Who Do You Think Was The Best President?

[VeniteAdoremus]

[b]Franco was a murderer, torturer, and in no way at all a nice person.[/b] That he was a [i]Catholic[/i] murderer, torturer and in no way at all a nice person doesn't say that much.

Really, I thought I was beyond getting offended about ignorance regarding European politics and history. Guess I have some mental growth to do.

[goldenchild17]

[quote name='Resurrexi' post='1947895' date='Aug 13 2009, 02:45 AM']Franco was a great dictator.[/quote]

and one of my favorite (if not most favorite) political leaders aside from the canonized Catholic monarchs. But that really needs its own thread I think.

[goldenchild17]

[quote name='VeniteAdoremus' post='1947918' date='Aug 13 2009, 03:23 AM'][b]Franco was a murderer, torturer, and in no way at all a nice person.[/b] That he was a [i]Catholic[/i] murderer, torturer and in no way at all a nice person doesn't say that much.

Really, I thought I was beyond getting offended about ignorance regarding European politics and history. Guess I have some mental growth to do.[/quote]

And I thought I was beginning to get used to the liberal/commie revisionist history, but apparently its not easy to grow out of

[homeschoolmom]

[quote name='Resurrexi' post='1947902' date='Aug 13 2009, 03:48 AM']He made Catholicism the religion of the State.

How much better can it get?[/quote]
Did you happen to live in Spain under Franco? You probably would have loved it. Lots of people didn't, though.

[LouisvilleFan]

I chose Eisenhower... almost voted for Reagan, but I suspect Eisenhower is too easily overlooked. I like underdogs. A lot of landmark events occured under his administration: Alaska and Hawaii became states, the Interstate highway, integration of schools. Unfortunately, those latter two weren't executed with the best foresight, but it's easy to say that now.

FDR may be the worst President we've ever hand. He paved the way for our current presidency.

If this were for the best President ever, I'd vote Teddy Roosevelt.

Edited August 13, 2009 by LouisvilleFan

[Ash Wednesday]

I don't know if FDR was our "worst" -- I'm not really getting where he ties in with Obama -- I actually consider Roosevelt one of the better ones considering the fact that he had to deal with the depression and WWII on his watch.

I think Kennedy was tremendously overrated. Boy that makes people mad when I say that.

Edited August 13, 2009 by Ash Wednesday

[zunshynn]

[quote name='Ash Wednesday' post='1947959' date='Aug 13 2009, 08:19 AM']I don't know if FDR was our "worst" -- I'm not really getting where he ties in with Obama -- I actually consider Roosevelt one of the better ones considering the fact that he had to deal with the depression and WWII on his watch.

I think Kennedy was tremendously overrated. Boy that makes people mad when I say that. [/quote]

I agree... he was kind of the beginning of the showy presidents, if you ask me.

It's a tossup for me between Reagan and FDR... I'll have to think about it a little more before I vote.

Interesting trivia... Gerald Ford is the only president who was never voted for, whether to the Vice Presidency or the Presidency...

[Ash Wednesday]

I think one of the reasons people get upset by my calling JFK overrated is because he didn't get the chance to actually do a great deal of things because he was cut down. And this is true. I'm not saying he didn't inspire people -- I think that was a good thing about him. But people need to distinguish the difference between what he symbolized, and what he actually did. I don't object to people that want to say something like "He COULD have been one of the best" -- but to actually hold him in the same category as other time-tested presidents that carried this country through wars, economic hard times, etc, well that to me is a bit much. I guess Kennedy was a very unique case and his circumstances are in a time/catgory all its own.

The main issue I have with Kennedy is the precedent he started with Catholic politicians "not letting the Vatican tell them what to do."

Edited August 13, 2009 by Ash Wednesday

[Lilllabettt]

Reagan was the best.

Nixon is my favorite though. There's more to learn from him, both good and bad, than all the others combined.

[CatherineM]

I also picked Ike. He was the last real leader. I still have my mom's "I like Ike" button in my jewelry box.

[Ash Wednesday]

[quote name='CatherineM' post='1948032' date='Aug 13 2009, 11:35 AM']I also picked Ike. He was the last real leader. I still have my mom's "I like Ike" button in my jewelry box.[/quote]

Funny, I have a Kennedy button in my home office. "THE MAN FOR THE 60s" -- it was my grandmothers. The only Democrat she ever voted for. Though I have kept it more out of historical interest rather than any political sentiments.

Edited August 13, 2009 by Ash Wednesday

[CatherineM]

[quote name='Ash Wednesday' post='1948038' date='Aug 13 2009, 11:41 AM']Funny, I have a Kennedy button in my home office. "THE MAN FOR THE 60s" -- it was my grandmothers. The only Democrat she ever voted for. Though I have kept it more out of historical interest rather than any political sentiments.[/quote]

I also have my mom's Kennedy button. That's the only two she kept.

[ardillacid]

[quote name='Ash Wednesday' post='1947959' date='Aug 13 2009, 10:19 AM']I think Kennedy was tremendously overrated. Boy that makes people mad when I say that. [/quote]


Kennedy was NOT a gunslinger. Sorry.

Edited August 13, 2009 by notardillacid

[LouisvilleFan]

[quote name='Ash Wednesday' post='1947959' date='Aug 13 2009, 11:19 AM']I don't know if FDR was our "worst" -- I'm not really getting where he ties in with Obama -- I actually consider Roosevelt one of the better ones considering the fact that he had to deal with the depression and WWII on his watch.[/quote]

If there's something economists generally agree on, it's that FDR's policies during the depression made it the Great Depression. The crash was in 1929; the bottom in 1933. All the government-sponsored big-money projects and charity organizations like the CCC and Social Security set the precedent for government gradually taking over more responsibility from individuals, companies, charities, and religious institutions. We probably wouldn't be debating Obamacare today if FDR hadn't had three consecutive terms in office... and when it was all said and done, fighting in WWII got us out of the Depression.

[Resurrexi]

[quote name='Ash Wednesday' post='1947978' date='Aug 13 2009, 10:20 AM']The main issue I have with Kennedy is the precedent he started with Catholic politicians "not letting the Vatican tell them what to do."[/quote]

I agree. That was the main reason I did not choose Kennedy for this poll.