NFT: Who do you believe was the Greatest US President?

[bamagiantfan]

1 vote for Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence.  The philosophical father our our country.

Amazing that it took so long for that name to come up.

[nb587]

Funny thing about Reagan being so well liked today, I think, is that many on the right don't really know his Presidency as well as they should. For one, he raised taxes many times and spent far more money than the country took in adding massively to the deficit and debt, but, to his credit, compromised often and socialized with Democrats (not like what is happening today).  He was also strongly in favor of reducing nuclear stockpiles.  What sticks in my mind the most though is that he sent the Marines into Lebanon on a questionable mission and when the Marine barracks were blown up and about 240 Marines were killed, within a very short time, maybe a few days, he evacuated the troops.  If that's not cutting and running, I don't know what is and can you imagine what would be said by the right if that happened today?

I think that if Reagan ran on his record today for the nomination that Romney won, he would have problems because he would be too moderate but most of those who love him now don't know or understand history.   

[bamagiantfan]

Funny thing about Reagan being so well liked today, I think, is that many on the right don't really know his Presidency as well as they should. For one, he raised taxes many times and spent far more money than the country took in adding massively to the deficit and debt, but, to his credit, compromised often and socialized with Democrats (not like what is happening today).  He was also strongly in favor of reducing nuclear stockpiles.  What sticks in my mind the most though is that he sent the Marines into Lebanon on a questionable mission and when the Marine barracks were blown up and about 240 Marines were killed, within a very short time, maybe a few days, he evacuated the troops.  If that's not cutting and running, I don't know what is and can you imagine what would be said by the right if that happened today?

I think that if Reagan ran on his record today for the nomination that Romney won, he would have problems because he would be too moderate but most of those who love him now don't know or understand history.

I've already tried to make this point a similar post which was taken down. I agree, Reagan was and is remembered much differrently after his Presidency than he was during it.

[AZGiantFan]

IMO Washington was the greatest American, but Lincoln was the greatest President.

In my lifetime I'd put Reagan at #1 with Ike a very close #2.

[vette5573]

What's the over / under on post counts until this thread gets locked or disappears.

This one

Nah, I'm leaving it up for a while and I just asked the guys not to delete any content within reason.

I guess mine wasn't reasonable then? Factually accurate, certainly, but apparrently unresaonable.

I'm sorry Bama. That was done before I brought the others in the loop. It's all my fault. Please put it back up if you like. Just read the OP before you do. Thanks, Ed

[bamagiantfan]

No worries Ed. I had thrown out a statement about poitical party and that may have killed it. The point was made by another as well so no need to repost.

[drakew]

"I think the recent Prez who has had the greatest impact on America was JFK. He started the Moon Shot program, which gave us microprocessors, chips, computers, satellite tech and all the gadgetry we enjoy today. He beat the Reds at their own game, and changed th3e science of the world as we know it"

[babywhales]

For one, he raised taxes many times and spent far more money than the country took in adding massively to the deficit and debt, but, to his credit, compromised often and socialized with Democrats (not like what is happening today). 

Cut it on 3 occasions but raised taxes 11 times.

[weeze]

 Jefferson Davis 

[Jian]

You guys realize that Lincoln was, for all intents and purposes, a tyrant. He saved the union and freed the slaves but he also stripped American citizens of their right to Habeus Corpus which allowed him to hold critics of his administration without due process. He also stripped some American citizens of their right to a jury trial and replaced it with military tribunals. Often those tribunals were so stacked in the governments favor that the defendant had no chance of being exonerated. Hundreds of citizens were sent to their deaths at the hands of those tribunals.

Lincoln was a complex man, both good and bad, but there is no way that a man who shredded the bill of rights and repudiated the ideas espoused in the Declaration of Independence should go down as our greatest President. I'd take Jefferson, Washington, Adams, Teddy Rex, Truman and Reagan before I'd even begin to consider where to place Lincoln.

The citizens' right to habeas corpus was protected but for the existence of a rebellion - the language in the Constitution was clear.  Lincoln relied upon that language and the fact that the fate of the U.S. hung in the balance.  The laws of war are different and the president-commander in chief must be allowed extraordinary latitude to interpret and use these laws as he sees fit.  This is how Lincoln, correctly it turns out, saw it.

We're talking about the bloodiest conflict this country ever fought, with outright rebellion in several key states.  Expecting some perfect human rights track record during what was likely the first incident of total war is naive.


JJM

As you can see this is what divides people about Lincoln. I believe he was the Best of all the President's, followed by G. Washington. Most of the presidents since Truman have stunk IMO. It's been mostly a steady decline since Truman ......

[The12th man]

Clinton - a balanced buget, no wars and he gets a BJ...who could asked for anything more?!!!

[weeze]

well i like obama even if hes stuck in a rough spot but generally i agree with jian. starting the big decline with nixon.
but my fave would have to be, and i know the 12th man would agree, jeb bartlett. now that was a great president. to bad it was a fictitious tv character.

[weeze]

see? who said someone that races a mazda didnt have his priorities straight?

[gregf]

I worked with my son on a Adams report. He wrote the Massachussettes constitution which became a template for our current one 236 years later(even though Jefferson gets most of the credit). This may be the single greatest contribution ever to our beloved country. I really respect the war presidents Washington, Lincoln, and FDR. What nags at me about Reagan is adressing the nation as our debt went ovee 1 trillion, called it just a number.  That number is now about 13 trillion that future generations will be burdened with. Only Clinton showed progress with this. As the worlds only super power, we wont maintain this status if we arent strong financialy.

[vette5573]

I worked with my son on a Adams report. He wrote the Massachussettes constitution which became a template for our current one 236 years later(even though Jefferson gets most of the credit). This may be the single greatest contribution ever to our beloved country. I really respect the war presidents Washington, Lincoln, and FDR. What nags at me about Reagan is adressing the nation as our debt went ovee 1 trillion, called it just a number.  That number is now about 13 trillion that future generations will be burdened with. Only Clinton showed progress with this. As the worlds only super power, we wont maintain this status if we arent strong financialy.

Did you happen to see this movie series on Adams. He and Jefferson died on the same day July 4th. I really enjoyed this series.