Worst President Ever?

I think George W. Bush is quickly gaining ground in this category.

Who is the worst? It depends on who you ask. If you were to ask a liberal firebrand about it they might rail on about Reagan being the worst. If you were to ask a right-wing counterpart they might say Clinton, or they might go on about Roosevelt starting the whole welfare state thing. The problem with both of these viewpoints is that they are skewed by current events and not history.

From an historical point of view most historians say that the two worst presidents were Ulysses S. Grant and Warren G. Harding both of these administrations were plagued by corruption and scandal. Both of these presidents have their defenders. The usual defense is that these presidents were not all that bright. Their defenders say that their downfalls were that they trusted the people around them too much and that the resulting scandals were borne out of these leaders naivete, or their downright denseness. Hmm, a president trusting too much in his cronies leads him into trouble. Does that sound familiar.

In the future when Bush's name comes up in the worst category, which it most certainly will, his defenders might use the same defense for him. Which begs the question: is a president only as good as his cronies?

The best presidents? Usually when the historian list comes out three names three names rotate in the top spot. Lincoln, Roosevelt and Washington.

Lincoln preserved the union. He even suspended Habeus Corpus to do it (very patriot act of him). Roosevelt guided our country through the Great Depression AND WWII. Washington usually gets credit just for being the first to do anything, oh and guiding our country through it's infancy. Where are these men considered the greatest? Is it simply that great men are created from great times? Or, is it that great men when confronted with great times rise to the occasion? The easiest analogy is Hoover, who when confronted by the Depression wilted under the pressure.

Bush is the Hoover of our times. He is a man who has been presented with great challenges and in the face of them has wilted, or maybe it is his cronies tat have wilted.

My personal Top Ten

Lincoln (preserved the union)
Roosevelt ( GD and WWII)
Washington ( Started it All)
Jackson (Balls to the wall)
Wilson (WWI and the league of nations)
Truman (A-bomb and korea)
Jefferson (Bombed the shit out tripoli)
T Roosevelt ( Walk softly and carry a big stick)
Polk (just go look at his term and what was accomplished)
Monroe (Monroe Doctrine Bitches)