Want a heart? Who has been America's greatest president?

[nevergiveup]

I have 6 presidents in my mind. If you name any one of them you get a heart. Only one name, please. I have 4 dozen hearts. If you get brave and go out on a limb and miss, I still love you and may still reward you for your bravery.

[we can do it]

1. FDR

[Laelth]

103. +1. n/t

-Laelth

[grilled onions]

2. My Choice

FDR...he started the ball rolling in so many directions

[NYC_SKP]

3. I have to say Carter.

As one of the six, I could name others but you were pretty specific!

Thank you, and please report who your six are!

[Lil Missy]

4. Abe Lincoln

[thucythucy]

10. I agree.

Lincoln endured so much, accomplished so much, and had he lived through his second term the history of this nation, I believe, would have been substantially different, and better, particularly as it unrolled during the second half of the nineteenth century.

"With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan--to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations."

It doesn't get any better than that

[Cary]

54. Ditto.

There are other greats but this man turned us into a real nation.

[undeterred]

104. +a brazillion

[Tx4obama]

5. President Obama.

p.s. I have enough hearts, save them for the folks that need them

[TDale313]

6. Since FDR and Lincoln have been mentioned,

I'd have to say either JFK or Teddy Roosevelt.

[NYC_SKP]

8. "only one name"

Still time to edit!

[TDale313]

9. Ok, I'll go with Teddy Roosevelt.

[NYC_SKP]

13. Having already cast my vote for Carter, above....

I would say, for the six:

Obama
Carter
JFK
FDR
Teddy Roosevelt
Lincoln

Also rans:

Jefferson and, possibly, Eisenhower- a Republican but warned us of the Military Industrial Complex and AFAIK, not a bad dude!

[RKP5637]

15. Great Picks!!!

[TDale313]

22. Great list.

[mikekohr]

79. Xnay on Theodore Rex

THEODORE ROOSEVELT:

"I don't go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead Indians, but I believe nine out of ten are, and I shouldn't like to inquire too closely into the case of the tenth."
-Old Rough and Ready- Theodore Roosevelt 79).

Perhaps the most undeserving recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize of all time, Roosevelt, described the slaughter, the butchery and debauchery that occurred at Sand Creek in 1864, "as righteous and beneficial a deed as ever took place on the frontier." 79).

Roosevelt stated that the near extermination of the American Indian, "was as ultimately beneficial as it was inevitable." 79).

He also believed that "degenerates, criminals and feeble minded persons be forbidden to leave offspring behind them." He feared the better classes of American's were in danger of being outnumbered by the "unrestricted breeding of utterly shiftless....and worthless ," people. It is not a long stretch from "Theodore Rex's" elitist views to Hitler's final solution. Pierre L. van den Berghe rates Roosevelt as among the modern world's top three racist statesmen, the other two being Hendrik Verwoerd, architect of South Africa's system of apartheid, and Adolph Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany. 79).

President Roosevelt eagerly described the Dawes Act as, "...a mighty pulverizing engine to break up the tribal mass." 31).

As President he issued numerous executive orders that transferred over 2.5 million acres of Indian Reservation lands to the National Forest System.

He is fondly remembered as the founding father of the National Park system and hailed as a visionary that loved the beauty of nature. Roosevelt once said, "I hate a man that would skin the land." It is supreme irony that he could see the beauty of Nature, but could not recognize the beauty and dignity of the First People of that land, a people that had preserved the natural wonder of that very same land for tens of thousands of years. But whatever his shortcomings in cross-cultural understanding may have been, he certainly understood the tendencies, traits, and desires of his own culture. For it was his own culture, from which he wished to shield the "last wild places."

cached at: http://www.brotherhooddays.com/HEROES.html#THEODORE ROOSEVELT:

[RKP5637]

7. JFK

[Th1onein]

11. Franklin Delano Roosevelt

He will always be my hero. I wasn't even alive during his lifetime, but his presidency inspires me. What a wonderful caring human being.

[Yavapai]

12. In my mind it would have to be a Roosevelt.

Actually both of them. Franklin because he too inherited a crappy mess and brought us through it. Teddy because he put a stop to the "robber barons." (at least for a while!)

But, since I am limited to one, I go with FDR.

[russspeakeasy]

14. I'm 73 and have voted in a lot of elections.

For my money, it is Obama in my top five.

[Still Sensible]

16. I'd have to say JFK. n/t

[Squinch]

17. How about Washington? (And I personally like Madison.)

[Lasher]

18. FDR

No doubt about it, FDR.

[alittlelark]

19. Jefferson is certainly up there (others already mentioned).

[Marie Marie]

20. FDR

But he is among the good company of Lincoln, JFK, Carter and yes, Obama

[niyad]

21. millard fillmore

(backstory on this--watching some quiz program in college one day in the student union, a question came up about the presidency (have long since forgotten the question, something along the lines of least effective or some such). a number of the students hollered out "millard fillmore"--and, surprisingly enough, that was the answer.

on the bizarre chance that he is one of your six, please give the heart to someone who has none.

oh, and happy heart day!

[NYC_SKP]

23. And Polk and Hoover, and Bush!

And Bush, and Reagan-zap!

[niyad]

24. this was back in the dark ages, long before the unholy trinity (ray-gun, poppy and chimpy)

[nevergiveup]

25. You went out on the limb

and the limb broke before I could rescue you

[niyad]

30. fortunately, I landed on the part with plenty of padding, but thanks!!

[nevergiveup]

29. Fillmore was a better president than W

so I will give you a heart for your effort

[niyad]

31. awwww, thank you so much--and thanks for the attempted rescue!!

[riverwalker]

26. FDR

[Thinkingabout]

27. FDR

[Wounded Bear]

28. FDR....

for the most social progress in American history. Less so for "winning" WWII, but yeah, that too. Props for ushering in the UN, also.

[my2sense]

32. Obama

[beveeheart]

33. As a former resident of Charlottesville, VA,

where Monticello and Univ of Virginia are located, I have to say Thomas Jefferson.

[Kalidurga]

34. Carter

He was the first to try to do something about Global warming and he took a lot of flack for it. He told us to turn down the thermostat and put on a sweater. That is great advice. My house is cold it's colder than I would like, my SO likes it really cold. But, I am ok with it because I am thinking two things. It's better for the environment and my skin doesn't get as itchy.

[Mr.Bill]

35. Clinton

Self made man, highly intelligent, resillient.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

36. Lincoln by far.

Not only did he help save the country from splintering but died for it as well.

On edit: How many Presidents have taken a bullet during wartime?

[dlwickham]

37. James Buchanan

no one mentioned him yet

[nevergiveup]

39. better choice than Pat Buchanan

you get a heart

[dlwickham]

40. thank you

[Rosco T.]

38. FDR

[FleetwoodMac]

41. 1. The genius Thomas Jefferson 2. The father of modern America, FDR 3. The decisive one...

...3. The decisive one, Abraham Lincoln
4. Camelot reborn, JFK (as well as for preventing WWIII)
5. The father of the Democratic Party, the mighty Andrew Jackson
6. The last progressive Republican president, Teddy Roosevelt
7. The comeback kid, Bill Clinton
8. The best human being to hold the Oval Office, Jimmy Carter
9. For the audacity of hope and the magnitude of change, Barack Obama (for now, and with four years to go)
10. Oops. I got carried away.

Okay, the greatest, right?
Thomas Jefferson, the red-headed wizard.

[rhett o rick]

42. FDR. nm

[freshwest]

43. FDR best of all time, although he was before I was born.

Still, I was brought up by that generation. He spoke more the language I grew up with, and appeals to something deep I can't explain. It's sort of sad and pointless, since it's only from history books and family I know him.

I once thought JFK was greatest but I was a child when he died and don't know what kind of POTUS he really would have been if given a full term or two terms.

Confining a choice to the living, years ago I would have said Carter. But honestly, the best in my lifetime is Obama.

[bigwillq]

44. Teddy Roosevelt (nt)

[No Vested Interest]

45. FDR

He was President when I was born.
I remember when he died. - He was the only President I had known.
Today, many children have only known Prez Obama as their Prez, if they are 5-6 or under.
When he leaves office, those under ca 10 will only have known Prez. Obama as their Prez., as I don't believe children under 2-3 really know who is Prez.

[longship]

46. Easy, FDR.

Others, Jefferson, Lincoln, JFK, LBJ. Teddy Roosevelt might make my list, too.

[tokenlib]

47. FDR, LINCOLN, and TR.....I can't decide...OK, FDR..

The FDR memorial at night in DC has left me teary eyed and moved by the utter impact of the New Deal..

[snot]

48. Madison.

Not necessarily for his Presidency, but for doing the research to father the Constitution.

[wilsonbooks]

49. Harry Truman

[union_maid]

50. FDR

I don't really think there's just one, but at this point in history, if forced to name one, I'd pick FDR. I do think that there are just a few who've risen to meet extraordinarily challenging situations and kept this country from going off the rails. Lincoln, of course, would be right up there and I think that Obama will be on that list, too.

[life long demo]

51. John F. Kennedy

The President of my youth. Loved him.

[demwing]

52. I Like Ike

Because he was the last real Republican, but more so because he put America first when he warned of the dangers of the MIC.

[cyberspirit]

53. Obama

[Sancho]

55. Jimmy Carter

Maybe it's an outlier for others, but a true visionary.

[Rhiannon12866]

98. He's my favorite president, too...

And one of my heroes...

[sunwyn]

56. Thomas Jefferson

[mikekohr]

57. FDR

If I could name others I'd pick JFK, BHO,WJC, Abraham Lincoln

[Hissyspit]

58. John Adams

Theodore Roosevelt

Chester A. Arthur

Massive stabs in the dark from me...

[Samantha]

59. JFK

Last edited Thu Feb 14, 2013, 07:22 PM - Edit history (2)

He had many goals set that the American people did not know about. The biggest impressive thing he planned (to me) before his life was suddenly taken was to disempower the CIA and other elements of the intelligence community. He was outraged over the Cuban Missile Crisis and the role it had played. He also was quietly trying to improve our relationship with Russia.

President Kennedy was privately determined not to see the Vietnam War become our war and he planned during his second term to fully withdraw. I believe that is another prong in his ambitious policies that played a role in his assassination. He was perceived to be "weak" by the war mongers; but I saw him as a true hero, a champion of positive moves to dramatically reform our society, and along with it, our government.

Many of the programs Johnson introduced as legislation after President Kennedy's death, such as Medicare and The Voting Rights Act of 1965 sprang from JFK's unfinished agenda for the Nation. The promotion of Medicare was a prominent plank in President Kennedy's 1960 campaign, and his support for that never waivered. And as far as pushing the right to vote for African-Americans as a civil rights issue:

http://blsciblogs.baruch.cuny.edu/his1005/2010/06/14/the-voting-rights-act-of-1965/

"In June 11, 1963, during a national television address about civil rights, John F. Kennedy stated: “We preach freedom around the world…, but are we to say to the world, and much more importantly, to each other, that this is a land of the free except for Negroes?” (Foner 921) Kennedy was killed few months after this presentation without enacting his civil rights bill, in which, among other points, he proposes the right to vote to blacks. One hundred years before Kennedy’s speech about civil rights, Abraham Lincoln expressed in his last public address his support to black suffrage. Like Kennedy, Lincoln was assassinated few days later." (emphasis added)

I believe his determination to right many wrongs existing in this country played an important role in his early death. I also believe he knew the actions he was quietly taking in fact did put his life at risk. But he decided to put Country first and proceeded to formulate a plan to enact his initiatives. That is a description of a man who loved his Country more than his own life and was prepared to risk it in order to eradicate threats on our Republic.

Sam

[zipplewrath]

60. Kinda depends

Last edited Thu Feb 14, 2013, 02:15 PM - Edit history (1)

It's kinda hard because one must define "greatness" some how.

Washington was far "greater" than most will every know, because he virtually DEFINED the job for the better part of 100 years or so. The whole CIC thing exists because the founders were thinking of Washington when they created the presidency. But only one guy gets to be 1st.

FDR defined the "modern" presidency, but I'm not sure that's something to be happy about. He also guided us through some of the darkest days of this country. We were darn close to having someone like Huey P. Long as president. There was a real possibility that could have been the end of anything we consider to be "constitutional" rule.

I'm less enamoured with Lincoln than most, but by the END of his presidency he really had learned alot, and was really beginning to hit his stride. Read his second inaugural sometime, in the light of the modern day, and think about ANY president that could say such a thing now.

LBJ would have eclipsed FDR, except for that one huge turd in the punch bowl. It's really sad in a way. The Great Society and Civil Rights should have been ALL we talk about with LBJ. It's just hard to get around Vietnam. (Hey, Hey, LBJ, how many kids ya gonna kill today?)

The one that virtually never gets discussed in progressive circles is Eisenhower. I understand why and all, after all he literally chose the GOP. Both parties pursued him. But one should understand that the Democratic party he knew, included alot of Dixiecrats. The GOP he grew up with was more the party of "Lincoln". His ACTIONS on many issues, from civil rights to the interstate highway system, not to mention unions and his observations on the Military-Industrial symbiosis place him in a very progressive position. He also was quite hard over on avoiding war, although between the way Korea ended, and how he left several "bombs" lying around (Bay of Pigs) for the next administration, it is a bit hard to classify him as a "pacifist" in any sense.

Jefferson aspired to be great, but his actions often didn't measure up. One could possibly describe Carter in a similar way.

All in all, at the end of the day Washington is hard to beat, but FDR probably came the closest.

[RedSpartan]

67. Excellent post.

[Sunlei]

61. first term President Obama. There are other great presidents, today I answer /w our current Pres.

[Arkana]

62. Franklin Roosevelt.

Executive order 9066 notwithstanding, no President has ever accomplished as much on both foreign and domestic policy fronts as FDR did. You could argue that he owes much of his success to Teddy Roosevelt, who was responsible for pulling the Presidency back from the brink of irrelevance, but I still believe that we are where we are today because of the things Franklin Roosevelt was able to accomplish.

[trayfoot]

63. Teddy Roosevelt

[Myrina]

64. Teddy Roosevelt

n/t

[mikekohr]

86. P. van den Berghe rates T. Roosevelt as among the modern world's top three racist statesmen

THEODORE ROOSEVELT:

"I don't go so far as to think that the only good Indians are dead Indians, but I believe nine out of ten are, and I shouldn't like to inquire too closely into the case of the tenth."
-Old Rough and Ready- Theodore Roosevelt 79).

Perhaps the most undeserving recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize of all time, Roosevelt, described the slaughter, the butchery and debauchery that occurred at Sand Creek in 1864, "as righteous and beneficial a deed as ever took place on the frontier." 79).

Roosevelt stated that the near extermination of the American Indian, "was as ultimately beneficial as it was inevitable." 79).

He also believed that "degenerates, criminals and feeble minded persons be forbidden to leave offspring behind them." He feared the better classes of American's were in danger of being outnumbered by the "unrestricted breeding of utterly shiftless....and worthless ," people. It is not a long stretch from "Theodore Rex's" elitist views to Hitler's final solution. Pierre L. van den Berghe rates Roosevelt as among the modern world's top three racist statesmen, the other two being Hendrik Verwoerd, architect of South Africa's system of apartheid, and Adolph Hitler, leader of Nazi Germany. 79).

President Roosevelt eagerly described the Dawes Act as, "...a mighty pulverizing engine to break up the tribal mass." 31).

As President he issued numerous executive orders that transferred over 2.5 million acres of Indian Reservation lands to the National Forest System.

He is fondly remembered as the founding father of the National Park system and hailed as a visionary that loved the beauty of nature. Roosevelt once said, "I hate a man that would skin the land." It is supreme irony that he could see the beauty of Nature, but could not recognize the beauty and dignity of the First People of that land, a people that had preserved the natural wonder of that very same land for tens of thousands of years. But whatever his shortcomings in cross-cultural understanding may have been, he certainly understood the tendencies, traits, and desires of his own culture. For it was his own culture, from which he wished to shield the "last wild places."

cached at: http://www.brotherhooddays.com/HEROES.html#THEODORE ROOSEVELT:

[RedSpartan]

65. Washington

He is actually underrated. I highly recommend Ron Chernow's Pulitzer Prize winning biography of him. He has turned into a myth over time, a marble god (as have many of the Founding Fathers). But he was an incredibly intelligent, politically astute man, and without him at the head of the country in those early years (helped by another RedSpartan favorite, Alexander Hamilton), America may very well not have survived, or at least thrived as it did.

[Paladin]

66. FDR. (nt)

[hamsterjill]

68. Big Dawg

I know he had his issues, but I felt good when Bill was at the helm. I felt like things were under control.

[4_TN_TITANS]

69. Probably FDR

but Teddy is high on my list too, for the National Parks.

[Rowdyboy]

70. I'd be surprised if Lincoln isn't at the top of anyone's list of great presidents....

[whistler162]

71. John Hanson of course......

that is a silly question.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hanson

[RebelOne]

72. Hands down, JFK. n/t

[11 Bravo]

73. FDR

That's an easy call (at least for me). The New Deal was the most progressive package of legislation ever introduced at the time.

on edit: I forgot to say, if my response qualifies, please give the heart to some DUer without one.

[Brigid]

74. TR.

TR, as he liked to be called. National parks, safe food, water, and air, trustbusting -- what more could you ask?

[hay rick]

75. James Madison.

Had LBJ and Madison, then realized you wanted only one name. Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and FDR would be obvious choices...

[kairos12]

76. FDR

[WCGreen]

77. Chester B. Arthur....

Because his daughter was Maude...

[GoCubsGo]

78. Woodrow Wilson

[EastKYLiberal]

80. Lincoln. nt

[Chestrockwell]

81. FDR

[angrychair]

82. The greatest

Should be Thomas Jefferson, statesman, inventor, farmer, writer and artist. The closest we've ever had to a "renaissance man".

[Trascoli]

83. Washington

Given the times and the fragility on our young USA, I'd say Washington.

[trueblue2007]

84. how about TEDDY ROOSEVELT??

HOW ABOUT HILLARY CLINTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Agschmid]

85. FDR

[phleshdef]

87. My favs are Washington, Lincoln, TR, FDR, Eisenhower, LBJ and President Obama

I would like to add JFK to that list, but lets be honest, we didn't get to see what he could've been. There just wasn't enough time.

[LeftishBrit]

88. FDR

[avebury]

89. JFK because he challenged people to contribute to

their country and not just be takers.

FDR - He got us through WWII. He saw war coming and was able to take steps to keep the UK in the war when most Americans were anti-war and was able to do what it takes for us to come back from Pearl Harbor. He was able to get Eisenhower to be the top leader in Europe over Montgomery.

Lincoln - He held this country together when the south hated his guts.

Washington - for choosing not to be looked upon as a king and stepping aside after two terms

Carter - for actually trying to achieve peace in the Middle East, he got a peace treaty signed between Egypt and Israel and

Obama - for all we complain about him at times, he has been able to make some legislative progress despite the Republicans and he has run a Presidential campaign like not other candidate in history. He revolutionized presidential campaigning.

Best Mention goes to Eisenhower for having the courage to speak out about the military industrial complex years before people would realize what a threat that it is to this country.

[avebury]

90. OK - I did read the instructions - bad me.

If I have to choose one I will stick with my best mention - Eisenhower for speaking out against the Military Industrial Complex.

[Filibuster Harry]

91. My choice: Abraham Lincoln.

[DFW]

92. Thomas Jefferson

Closely followed by Lincoln, TR, FDR and LBJ (despite Vietnam).

But without Jefferson's uncompromising loyalty to individual liberty (and vision to make the Louisiana Purchase and send Lewis and Clark to the Pacific), we would never even have had the chance to have presidents like the other four.

[Onlooker]

93. Lincoln n/t

[RBInMaine]

94. FDR

[Ter]

95. I noticed a lot of people here like tyrants who inflicted martial law

For me, I'll go with Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

96. My favorite is Carter

[Whisp]

97. President Barack Obama, the greatest ever and still more to come. n/t

[Jamaal510]

99. George W. Bush

[Gabby Hayes]

100. Dubya for teaching Americans to pay attention next time

[Skittles]

101. Lincoln, by far

this country would be divided in half were it not for Lincoln

[graham4anything]

102. Lincoln.

[XanaDUer]

105. FDR nt

[DavidDvorkin]

106. If not for the Japanese internment, I would say FDR.

[boguspotus]

107. FDR

[Cane4Dems]

108. FDR

my other choices would be Lincoln, Kennedy, Clinton, Obama, and Eisenhower

[a2liberal]

109. FDR (n/t)