking one over the other, they both faced great challenges and adversity and neither one succumbed to what I would consider "petty" politics or corruption.

 

[Arilou]

Taft Taft Taft!

I don't think they meant in the sense of "largest"...

 

[Eusebio]

Lincoln, easily.

 

[steven1mac]

George Washington and Tomas Jefferson were the best presidents of the U.S. in my opinion. I personally rate Lincoln as one of the worst presidents. He suspended the writ of habeas corpus, imprisoning citizens without trial, ignoring the Supreme Court, not mention what would be today would be war crimes by the generals Sheridan, Sherman, and Grant. If you want one example of acts under Lincoln look at order number 11.

 

[Arilou]

George Washington and Tomas Jefferson were the best presidents of the U.S. in my opinion. I personally rate Lincoln as one of the worst presidents. He suspended the writ of habeas corpus, imprisoning citizens without trial, ignoring the Supreme Court, not mention what would be today would be war crimes by the generals Sheridan, Sherman, and Grant. If you want one example of acts under Lincoln look at order number 11.

He was explicitly allowed to suspend the writ of habeas corpus y'know.

 

[Imgran]

George Washington and Tomas Jefferson were the best presidents of the U.S. in my opinion. I personally rate Lincoln as one of the worst presidents. He suspended the writ of habeas corpus, imprisoning citizens without trial, ignoring the Supreme Court, not mention what would be today would be war crimes by the generals Sheridan, Sherman, and Grant. If you want one example of acts under Lincoln look at order number 11.

Oh do let me guess which of 11 specific states you're from? Because you're sure as heck not from any of the other 39.

Lincoln was fighting a declared war, declared on him in fact and deed by the South. Every other President fighting a major declared war has taken the same measures Lincoln took -- this includes Presidents from eras prior to the Civil War. if anything Lincoln had more practical reason to do it, since he was fighting a war that was first and foremost a rebellion, rather than simply taking these steps to deal with partisans and agents.

 

[steven1mac]

Oh do let me guess which of 11 specific states you're from? Because you're sure as heck not from any of the other 39.

Lincoln was fighting a declared war, declared on him in fact and deed by the South. Every other President fighting a major declared war has taken the same measures Lincoln took -- this includes Presidents from eras prior to the Civil War. if anything Lincoln had more practical reason to do it, since he was fighting a war that was first and foremost a rebellion, rather than simply taking these steps to deal with partisans and agents.

Up until the civil war it was constitutionally legal to leave the union. I am looking at Lincoln from the prospective of the rights lost to both the individual and the states at the time. No mater how you look at the civil war, look how the policies under him affected the citizen both in the north and the south.

 

[Arilou]

Up until the civil war it was constitutionally legal to leave the union. I am looking at Lincoln from the prospective of the rights lost to both the individual and the states at the time. No mater how you look at the civil war, look how the policies under him affected the citizen both in the north and the south.

His policies freed millions of americans from slavery and restored to them their civil and political rights (although only temporarily) he was responsible for the single greatest advancement in rights in american history.

 

[Finnish Dragon]

Up until the civil war it was constitutionally legal to leave the union. I am looking at Lincoln from the prospective of the rights lost to both the individual and the states at the time. No mater how you look at the civil war, look how the policies under him affected the citizen both in the north and the south.

AFAIK, the issue whether the Constitution allows a state to leave the Union is still very debated issue. The South screw up truly when they decided to bombard Fort Sumter and starting the civil war in that way. South lost the moral high ground when they started the civil war.

 

[steven1mac]

His policies freed millions of americans from slavery and restored to them their civil and political rights (although only temporarily) he was responsible for the single greatest advancement in rights in american history.

The Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in all areas of the country that were at that time in rebellion. Proclaiming something not under your control, is a good political move, but it could not be enforced. Slaves was still allowed in the north. The passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution were the American slaves officially freed, but that was after his death.