Best President this Country has ever had...
|
Teddy Roosevelt was great without a major crisis - he was just an ass-kicking, trust-busting, diplomatic environmentalist with arms of steel and a heart of gold. Also I think there was some lead in his hip from Cuba... But he's not quite the best, though very deserving of his spot on Mt. Rushmore. But I agree with the Big Three, with the exception of Lincoln. As a wartime president during a rebellion of all things, there is no way to fairly judge him compared with everyone else - especially because many things that got his stamp of approval would be appalling for any peacetime president. His great legacy, however, which is really, truly nothing short of great and is what made his death such a tragedy, is how he tried to set the stage for a post-war nation, one of forgiveness and compromise. Johnson attempted to carry out Lincoln's vision, but with a 90% radical Republican Congress eager for vengeance (and without a popular, trusted leader like Lincoln alive to rein them in), he was overruled on every step to the point of being impeached. This of course led to the South's counter-Restoration movement that basically implemented a long-standing racism and animosity for the North, expressed through such things as Jim Crow and Strom Thurmond. So yeah, I don't think there's any fair way to compare Lincoln to any other President. He was great, but I see no reason to claim he's one of the greatest. I like Washington and Jefferson as per above. Side: Big 2 - Washington and Jefferson
I disagree with your assessment of Johnson. Johnson contributed significantly to the problems that would haunt the United States for decades. His nomination as Vice-President was an attempt to draw Northern Democrats to the Lincoln ticket. When Lincoln was assassinated Johnson promptly went to work destroying the moderate plan for re-assimilating the South in to the Union. His radical racist attitudes essentially put an end to early hopes for a peaceful integration of freedmen. His vetoes of key legislation that would help freedmen led to a politically motivated impeachment. He, more than any other was intent on taking vengeance on former Confederate soldiers and officers. He even rescinded Grant's promise to General Lee that he and his soldiers would not be charged with any federal crimes for their part in the war (the biggest factor in Lee's surrender) in that he required them to take an Oath to the Constitution. Many viewed this, not without cause, as an Oath of Fealty. In this way Johnson managed to antagonize both North and South making reconstruction much more difficult and ruined the early hopes for giving freedmen equal rights and opportunities. Side: Johnson was a thug
In my mind it's a tie between George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln. Cliche perhaps but these men exemplify what it means to be President. George Washington is perhaps the single most responsible Chief Executive this country has ever seen. He did nothing that could be construed as being even remotely unconstitutional. He created a precedent for relinquishing power that would be emulated by every subsequent President until Franklin Delano Roosevelt (one of the main reason he's around the 15 mark on my list). He is also the only President to be elected unanimously by the electoral college. Thomas Jefferson more than anyone else of his time seemed to understand the dangers of a Federal system. He was a strict Constitutionalist, yet he recognized that there were times when the Elastic Clause must be utilized to ensure the security of the government. He was a democrat, believing that the common man was as capable of rational thought as the wealthy land-owner. He clearly understood the power of the 2nd Amendment to ensure that government never overstepped it's bounds and was committed to ensuring that the "government reset button" (my words not his) was never needed. Abraham Lincoln was the spark that started the Civil War. Yet he was also the catalyst that converted the United States from a loose Confederation of States, into a united nation. Despite being faced with the greatest crisis this country has ever faced he worked within the law and though his methods may seem callous at times, he walked the tight rope and steered the Union through America's darkest hour and kept the Republic intact. His assassination is one of the single greatest tragedies in the history of the United States as it directly led to a prolonged period of tension between the North and South that in many ways remains to this day. As for Mr. Obama I very much doubt that he will be remembered as one of the top ten Presidents unless an incredible crisis on the order of World War II or the Civil War strikes the country. He lacks the commitment to the literal word of the Constitution that made Washington and Jefferson great (as far as I've observed). It would seem that under his administration it is likely that the trend of increasing nationalization of industry will continue. Now don't get me wrong, I didn't support him in the election but that doesn't mean that I won't support him as a President. I may disagree with his politics but from what I've observed, he's already reaching across the table even before he is inaugurated. That, more than any of his rhetoric gives me some measure of hope; clearly he is more reasonable than his campaign indicated. I won't judge him as a President until after it's all said and done. (By the way to any dev who reads this, Obama probably needed to be added to the dictionary a long time ago.) Side: Big 3 Washington Jefferson Lincoln
1
point
0
points
1
point
I like the part where you provided examples why...oh wait. I would say Reagan was the first president to give us a tremendous deficit which later became an example for later republican presidents (both Bushes) to do the same. Now we are in so much debt it's almost impossible to pay off. This wasn't that great. Side: Ronald Reagan
0
points
|
