Pick the last "Great" President.

[yourout]

I have to go with Kennedy and before that FDR.

Clinton was good but not great.

[jkshaw]

1. Definitely FDR

[Mojambo]

2. FDR. n/t

[rwheeler31]

3. FDR, Truman, Kennedy

[watercolors]

32. I second that!

nt

[sakabatou]

4. Seconded FDR

[...of J.Temperance]

5. President Bill Clinton

Was the last great President.

[oasis]

135. Sadly, BC will never get the credit due him. (eom)

[auburngrad82]

136. I second Clinton nt

[nevergiveup]

6. In my mind

we have only had two great presidents, FDR and Lincoln. I would give honorable mention to Eisenhower and Kennedy and after a few drinks I might include Clinton.

[dansolo]

131. Washington wasn't great?

Without George Washington, our country would most likely have collapsed in its infancy.

[nevergiveup]

133. Oh my!

I forgot Washington. Change that to 3 great presidents.

[illinoisprogressive]

7. My favorite president is our last greatest; FDR

This past era has seen mediocre to the worst.

[AlGore-08.com]

8. FDR eom

[Amonester]

9. Carter was great.

Those years (77-80) were great years also.

But what the Raygang pukes did to him was horrible. :puke:

[SaveElmer]

10. Truman...I would put Clinton and Kennedy...

In the "near great" category...

[Blue_In_AK]

11. Roosevelt.

Kennedy could have been, but he didn't have time.

[PurityOfEssence]

12. FDR

He literally saved the country AND the world. Much as he tried to get us into the war with Hitler, Republicans and other isolationists just wouldn't let him. By antagonizing the Japanese, he precipitated something that might not have otherwise happened.

Regardless, the New Deal was bold and effective, and he knew what it was to be a leader, warts and all.

[Ediacara]

111. Had he lived, the "third" New Deal would have probably given us universal health care in the 50s

[Clintonista2]

13. President Al Gore

He was denied his right to hold that position, but he has done enough good during that period to make up for it.

[youthere]

137. Here here.

[catnhatnh]

14. Carter

Humane and Honest and Right on almost every count. Hosed by OPEC, the ongoing PNAC/Republican/MSM Smear Campaign...Anyone remember the "rabbit and canoe" picture??? Finally betrayed by "October Surprise" when Reagan's operatives engaged in what was most likely treason to deal for the release of our hostages held in Iran....Always wondered how his Presidency might have worked out had his enemies acted as Americans rather than "insurgents"...

[midlife_mo_Jo]

43. Let's look at the facts

He won 51% of the popular vote, and won 297 votes in the electoral college (compared to 240). That's hardly a landslide, and that was the high point of his popularity.

Four years later, after one of the most inept and indecisive presidencies this nation has ever seen - Reagan asked two questions:

1) Are you better off than you were four years ago?

2) Is America as respected around the world than before his presidency?

The answers to both questions were a resounding "NO!" and Regan won by a landslide.

For that reason, I say that Catrer was to the left what Bush has been to the right. We do not need another Carter. We need someone who can lead effectively, and get us out of the crap that Bush has gotten us into.

You see, compassion, good feelings, and sentimentality only go so far with me. Yeah, Carter is a much nicer man than Bush, but I want results.

[Cell Whitman]

60. geez

I say that Catrer was to the left what Bush has been to the right.

No wonder the world is going to shit if this kind of horseshit spews from a poster on a liberal forum.

Now tell us how great Reagan was.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

129. Huh?

Use your head. Don't give me that crap about Reagan.

No matter how much you personally like Carter, he - more than any one person - propelled us into the Regan years. Yes, he did.

Now, Bush is propelling the electorate back to the democratic party.

I'm not talking about the man's character, but his presidency. And the facts are what they are. You would think he could have held onto the presidency with Watergate being so recent. The republicans weren't that strong at that point, but he couldn't.

The rest is history, as they say.

[QueenOfCalifornia]

71. I think you

are so wrong... To compare Carter's resume to W is so wrong I can't stand it.

I have serious doubt that you know what you are talking about...

Carter was sane and he came into office at a very problematic time -- it was right after Vietnam and Watergate. I lived in D.C. I was in the Carter WH West Wing. I sat and talked to the man.

He is a genius.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

95. Genius?

Again, genius means nothing without results. Goodness is much better than evil, but as far as effectiveness, he was inept and indecisive.

RESULTS. Remember? The public remembers the lack of results - not the genius and desire.

[rhett o rick]

81. Good luck getting results. Carter is a good man and was a good President.

The right ripped him mercilessly as they will a Democratic president in 2008, if we win.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

96. The right didn't have nearly the power they have today. That's a fact.

Carter lost on his own lack of merits. With Watergate, we should have controlled the White House for a good decade.

He lost.

His meddling in Haiti was a joke.

He opened diplomatic ties with China (a continuation of tricky dick's work) , but at the expense of terminating diplomatic ties with Taiwan. People forget that second part.

[rhett o rick]

98. Help me remember, did the Democrats control Congress during his

Presidency?

[midlife_mo_Jo]

114. Carter had a democratic House and Senate

Some of his other"accomplishments" included the deregulation of the airlines, and the beginning of deregulation of other industries. Reagan only finished what Carter started.

Carter did nothing to inspire confidence, which added to the "malaise" that he spoke about. He looked like he didn't know what he was doing when he asked for the resignation of ALL of his cabinet members. Could you even begin to imagine what we'd be saying about Bush if he did that? Carter was inept and indecisive. He in no way inspired confidence.

I was one of the many voters who voted for him the first time, and then switched my vote to Reagan the second election. I was young and had no strong party affiliation at the time.

[xxqqqzme]

92. My how much more have you forgotten?

Carter is the ONLY president who tried to get this country to break their fossil fuel habit. His energy policies were w/ an eye on the future. He is the only president who looked beyond what will happen tomorrow. I have much respect for Carter. We would be a hell of a lot better off today if this country had listened to him.

No doubt about it FDR is # 1. I would have to give a nod to his cousin Teddy though. National Parks were (and could be again) one of America's crowning jewels.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

94. But what did he accomplish?

Feel good platitudes mean nothing. It's results we need. We need a democratic congress and president who can get legislation passed!

[provis99]

125. with regards to Reagan's imfamous question

Are you better off than you were 4 years ago? Actually, for working class and middle class Americans in 1979, the answer was, YES! Inflation tended to affect mainly rich people with large investments; middle class and working class people usually had COLA built into their paychecks, so inflation didn't affect their take-home pay. Also, they got a huge break on their student loans and mortgage payments because of inflation. So ironically, those idiots who voted for Reagan because he asked that stupid question, didn't recognize reality that they WERE better off than they were four years ago.

If however, you asked in 1984 if people were better off than they were four years ago, the answer would have been no.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

126. Are you kidding? LOL Were you there?

If you were, I don't know what class you were in, but we were solidly in the middle class, and we couldn't afford to buy a house because of the interest rates. We were much worse off during the Carter administration, and he certainly didn't inspire confidence that he could do substantially better if voted in a second term. Do you think the voters voted in Reagan by a landslide because Reagan cast a spell on them?

[QueenOfCalifornia]

50. Carter has been criticized all over the place

and right here... But I agree with you. He really was a great diplomat and a fine man. I do not know if I would include him in the last great president category. It was no accident that the Iranians let the hostages go the day Reagan took office. They were doing whatever they could to discredit Carter.

I would say, Kennedy.

He was going to make a real difference.

I also love FDR.

[MannyGoldstein]

15. Kennedy: Had His Faults - But He Was A Great Leader

He said "go to The Moon" - and we went.

[Radical Activist]

103. Johnson did more to get us to the moon.

Both in Congress and as President. Kennedy didn't accomplish half of what Johnson did as President domestically. Kennedy was a good speaker but that doesn't make him a great President.

[dugggy]

16. JFK the best ever, Carter worst of 20th century.

The most intelligent, most witty, most popular worldwide...
simply the best. I even loved his tax cuts. But his civil
rights initiative is what makes him really great.

My reasons for giving Carter low marks are based on facts.
Double digit inflation, double digit interest rates, high
unemployment, on and on. In Carter's own words, "this country
is suffering a malaise".

[BootinUp]

20. Totally unfair on Carter n/t

[Forkboy]

31. Um, so Reagn, Nixon and Bush 1 and 2 were better than Carter?

Oooooooooo k.

[YankeeFan]

34. Carter Was About the Worst Democratic President We Ever Had

He was responsible for Ronnie Ray Gun becoming President.

His entire handling of the Hostage crises in Iran was horrible. After the Desert One fiasco the only real question was by how much was Regan going to win by. Granted his Camp David Accords were remarkable, but what happened in Iran made everybody forget almost everything good he did.

And until recently I've been of the opinion that he was the Best Former President we ever had. Everything he did showed us what kind of man he was. The Habitat for Humanity being just one of them. Everything he did makes everything that Gore did pale in comparison. Carter deserved the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize.

But know he's starting to forget his bungling of the entire Hostage Affair. I’m starting to think he’s becoming senile. And what he did with Haiti shows that he is slowly losing touch. If he’s not careful he might start looking like a Repunklicant.

[BootinUp]

42. the Bungling

This theory that Carter should have done something magical other than what he did do during the Iran crises is so absurd. Iran was in a horrendous political state, I heard it was a revolution. It took time for the emotions in that country to moderate to the point the leaders could release the hostages.

America handed Jimmy a terrible mess and then blamed him when the correct decisions he made didn't turn the flooded ship around fast enough.

His handling of the economy and Iran directly resulted in positive results, just not fast enough for everyone. Also the Dem congress did not cooperate with him on the economy. Jimmy had the right ideas.

[rhett o rick]

83. How can you blame the President for the helicopter crash? nm

[Didereaux]

35. You're wrong! Harding was the worst....unequivically! n/t

[midlife_mo_Jo]

37. I agree with your assessment of Carter

Those of us who lived through those days understand why Reagan was elected. Just as Bush is responsible for making a democratic congress possible (and more next election), Carter made the Reagan shit possible. I've gone from being a democrat to republican back to democrat, and I still just can't conjure up very warm feelings for Carter.

Worst democratic president ever.

[bronxiteforever]

40. Totally off base-Carter is not the worst-Hoover anyone? Harding? Bush 2? Nixon?

I can't see how you pass up the Great Depression Maker
The Teapot Dome King
Shrub-for the love of all????
Nixon-impeached-who can forget "I am not a crook"

On the Dem side-LBJ way worse than Carter-Vietnam!!!lies leading us to war where thousands died-
Carter got stuck paying for Vietnam War and the oil crisis-I agree that he is not near great but all of these are so much worse.

FDR-the greatest

[midlife_mo_Jo]

44. At least LBJ had a good domestic policy

that's a lot more than Carter had. Yes, Vietnam was a fiasco, but he didn't start it.

[bronxiteforever]

48. LBJ made Vietnam a real war and JFK would not have escalated the conflict

Its hard to believe LBJ was a good domestic president when so much of the country was on fire during his time in office. 1968 tops any bad year of Carter hands down.

[dugggy]

58. We had prosperity during LBJ, not so during Carter

also LBJ knew how to get laws passed. The groundbreaking
civil rights legislation would not have passed without
LBJ.

Carter is a very good & kind human being, just a lousy
president. I can't think of one memorable thing Carter
did. Except perhaps asking us to turn thermostats down.

[bronxiteforever]

69. I will take peace with Carter over the Vietnam war anyday

[midlife_mo_Jo]

124. And turning off the Christmas lights in Washington

That was real endearing, for sure.

It's one thing to talk to the nation about real problems we are facing, it's another thing to be so darn depressing, lackluster, and uninspiring.

[Zynx]

64. LBJ did a great deal of good for this country however.

His administration is far more than just Vietnam. His courage and leadership on civil rights issues cannot be overlooked for a moment.

[dugggy]

65. Having studied the great depression, I am not convinced

Hoover single handedly caused the depression. The Federal
Reserve was the biggest culprit because they tightened money
supply instead of the opposite as Greenspan did after 911.

Another very large factor was the 10 cents on dollar margin
rule prevalent then. You could buy $1000 worth of stocks with
$100 in cash. As the market climbed in the roaring 20's every
Tom, Dick & Harry was speculating in the market on margin.
Then the slightest hiccup caused the house of cards to come
crashing down. Hoover is rightfully blamed since he was the
president. But Federal Reserve is not under control of president.
It is an autonomous body.

Your statement "Nixon-impeached" is not correct. Nixon resigned
before he could be impeached. But Nixon had some notable
achievments including opening up communist China. Carter has none.

We had great prosperity during LBJ and he was the driving force
behind the civil rights legislation.

FDR got us out of depression but got us into WW II which caused
millions in American casualties.

I can't think of a single thing Carter did which is notable.

[bronxiteforever]

68. Millions of American Casualties did not happen in World War II-

here are the numbers-United States 16,112,566 (total armed forces who served) 291,557 (dead) 670,846 (wounded)

Hoover was a supply sider and sent U.S. Army forces against World War 1 vets by sending General Douglas MacArthur to stop the bonus army march. MacArthur, believing he was fighting a communist revolution, chose to clear out the camp with military force. In the ensuing clash, hundreds of civilians were injured.

I am incorrect on Nixon-you are correct.

Carter worked on the Camp David Accord which is a milestone in diplomacy.


FDR helped save the world along with the rest of the country and the US was attacked by the Japanese. Hitler declared War on the US. Millions of Europeans were saved from fascism and death camps-pretty good work for a President.

[dugggy]

78. Camp David accords have not brought 3 days of peace in the ME

and it got Sadat assasinated by islamist extremists. In fact
Ayman Zawahiri was the ring leader in that assasination. He
fled Egypt and joined Osama.

[bronxiteforever]

90. So you think Hoover was a better President than Carter?

[bronxiteforever]

91. The Camp David Accords was not a peace treaty with all ME nations.

Where you got that from my post, I can't imagine-But then you failed to admit your World War 2 error as well.
The peace between Egypt and Israel have held.
How you put disjointed facts to make a point I can't understand.Your logic is that Camp David Accords caused Sadat to be assassinated and therefore made 9/11 happen? So Carter is responsible for 9/11?:crazy:

[Odin2005]

117. Hoover was a good, well-meaning man, but his dogmatic economic stance prevented him from...

...correcting the trickle-down BS from the Coolidge years that caused the Depression. His best deeds were done before and after the presidency, when he became famous as a humanitarian and brilliant administrator.

[tishaLA]

70. Carter never uttered those words

Try again.

[dugggy]

76. I was there....I remember them distinctly

He was being driven around Wash DC on the night before
the election of 1980. And I believe he uttered those
words to a reporter. AND CARTER WAS RIGHT! Double digit
inflation, double digit interest rates and a stagnant
economy was widely prevalent during Carter's last 2
years. Carter single handedly gave us Raygun.

Ofcourse I can only paraphrase
from memory something which happened 27 years ago.
The word malaise sticks in my mind and it was in
reference to the American people. I always stay up
alnight on election nights and that is what I recall
hearing.

But as I said before, Carter is a lovely human being,
just not a president material.

[BootinUp]

84. You should read up on the Carter Admin

you have been infected with way too much RW rhetoric on the subject.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter#Presidency_.281977.E2.80.931981.29

[dugggy]

97. I am only infected with what I read and what I observe

in ALL of the MSM. Going to a dedicated link to Carter
Admin could only give you a one sided information. I
believe in making up my mind by reading as much material
as I can in the time I can spare.

Besides, I was an adult during the Carter years and personally
experienced the "misery index" of double digit interest rates
and inflation. May be you were still a kid at that time.

[BootinUp]

102. Convenient excuse

to hold onto your misconceptions. And to clarify I am talking about misconceptions on what caused the economic problems, who had the right ideas to fix them, who had the wrong ideas, and what was a fair standard to judge Carters performance by.

I'll give you this, Carter was easily made the scapegoat and that was his greatest failure. Same on the Iran hostage crisis.

Lastly, that is not some dedicated Carter site. It is an excellent source of information that is contributed to by people of varied backgrounds.

[Radical Activist]

104. Kennedy was mediocre. You mean Johnson's civil rights measures.

It was LBJ who got the most aggressive civil rights legislation passed after JFK died. Sure Kennedy had style. Johnson is the one who really accomplished most of what people think of when they mention JFK.

[Odin2005]

118. Yep, people transfer LBJs acheivements to JFK so they can viciously bash LBJ...

...over Vietnam without remorse, it's pathetic.

[BootinUp]

17. A President's impact on history

is a product of his abilities, intelligence, and the challenges he faces. I think its clear that FDR and Lincoln were faced with challenges that allowed them an opportunity for greatness. There are others that could have had similar impacts in the same situation. But to answer your question FDR.

[Bitwit1234]

18. Kennedy- he saved the world

Maybe you people weren't old enough then, but damn if I don't remember the thought of those nuclear missles in Cuba was scary. He pulled us out. And when you hear people saying Reagan was the best president they are so full of it they suck. I know FDR was great in his term. He pulled this country out of the great depression. He set up programs to pay people for honest work, while building our bridges, our houses and conserving the forests etc. He did not hand out welfare. They were paid for doing work. And most of the young people today surely must not have ever opened a history book.They don't really know anything about the real history of this country,.

[WCGreen]

28. I remember that all to vividly...

He announced the "crisis" right in the middle of my five birthday celebration...

[Radical Activist]

105. Isn't bay of pigs what egged on the missle crisis?

Maybe we wouldn't have gotten to that point if Kennedy hadn't screwed up with the bay of pigs invasion.
Kennedy is the most over-rated President in history.

[valerief]

19. Nobel prize winner Al Gore! The guy America voted for! nt

[GrpCaptMandrake]

21. The last "great" president

has yet to be determined. That will be the last president to manifest any regard whatsoever for our constitutional form of government before our civilization collapses.

Much the same thinking is applied to Marcus Aurelius, frequently deemed Rome's last "great" emperor.

In other words the jury's still out, because the future's not here yet and the collapse hasn't come . . . yet.



Get On The H.O.R.N.!
America's Liberal Voice
www.headonradionetwork.com

[Uncle Joe]

22. Clinton was ok, could have been very good but

he blew it, there's no other way to put, he hurt his loyal Vice-President's chances for election whether he did it on purpose or not is the only question I have.

Carter was good but I believe his Presidency was the first Democratic one to be hurt by the corporate media, and the oil crisis, I remember Night Line started out during the Iranian hostage crisis for the sole purpose of keeping track of every single day our people were held hostage, literally Day 1 day 2 day 3 day etc. I had the distinct feeling that program actually stalled the hostage's release until Reagen took office.

Johnson could've been great but became more a tragic figure with the Vietnam millstone around his neck.


Kennedy was good and could've been great but of course his term was cut short.

I would put Truman in the good but not great category.

I believe Franklin Roosevelt was the last great President from either party.

Of the Republicans.

Eisenhower had the best fare well speech when he warned the American People against the encroaching power of the military industrial complex.

Bush The Lesser sucked but his offspring Bush The Least transcended his suckiness by a magnitude of ten.

[catnhatnh]

24. Hey Uncle Joe...

...I remember now how they counted the days of Iranian captivity...I wonder how much they like Olberman's counting of "Day's since the announcement of "Mission Accomplished""...

[Uncle Joe]

25. They got on

PBS's case, for a while Jim Lehrer was announcing the deaths of Americans killed in Iraq at the end of every program with photos after Bush's speech on the aircraft carrier with the Mission Accomplished sign, later they changed that to deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan, even if no one had been killed that day in Afghanistan. To me this was just a subliminal linking of the two wars when there really wasn't a link.

[Thothmes]

55. I believe you assessment is spot on

[Colobo]

23. Define great.

[More Than A Feeling]

26. In foreign policy: Bill Clinton In domestic policy: LBJ n/t

[OHdem10]

27. FDR, TRUMAN KENNEDY

[Nutmegger]

29. Jimmy Carter

He makes me proud all the time!

[midlife_mo_Jo]

38. Huh?

I hope you mean post presidency. He was completely inept, ineffective, incompetent, indecisive, and just plane lame as a president. Thanks to him, we are living the Reagan legacy today.

And as far as the October surprise...anybody who thinks he would have won without it is fooling themselves. High inflation, double digit interest rates on house purchases, and long lines at the pump meant he didn't stand a chance in hell of winning.

Think about what people are complaining about today - gas prices, house prices, inflation. We have it GOOD compared to back then on those three accounts.

Try tacking on an EIGHTEEN PERCENT MORTGAGE onto the price of a house, and tell me how many people can afford that!

[wuushew]

47. Carter was absolutely right on energy policy

also he is the last president to have seriously considered decriminalization of marijuana.

I don't know why you are blaming Carter for the decisions of the Federal Reserve. Do you prefer run away inflation?

[BootinUp]

56. People don't know it but Carter fixed the Federal Reserve n.t

[midlife_mo_Jo]

120. People don't know it but Carter deregulated the airlines

and began deregulating several other industries. Reagan finished what he started.

Yep, that's right. Jimmy was all over the place when it came to domestic and foreign policy...or lack thereof.

[bklyncowgirl]

30. FDR. Kennedy had potential greatness but sadly his life was cut short. nt

[Odin2005]

33. LBJ

If it wasn't for Vietnam Lyndon Johnson would be widely considered one of the greats by most people. He and the "Great 89th" Congress pushed through civil rights legislation, enacted the Great Society, and funded NASA very well.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

46. LBJ's legacy spans so much more than Vietnam

I agree with you. We're still living LBJ's legacy. We're still living Carter's legacy, too. It's called "Reaganomics." :banghead:

[slick8790]

52. Totally agree. N/t

[Radical Activist]

106. Johnson did more in 90 days than Bill Clinton did in 8 years.

Don't forget the environmental legislation that was truly groundbreaking. Head Start. Medicaid & Medicare. Only Franklin Roosevelt can compete with Johnson's record of legislative accomplishments that truly changed this country. Johnson did more in his first 90 days than Bill Clinton did in 8 years.

[Odin2005]

112. Yep, if the Great Society had stuck we would be a lot more like Canada today.

Instead we got Reaganomics and the Creed of Greed. :banghead:

[ejbr]

36. Clinton, for sure

Anyone who can maintain a 65% approval rating during public discussions about his sex life gets major props from me. :headbang:

[incapsulated]

39. FDR, Kennedy is close

If Kennedy had a chance at a second term, he probably would have been "great" as well. But he is close simply because of how much he inspired people and the obvious greatness he had as a leader.

[baldguy]

41. Clinton

Just because of the contrast with his successor.

[fujiyama]

51. Both his predecessor and successor

make Clinton look like one of the greatest presidents ever.

[Totally Committed]

45. The last "great" one was Kennedy...

before him was FDR.


TC

[cuke]

49. Clinton, no doubt

22 million new jobs, budget surpluses, low poverty rate, increased home ownership, etc

No one since FDR has a record that matches Clinton

[bigwillq]

59. Hello.

Welcome to DU! :hi:

[cuke]

73. Thank you

and pleased to make your acquaintence

[Zynx]

62. Even as someone who focuses on economic development as a primary

function of government, I have to say that there is certainly more to a presidency than just economic statistics.

[cuke]

74. IMO, a decrease in the poverty rate is more than just an economic statistic

and then there's the lower rates of substance abuse, the lowered teen pregnancy rate, the lower abortion rate, and a number of other social indicators which improved during the Clinton administration

[Greyhound]

85. Decrease in poverty was primarily due to redefinition and recalculation of poverty.

Much like the unemployment, inflation numbers, and most other "economic indicators" that we are fed.

[cuke]

86. Could you be more specific?

I dont know what you mean specifically. What exactly was changed to make it appear that the poverty rate was improving when it really was not?

[Zynx]

88. True enough, but one also has to assess the extent to which the president

is responsible which is often a different story. For example, was Carter fully responsible for the economic downturn of his administration and double digit inflation?

[cuke]

93. I think there's good reason to believe that Clinton's policies

deserve a good deal of credit for the economic and social gains that we made in the 1990's

[Radical Activist]

107. Media consolidation, loss of union jobs to NAFT/WTO, no universal health care,

no resolution of the global warming problem, and his last two years completely wasted by an intern scandal. Clinton's Presidency was nothing but an opportunity squandered.

[Radical Activist]

115. Not to mention that Bush undid all of Clinton's accomplishments in two years.

Great Presidents have a lasting legacy. Clinton oversaw some good economic times. All the statistics about the budget and a good economy were completely undone by Bush in two years. Where is the Clinton legacy today?

Presidents like FDR and LBJ did things that signficantly impact American's every day lives to this day. That can't be said of Clinton's economic statistics and third way politics.

[fujiyama]

53. I'm going to go with FDR

He got the country out of the depression, won a war on two fronts, and kept democracy in tact at home. He rose to the challenge of his time and showed true leadership when needed.

I don't think we've seen true greatness since his presidency. but personally I think we'll need some fifty+ years to rate Clinton.

As of now, I'll say that Clinton was a very good president, but I recall an essay by someone after his presidency. Maybe it was Deanna Kearns Goodwin, basically saying that his presidency is full of missed opportunities and dissapointments. While his policies were partly responsible for the prosperity of the nineties, he also compromised with the republicans on some awful legislation and the legacy of his presidency is uncertain - and much of it was not strong enough to survive his disasterous successor.

Kennedy showed the sort of decisiveness when confronted in the Cuban Missile Crisis - a great example of why it's not enough to "just be able to listen to advisors" as Bush supporters claimed in' 00 when asked about his intelligence. I think his own legacy is mostly through the inspiration he gave, but I'm not sure if he could be considered great. LBJ would be considered great (for combatting racism and poverty with the vigor and passion not seen before), were it not for starting a war which ended up with millions killed.

Eisenhower was the last decent republican. There is little to be said that was "great" about his presidency, but his fare-well speech remains prophetic.

[Colobo]

54. I'll pick the next Great President: Barack Obama.

[BootinUp]

57. You remind me of the scene in Top Gun

in the classroom when Maverick boldly states his will be the next name on the plaque.

[Colobo]

63. Hehehehe....

:)

[cuke]

75. Don't you think "Obama is inevitable" is a bit cocky?

.

[Colobo]

77. Obama is down on the polls, but I think he will win.

I don't see the "inevitability"... he's losing right now.

[Zynx]

61. Truman.

FDR was the single towering figure of the 20th century however and certainly the greatest president of that century.

[marlakay]

66. Truman

and FDR...Kennedy was good but was the other two did huge projects that had both left and right following them.

[surfermaw]

67. I have lived them all I go for

FDR....Clinton ...Kennedy, I put Clinton ahead of Kennedy because Kennedy only served for such a short time, and it took LBJ to get his ideas passed.

[Whisp]

72. there really aren't any....

considering the toll of death for american 'interests' under almost all of them. Interests being rape and pillage for capitalism.

but if I was forced to choose, it might be Carter. even tho he has some unJesus like things happen under his charge.

[mentalsolstice]

79. Easy, Bill Clinton. n/t

[SergeyDovlatov]

80. Truman is great? Please explain. A-Bomb, Cold War. Korea?

I was always putting Truman in the list of the worst presidents. How come you guys like him?

[Radical Activist]

109. Busting the railroad workers strike.

And failing to stop the red scare. I'm not crazy about him.

[Thothmes]

128. Truman

Givem Hell Harry did order the armed forces of the United States to integrate. To this date it is still the most vertically and horizontally integrated institution in the United States. This is something that FDR would not do.

[Greyhound]

82. Lincoln.

FDR did some good things, but if you look at it objectively most of what he did was by executive order and primarily what he did was to preserve the system that put us here.

Kennedy might have been great, but we'll never know.

Carter had potential but he never got any support from his own party.

[surfermaw]

127. greyhound you ar right on, concerning Carter

His own party failed him, and when he was trying to get the hostages out of Iran, Ronald Reagan and his cohorts in the Republican party was asking they be held, plain as the nose on your face, when they were released while Carter was on the way back home, a smart ass thing for Reagan to do to a man that was so down. He had just found out a business that was in good shape when he came to office was 1 million dollars in debt, he had lost the election and fact the job of getting his libray built, With support form his party and a better cabinet he would most certainly been one of our best presidents. This was a sincere man wasted, as was Gerald Ford

[BlueIris]

87. Kennedy.

[DuaneBidoux]

89. If Clinton had been able to keep his private behavior "under cover" I would say great.

While it is true that the 'Pukes were after him like rabid dogs he did make sure they had no shortage of amunition and I think that mired what could have otherwise been a great presidency with a bunch of distractions that hurt his efforts to get through his agenda.

FDR would be my pick: under his leadership the U.S moved from a third to a first world country.

[Progressive Friend]

99. FDR and Lincoln

Those are the only two presidents that I would call great.

[Honeycombe8]

100. FDR.

I'm not sure JFK would qualify as great. But FDR certainly would. He's one of our top 10 all-round greatest Presidents. (and to think he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth!)

[Capn Sunshine]

101. GORE

too bad he served in exile, but he was truly great, keeping us focused on the REAL global crisis

[Ediacara]

108. FDR

That being said, I think there've only been four Great Presidents. The first three all served within 100 years of each other.

[Radical Activist]

110. Franklin Roosevelt.

My list of great Presidents is very short. Even ones who did some good almost all have several fatal flaws during their term.

[Radical Activist]

113. Kennedy is the most over-rated President in American history.

Most of what people mentally give him credit for was passed by Johnson. People like him for his style and speeches. That didn't make him great.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

119. Exactly!

Johnson deserves much of the credit, but the Camelot myth continues to overshadow Johnson to this day.

Kennedy could have been a great president if given more time, I believe.

[gorekerrydreamticket]

139. Right....Getting assassinated was a bad move on his part....n/m

[insanity]

116. I'd spot Johnson before JFK, but

I think FDR, despite the flaws, was one of our nation's greatest presidents. Clinton was good, but NAFTA was bad policy.

[MrSlayer]

121. FDR without a doubt.

Everyone after him started and continued to dismantle all the great things he did or, in JFK's case, were killed.

[Vidar]

122. Truman, FDR.

[mulsh]

123. William Henry Harrison 1773-1841

He gave the longest inaugural address in our history, caught pneumonia and died 31 days later with out performing any official act. John Tyler a democrat succeeded him.

[dansolo]

130. Roosevelt

FDR (and Teddy before him)

[Grandrose]

132. No contest...FDR!

:dem:

[RFKJrNews]

134. See avatar...

...for the last great president.

See sig line for the NEXT great president!:)

[rjones2818]

138. Washington...

He gave up power when he could have been king. All the others pale in comparison.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

140. FDR, without a question.

eom

[DemBones DemBones]

141. Thomas Jefferson. nt