The Greatest President of All Time

[ptbyjason]

Here is a story that I found online. So I want to have our own little poll. Who is the greatest president of all time?

Source: Story
Americans place Lincoln at top of greatest presidents' poll, George W. Bush ahead of Reagan
Mon Feb 18, 5:16 PM ET

WASHINGTON - Abraham Lincoln has moved to the top of the list of greatest presidents in an ABC News poll for President's Day that saw George W. Bush ease ahead of Ronald Reagan (news - web sites) in the overall survey and among Republicans.


Lincoln was chosen by 20 percent, while the current president and John F. Kennedy were essentially tied for second — with Kennedy at 14 percent and Bush at 13 percent. Reagan, Bill Clinton and Franklin Roosevelt were tied for third at 8 percent apiece.

In the same ABC poll a year ago, Reagan was at the top with 18 percent, Kennedy 16 percent and Lincoln 14 percent.

Kennedy and Lincoln were tied atop the list among Democrats this year, whereas Lincoln was the easy winner among independents, and Bush and Lincoln led among Republicans, with Reagan slightly behind them.

Lincoln was first among whites, but second among blacks, who overwhelmingly chose Clinton as the greatest president. One of Lincoln's best known achievements was freeing the slaves during the Civil War. Roosevelt was the leader among those 65 and older.

The poll was conducted Feb. 13-17 among a sample of 1,025 adults and had an error margin of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

[KeyMastur]

Originally posted by sk*
i don't believe in democracy

i don't believe in you

my vote for Bush...he's got big cahunas

[Canes4Ever]

FDR, what he did the "commom man" helped reveloutionize and save the US from a more violent Socialist/Communist reveloution.

Without him we would have also had to deal with a Nazi German Emprie to this day.

[GenuinePL]

1. FDR
2. CLINTON (very good pres. Just the BJ blew him away)
3. NIXON (One of best pres. you have to know a lot about him to understand my vote on this one. If you know the basics then don't argue about it becasue I'm not going to explain it)

[ptbyjason]

Ok guys, I have to break into a quick debate on this. As of right now. Bill Clinton is leading this poll with 4 votes. He is beating the founder of this great country of ours, the man that freed the slaves, as well as other presidents listed who were great Americans and presidents. Now, I am trying to think why Bill Clinton would be leading. I can understand people saying the economy was good, but the guy was almost impeached. How can someone like that compare to some of the greatest presidents of all time.

TNT, care to elaborate? I am guessing this has to do with the age of the population here, right? I am only 25, but I just don't feel that Clinton, or even Reagan should be the top choices. I would love to hear some opinions.

[GenuinePL]

Hey PT.

About Clinton. He should not be in this shit like he was. He was a great pres. But why people care what he does on his personal time. It's his personal business. He should not be #1 pic, maybe 3 or 4.

About GW, Yes he was a founder of this country, but that does not make him a good president.

I got a feeling that this will VERY controversial poll.
I'm out of this thread, because this will be hell if we all get on this topic.

[Terinox]

Well I'm not an American, I'm a Canadian. And I doubt a POLL for greatest Prime Minister would be any fun!!!



But I would have to say JFK was the greatest, although I don't know much about him either, I do believe he was a damn good person, and he was soo important and so loved by the people, that the US Government had to assasinate him. It's truly a shame, I just recently saw a movie about him, starring Kevin Costner as the lawyer. Great movie, really great. I think it might have actually been called "JFK" not sure though.

[EXCESS]

Prime Ministers are better!!!

[CYCLEON]

Clinton would never get my vote to be President, much less be in the top 90% of presidents - could care less about the intern thing so much as he totally sold our country to foriegn interests because he had no spine whatsoever - an utterly charming psycopathic addict personality. Only thing he didnt do was totally screw up the US economy - but sumers and that ass Rubin almost destroyed asia by ignighting a meltdown (which probably did keep our economy going tho, on the fuel of cheap imports and a high dollar) - never matters the price of tommorow when people scream to be pleasured today.

[viper]

damn jason...to many great things done by to many great people to pick just one....how about eisenhower....

eisenhower surrounded himself with businessmen who represented what he called "moderate republicanism."(got to like a man who thinks running the country like a business is better than political shit like so many others). but then again, so did ross perot...so my logic is most likely flawed(LOL)...
they did not seek to turn back the legislation and policies of FDR and truman, but built on and consolidated them. his administration extended social security coverage, increased the minimum wage, constructed more public housing, attempted to make health insurance available to more americans, and initiated the massive federal program that created the interstate highway system. nor did he break from his predecessors' foreign policy.

FDR should probably win, but i dont fear fear itself...ok that was kind of pitiful, but it is the best i have right now.....

our vote for worst president should be hoover...his administration started the bureau of narcotics (now know to us all as the DEA)....
ok....post is getting to long....later

[RON]

1. Ronnie Reagan (what a name )
2. George Washington
3. George W. Bush

Times were good when Ronnie boy was in the white house. While I wasn't a big fan of George Sr. I think George Jr is starting things off right

[$uperman]

Andrew Jackson was hardcore.... not the best , but a badass fa sho

[drop dead fred]

I got Reagan and George Dubya Bush running neck and neck....

and by the way, Clinton didn't get in trouble for the blow job...he got in trouble for LYING under oath to congress during his investigation, for tampering with/destroying evidence, and trying to get other people to lie for and about him. He showed absolutely no character and cheated on his wife. He screwed the military, totally fucked up in Somalia, and lied to America all the way through his presidency. Spineless, draft dodging liar, who made this country look sad and weak by his very presence in the White House.
Long live Conservative Republicanism....
CYCLEON AND RON>>>>I'M WITH YOU GUYS ON THIS ONE...

[Gemini]

Reagan?? Did anyone grow up in the 80's?? I remember the ecomony well and I was just a teenager. Hard times for the working class with soaring interest rates, inflation and the gas crisis. My vote would be Kennedy for his role in the Civil Rights movement. Although I have to say that my opinion is influenced by stories from my mother. The 60's produced many great leaders including Martin Luther King. People believed they could change the world and they did!! We are so cynical today believing we don't have the power to make a difference. I think we all need a little magic/passion of that time NOW!!

[TNT]

Originally posted by ptbyjason
TNT, care to elaborate? I am guessing this has to do with the age of the population here, right? I am only 25, but I just don't feel that Clinton, or even Reagan should be the top choices. I would love to hear some opinions.

Precisely - our impressions are skewed, in part, by our direct memories. However, another factor that enters the picture is cultural literacy, which is far less today than it was, say, 50 years ago.

Would people choose Lincoln if it weren't for a short speech written on the back of an envelope? Or if he weren't shot while watching a mediocre play? Or if he hadn't appeared in both an original Star Trek episode and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure? Remember, it takes a lot of huzzangas to be the President of the United States. Why, then, do we "remember" Lincoln more than, say, James Polk or Benjamin Harrison? In part, I submit, it's because of popular perception, not to mention the fact that we need our heroes.

Generational factors are relevant here. Those that choose Reagan may remember hos influential he was in their childhood. Those who are baby-boomers often choose JFK for the same reason. Those who have their particular "causes" might choose someone you wouldn't expect. (Someone geared toward civil rights, for example, would know that LBJ was far more effective than JFK in that area.)

But memories are also short. Those who would choose George W. are looking at the here-and-now, especially when there is a significant military conflict or a need for the nation to continue healing. And, strange as it may seem, the World Trade Center destruction will be relegated to the back burner within a few short years, just as the significance of the Oklahoma City bombing and the explosion of the Challenger were eventually overshadowed and, by some, forgotten.

Anyway, "greatest" President? That's always going to be subjective, but my vote would have to go for FDR. I wasn't around whem he was, but of all the crises the entire world has had to deal with, WWII is probably the most significant. The man would never have been elected today, in our age of instant media hoopla - after all, he was in a wheelchair most of the time. But in terms of the particular period in which he led the country, no one had a better sense of crisis management and wisdom than he did.

My runner-up: Eisenhower. Not only did he lead us through our most productive period, where would be be without the Interstate system?

[dane26]

w/o fdr, we'd be speaking german today!!

[CYCLEON]

Yeah - too bad we couldnt have done away with the "temporary" entitlement programs and massive government growth that basically changed our system into a much more centralized gov - New deal programs were right for their time but should have been fazed out long ago - but Ive never seen anyone pass up a free buck, or a polititian who wasnt willing to freely give the publics cash to get those votes.

[bigkev]

fdr was great, no doubt about that. clinton got head, so what, who hasnt, he was a great president. reagan was awesome. jfk? he got shot, what else did he do. george washington was a general, there was no country to govern when he was pres, he was a great general. lincoln? no. george w bush? wtf has he done? he may turn out to be great, but he is not great yet.

fdr is numero uno. nazi germany was the biggest threat the free world has ever faced.

[Canes4Ever]

Originally posted by bigkev
fdr is numero uno. nazi germany was the biggest threat the free world has ever faced.

BigKev, not only WW2 but what he did to save my country from the Great Depression (The New Deal as it was called) was the greatest reason we didn't have a Communist/Socialist government by the time WW2 came around. Many of the folks on this board aren't real fans of history and wouldn't know as much. They only know what they have lived through.....hence the results we have in the poll.

[GenuinePL]

I can't figure out why regan and clinton are beating FDR in this poll, but i think that some people just don't know about him.

[dane26]

i'm impressed by the knowledge of you guys. any body wanna be a guest speaker in an 8th grade class?? j/k

BTW- we're starting WW2 soon!

[RON]

Originally posted by Gemini
Reagan?? Did anyone grow up in the 80's??

My vote would be Kennedy for his role in the Civil Rights movement.

I grew up in the 80's. I remember times being pretty damn good. As far as JFK. To me people just liked him cause he was young and good looking.


Got to love the GOP

[Canes4Ever]

Originally posted by dane26
i'm impressed by the knowledge of you guys. any body wanna be a guest speaker in an 8th grade class?? j/k

BTW- we're starting WW2 soon!

Dane, you dissing us bro? LOL ! Hey I voted for FDR

[Lariat1]

I like Bush
I like George W. too He straight to the point
and don't take no shit off anyone. Here is George
Oh you want to f*@K with us will just kick everybody's
A$$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dane26]

Originally posted by Canes4Ever


Dane, you dissing us bro? LOL ! Hey I voted for FDR

no...not at all. i'm impressed by what's being said. i voted for FDR, but GW lead us through the revolution and held us together through the articles of confederation and the constitutional conventions. they should be 1 and 2


oh yeah, ron....i do love the GOP

[DirkDiggs]

Teddy Roosevelt was my fav pres. The man got shot while giving a speech and still finished the speech. The bullet was lodged in his stomach for over 2 hrs. He didnt take shit from anyone and was a man not a politician

[bigkev]

george washington was a great man, no doubt, but the country held up because of the patriotism of our fore fathers, all of them. GW was an awesome general. reagan and clinton built our economy to a peak, everyone got fat in those years. george bush sr couldnt follow reagan, not even close, and george w had no choice but to kick ass, we where assaulted in mass on our home turf. fdr is #1, and #2 is up in the air. i cant say who i would choose as #2, but i can say who i wouldnt choose.

[Big Rush]

i say teddy roosevelt just based on the fact that he was a badass mofo! he led the roughriders and gave a speech once with a bullet lodged in his chest!

[tt333]

clinton, he was a pimp.

[The French Curler]

Bill Clinton was great, personally, I don't like any of the Bush presidents because all they do is get us into wars. The thing we hate the most, they cause.

[Cousin Eddie]

FDR WAS THE MAN-
Lots of people compared 9/11 to Pearl Harbor, I think this declaration strengthens that comparison.

Powerful and resourceful gangsters have banded together to make war upon the whole human race. Their challenge has now been flung at the United States of America. The Japanese have treacherously violated the longstanding peace between us. Many American soldiers and sailors have been killed by enemy action. American ships have been sunk; American airplanes have been destroyed.

The Congress and the people of the United States have accepted that challenge.

Together with other free peoples, we are now fighting to maintain our right to live among our world neighbors in freedom, in common decency, without fear of assault.

We are now in this war. We are all in it -- all the way. Every single man, woman and child is a partner in the most tremendous undertaking of our American history.

I repeat that the United States can accept no result save victory, final and complete. Not only must the shame of Japanese treachery be wiped out, but the sources of international brutality, wherever they exist, must be absolutely and finally broken.

There is no such thing as security for any nation -- or any individual -- in a world ruled by the principles of gangsterism. There is no such thing as impregnable defense against powerful aggressors who sneak up in the dark and strike without warning.

We may acknowledge that our enemies have performed a brilliant feat of deception, perfectly timed and executed with great skill. It was a thoroughly dishonorable deed, but we must face the fact that modern warfare as conducted in the Nazi manner is a dirty business. We don't like it -- we didn't want to get in it -- but we are in it and we're going to fight it with everything we've got.

We are now in the midst of a war, not for conquest, not for vengeance, but for a world in which this nation, and all that this nation represents, will be safe for our children. We expect to eliminate the danger from Japan, but it would serve us ill if we accomplished that and found that the rest of the world was dominated by Hitler and Mussolini.

So we are going to win the war and we are going to win the peace that follows.



FDR declares war on Japan, Dec. 9, 1941

[Big Rush]

Originally posted by titanstigers333
clinton, he was a pimp.

i would hardly classify clinton as apimp based on the quality of the women he was caught f*ckin' with...monica lewinsky = fat ho....paula jones = not so hot...jennifer flowers was a milf though

[Big Rush]

Originally posted by The French Curler
Bill Clinton was great, personally, I don't like any of the Bush presidents because all they do is get us into wars. The thing we hate the most, they cause.

i wouldn't say they were the cause of any war...

[maguilagorilla]

dudes i like benjamin franklin! i dont know if he was pres. but he is on the $100 and that is enough to get my vote.haha

[Vegas Kid]

Reagan, the guy was a movie star for god sake. Besides that :cold war, star wars, war on drugs....

[clockworks]

clinton! he's a player pimp cool cat!

oh...and the economic state was really good when he was in office or something...=)

-clocky baby

[Tapout]

fdr or truman
either one of those guys would have already blown those terrorists asses off the earth and whatever country would help them

[jeffylyte]

out of that list George Wash, Clinton and FDR were good presidents (well CLinton was decent, not necessarily good). The rest were/are pretty much smucks. My fav of all time is Teddy Roosevelt. Look at his record and be in awe. Also Taft. Not many people have heard of him, but that means he didnt screw up.

[bad_man]

BigKev beat me to the punch when he asked what JFK ever did. Can someone fill me in on this? From what I understand he was well liked because he seemed to have a "magical" life. He was one of the pretty people. The fact that he got shot allowed people to be even more sentimental about it. But really, he didn't do much. He didn't do much for civil rights. He was only around while all of that stuff was going on.

George Washington is the greatest and I'll tell you why. When the country was first formed, they wanted to make him King. He had the presence of mind to say no to this idea. He said that they just freed themselves from a King and they didn't need another one. Instead he said he'd be president. He also said that there should be a limit on how long one person could be president. If it wasn't for him we could be all serving under his great great great grandson right now or we could have just had an election voting either YES or NO to whether Sadaam Washington should be president again - of course 100% of the population would vote and 100% would vote YES.

[Fooboy]

The only thing good about Canada is Canadian bacon. Oh wait, that's just ham. nevermind