5. (tie) George Washington, +15 points (16 percent place in top-2, 1 percent place in bottom-2)
5. (tie) Bill Clinton, +15 points (28 percent place in top-2, 13 percent place in bottom-2)
What bothers me is the question of what makes someone great. If we exclude the recent presidents, on the grounds that they're being disproportionately favored just because they spring readily to mind, what an odd list:
1) Lincoln, 2) FDR, 3) JFK, 4) Washington.
What can such a ranking mean? Washington was clearly the greatest in my book, simply because he resisted the temptation of kingship and set the standard for relinquishment of power -- two things few men have done. His example is a shining one which informed and continues to inform the Republic.
Lincoln is a debatable #1, though; I get why some people would rank him there, even though I would tend to place him in the second spot. FDR? If you read the poll as "Presidents who had the biggest effect on America," then he belongs there.
JFK, though? Before Washington? Topping the list at all? He gave a couple of good speeches, and got us into Vietnam.
He DID lower taxes. But come ON, it's not like he had all that much time. I mean, between romancing all those women and getting shot, he only had... what... a couple of months to govern?
Not to worry. The list is always Recent Presidents and Guys We Learned About In Fifth Grade. There is no meaning behind any of it.
ReplyDelete"There is no meaning behind any of it."
ReplyDeleteOther than it was a poll of likely voters.
The Weekly Standard reports that likely voters think Obama is an even worse president than Carter. That's gotta sting.
ReplyDeleteNot if you're Jimmah...
ReplyDeleteIt's the same poll, Tex.
ReplyDeleteWhat bothers me is the question of what makes someone great. If we exclude the recent presidents, on the grounds that they're being disproportionately favored just because they spring readily to mind, what an odd list:
1) Lincoln,
2) FDR,
3) JFK,
4) Washington.
What can such a ranking mean? Washington was clearly the greatest in my book, simply because he resisted the temptation of kingship and set the standard for relinquishment of power -- two things few men have done. His example is a shining one which informed and continues to inform the Republic.
Lincoln is a debatable #1, though; I get why some people would rank him there, even though I would tend to place him in the second spot. FDR? If you read the poll as "Presidents who had the biggest effect on America," then he belongs there.
JFK, though? Before Washington? Topping the list at all? He gave a couple of good speeches, and got us into Vietnam.
JFK, though?...He gave a couple of good speeches, and got us into Vietnam.
ReplyDeleteHe also folded on the Bay of Pigs, having neither the courage to wave it off altogether nor to see it through to the end.
And, according to some theories, he cowered under his desk while baby brother Bobby dealt with the Russians over the missiles.
He should be getting ranked with Carter and Obama.
Eric Hines
He DID lower taxes. But come ON, it's not like he had all that much time. I mean, between romancing all those women and getting shot, he only had... what... a couple of months to govern?
ReplyDelete