Best US President part II

Tough....FDR and TR

Herbert Hoover! 

Just kidding.

In all seriousness, Woodrow Wilson gets my vote for his brilliant 14 points plan, which was decades ahead of its time, even  though it ultimately was ignored by the rest of the world, which was too focused on diplomatically punishing Germany to follow his plan and actually try to stabilize Europe.  His work in trying for peace, rather than vengence, was so grueling it helped trigger the strokes that led to his death. 

FDR's New Deal, helping to pull the nation out of the Great Depression makes him a close runner up, but it wouldn't win him the poll for me because I'm still not sure if it alone could pull us out of the depression; if it weren't for WWII, would the New Deal be enough?

rileydog22 wrote: if it weren't for WWII, would the New Deal be enough?

rileydog22 wrote: FDR's New Deal, helping to pull the nation out of the Great Depression makes him a close runner up, but it wouldn't win him the poll for me because I'm still not sure if it alone could pull us out of the depression; if it weren't for WWII, would the New Deal be enough?

The New Deal extended the depression. WWII solved the depression, not FDR.

Arrrghus wrote: Teddy by a longshot. He revolutionized the role of the president, was a champion of enviornmental rights, was the most popular president, etc. I could go on.

It's curious that most polls (everywhere, every audience, not only regular people but also among highly educated individuals) has similar results: the first five would be among Washington, (I guess because he was the first one and a Revolutionary hero), Jefferson (he wrote the Constitution adapting Locke's ideas to US' reality, that's enough), Abraham Lincoln (do I need to spell it?), Teddy Roosevelt, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It's also curious that many people think presidents have to be categorized only based on their economic achievements.... Well, that's the way of the world I guess... Anyway, always the top-two are Lincoln and FDR, and I happen to agree. FDR's New Deal helped this country out of Depression (yes, WWII helped, who can't deny it, but it's not a magic formula: give a president a war, the economy will flourish.. or are we reducing human beings to only numeric values, so that what happens among us is exact science as in economy?) but he also lead the country in the war. After him, well, Truman was competent, Eisenhower mediocre, Kennedy too short to qualify, and LBJ who nobody seems to mention, he did more for civil rights than most others combined. Yes, there was enormous pressure, but he signed the Act. And this poll is not about later presidents so I'll shut up.

FDR

IVNORD wrote: Strangely,  nobody mentioned the most important achievements of Teddy Roosevelt.   I know it’s politically incorrect to even mention that he was an imperialist, let alone considering it as his achievement, but he was the president who understood the economic necessity for America to be present on the international scene. The Panama Canal was part of the deal.   Another one was his Anti-trust legislation which shaped the US domestic economy  abolishing monopolies and providing a vehicle for thriving economic competition and thus prosperity and progress.   And yes, he was a nature’s lover. Thanks to him, we may have the Yellowstone preserved for the next few hundred years.

I'll vote for him. I've been lucky enough to go to Yellowstone twice and I loved it both times.

I find it remarkable that a Republican leads a poll on this site, but he was a progressive so really it makes complete sense.

FDR.

call me a New Deal Democrat...