Who was America's Best President?

[Cabin4]

1.) Thomas Jefferson , Democratic-Republican Party hands down.

In more modern times

2. )FDR 1933-1945 12 Years
look at hw low he kept National Debt during his presidency 33 -45  - Then look at the debt 5 years after he left office (it soared).

Total employment during Roosevelt's term expanded by 18.31 million jobs, with an average annual increase in jobs during his administration of 5.3%.

Thank God and FDR for the TVA

3.)  Reagan , not so much for his policies or for his presidency but for his persona and integrity.
"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" what a phenomenal speech.

Scoot,
You may want to double check your natioanal debt story on FDR. The national debt, rose from $22billion to over $258 billion during FDR's administration :
06/30/1945  258,682,187,409.93
06/30/1944  201,003,387,221.13 
06/30/1943  136,696,090,329.90 
06/30/1942   72,422,445,116.22 
06/30/1941   48,961,443,535.71 
06/29/1940   42,967,531,037.68 
06/30/1939   40,439,532,411.11 
06/30/1938   37,164,740,315.45 
06/30/1937   36,424,613,732.29 
06/30/1936   33,778,543,493.73 
06/29/1935   28,700,892,624.53 
06/30/1934   27,053,141,414.48 
06/30/1933   22,538,672,560.15 

[gstewart44]

1.) Thomas Jefferson , Democratic-Republican Party hands down.

In more modern times

2. )FDR 1933-1945 12 Years
look at hw low he kept National Debt during his presidency 33 -45  - Then look at the debt 5 years after he left office (it soared).

Total employment during Roosevelt's term expanded by 18.31 million jobs, with an average annual increase in jobs during his administration of 5.3%.

Thank God and FDR for the TVA

3.)  Reagan , not so much for his policies or for his presidency but for his persona and integrity.
"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" what a phenomenal speech.

Scoot,
You may want to double check your natioanal debt story on FDR. The national debt, rose from $22billion to over $258 billion during FDR's administration :
06/30/1945  258,682,187,409.93
06/30/1944  201,003,387,221.13 
06/30/1943  136,696,090,329.90 
06/30/1942   72,422,445,116.22 
06/30/1941   48,961,443,535.71 
06/29/1940   42,967,531,037.68 
06/30/1939   40,439,532,411.11 
06/30/1938   37,164,740,315.45 
06/30/1937   36,424,613,732.29 
06/30/1936   33,778,543,493.73 
06/29/1935   28,700,892,624.53 
06/30/1934   27,053,141,414.48 
06/30/1933   22,538,672,560.15

Thanks for setting the record straight on FDR Cabin!

[scootrd]

1.) Thomas Jefferson , Democratic-Republican Party hands down.

In more modern times

2. )FDR 1933-1945 12 Years
look at how low he kept National Debt during his presidency 33 -45  - Then look at the debt 5 years after he left office (it soared).

Total employment during Roosevelt's term expanded by 18.31 million jobs, with an average annual increase in jobs during his administration of 5.3%.

Thank God and FDR for the TVA

3.)  Reagan , not so much for his policies or for his presidency but for his persona and integrity.
"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" what a phenomenal speech.

Scoot,
You may want to double check your natioanal debt story on FDR. The national debt, rose from $22billion to over $258 billion during FDR's administration :
06/30/1945  258,682,187,409.93
06/30/1944  201,003,387,221.13 
06/30/1943  136,696,090,329.90 
06/30/1942   72,422,445,116.22 
06/30/1941   48,961,443,535.71 
06/29/1940   42,967,531,037.68 
06/30/1939   40,439,532,411.11 
06/30/1938   37,164,740,315.45 
06/30/1937   36,424,613,732.29 
06/30/1936   33,778,543,493.73 
06/29/1935   28,700,892,624.53 
06/30/1934   27,053,141,414.48 
06/30/1933   22,538,672,560.15

Thanks for setting the record straight on FDR Cabin!

Debt cannot be discussed in a vacuum, It need to be tied to GDP or GNP. 
Because of the depression, the national debt as a percentage of the GNP had doubled under Hoover from 16% to 33.6% of the GNP in 1932. While Roosevelt balanced the "regular" budget, the emergency budget was funded by debt, which increased to 40.9% in 1936, and then remained level until World War II, at which time it escalated rapidly. The national debt rose under Hoover, and held steady under FDR until the war began.

FDR Was able to maintain a flat 40% during terrible economic times right up until the war all the while struggling with the inherited 33.6% from Hoovers administration.   

Here is a good graph depicting 1933-1945.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Debt1929-50.svg

Here is a good read  - 

http://www.amazon.com/National-Debt-FDR-Clinton/dp/0786406224

Roosevelt spent 12 years in office and had an enormous impact on America. He took office in the depths of the Great Depression. He immediately called Congress to special session and declared a four-day banking holiday. The first "Hundred Days" of Roosevelt's term were marked by the passage of 15 major laws. Some of the important legislative acts of his New Deal included:

    * Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)- hired more than three million men to work on various projects.
    * Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)- used the Tennessee River to provide electricity for the depressed area.
    * National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA)- created the Public Works Administration to provide aid to cities for construction and the National Recovery Administration to help businesses.
    * Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)- corrected abuses which led to the stock market crash.
    * Works Progress Administration (WPA)- hired many people for a variety of projects including in the arts.
    * Social Security Act - Created the Social Security System.
Just to name a few..

1.) Jefferson
2.) FDR
3.) Reagan

[Cabin4]

C4...so you're saying/indicating Debt soared because of WW2 expenses...and loans...?

..TM7

TM,

I'm not saying anythig other than what I wrote. I was pointing out the factual error in Scoots post. He said, and i quote:
"2. )FDR 1933-1945 12 Years
look at hw low he kept National Debt during his presidency 33 -45  - Then look at the debt 5 years after he left office (it soared)."

TM,
Are you saying that my facts on what really happened to the debt under FDR is wrong? if so, please correct me by posting the correct numbers.
Thanks
C4

[Cabin4]

1.) Thomas Jefferson , Democratic-Republican Party hands down.

In more modern times

2. )FDR 1933-1945 12 Years
look at how low he kept National Debt during his presidency 33 -45  - Then look at the debt 5 years after he left office (it soared).

Total employment during Roosevelt's term expanded by 18.31 million jobs, with an average annual increase in jobs during his administration of 5.3%.

Thank God and FDR for the TVA

3.)  Reagan , not so much for his policies or for his presidency but for his persona and integrity.
"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" what a phenomenal speech.

Scoot,
You may want to double check your natioanal debt story on FDR. The national debt, rose from $22billion to over $258 billion during FDR's administration :
06/30/1945  258,682,187,409.93
06/30/1944  201,003,387,221.13 
06/30/1943  136,696,090,329.90 
06/30/1942   72,422,445,116.22 
06/30/1941   48,961,443,535.71 
06/29/1940   42,967,531,037.68 
06/30/1939   40,439,532,411.11 
06/30/1938   37,164,740,315.45 
06/30/1937   36,424,613,732.29 
06/30/1936   33,778,543,493.73 
06/29/1935   28,700,892,624.53 
06/30/1934   27,053,141,414.48 
06/30/1933   22,538,672,560.15

Thanks for setting the record straight on FDR Cabin!

Debt cannot be discussed in a vacuum, It need to be tied to GDP or GNP. 
Because of the depression, the national debt as a percentage of the GNP had doubled under Hoover from 16% to 33.6% of the GNP in 1932. While Roosevelt balanced the "regular" budget, the emergency budget was funded by debt, which increased to 40.9% in 1936, and then remained level until World War II, at which time it escalated rapidly. The national debt rose under Hoover, and held steady under FDR until the war began.

FDR Was able to maintain a flat 40% during terrible economic times right up until the war all the while struggling with the inherited 33.6% from Hoovers administration.   

Here is a good graph depicting 1933-1945.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Debt1929-50.svg

Here is a good read  - 

http://www.amazon.com/National-Debt-FDR-Clinton/dp/0786406224

Roosevelt spent 12 years in office and had an enormous impact on America. He took office in the depths of the Great Depression. He immediately called Congress to special session and declared a four-day banking holiday. The first "Hundred Days" of Roosevelt's term were marked by the passage of 15 major laws. Some of the important legislative acts of his New Deal included:

    * Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)- hired more than three million men to work on various projects.
    * Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)- used the Tennessee River to provide electricity for the depressed area.
    * National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA)- created the Public Works Administration to provide aid to cities for construction and the National Recovery Administration to help businesses.
    * Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)- corrected abuses which led to the stock market crash.
    * Works Progress Administration (WPA)- hired many people for a variety of projects including in the arts.
    * Social Security Act - Created the Social Security System.
Just to name a few..

1.) Jefferson
2.) FDR
3.) Reagan

Scoot,
Your facts are wrong on what happened to the debt under FDR. Under his leadership, it soared. Thats the point. Your post is just factually inaccurate on that point. Its not that big of a deal. Yes, I agree, there are many other factors that need to be taken into account in order to assess the overall financial health of the country at that time.

[semperfi1970]

Ronny Ray Gun without a doubt gentelman.

[us920669]

This is a very subjective call - best at what?  I think the times make the man more than the other way around.  FDR is called great because of the things that happened and the stage of the country's development, but I think he was very destructive - he prolonged the depression and gave us a government guaranteed to never stop growing (Marshall won the war).  Clinton was probably the luckiest (and the biggest perv) and W might have been the most unlucky.  Just to keep things a little light, let me propose a few more.

Best lover - JFK, although many presidents are in the running on this one.
Best liar - many would say Nixon, but he couldn't be, he got caught.
Best drunk - Grant.
Best pistol shot - Jackson.  Yeah, he stopped one, but he had enough confidence to compete.
Best tobacco spitter - Lincoln.  I don't know this for a fact, but he chewed almost all the time.
Best compromiser - Buchanan.  He postponed the Civil War for a few years.
Best horseman - Taylor.  Again, I'm just guessing, but he was a career officer.
Best big game hunter - TR, hands down.
Best psyche case - Wilson.  If the guy was alive today he would be on meds at the very least.
Best artillery captain - Truman.  Will there ever be another?  Maybe best piano player too.
Best communicator - it pains me to say it, but it may well be Obama.  Face it, the kid is slick.

So who do I think is the all around best?  Calvin Coolidge, for all the things he didn't do.  Worst all around?  Papa Bush.  This complete zero took the gift Ronald Reagan left him and simply squandered it. 

[torpedoman]

Washington; It's been all downhill after him.

[Dixie Dude]

I think Jefferson was a good president.  He believed in limited government and all the right things.  He also had the Louisiana Purchase which doubled the size of our nation and opened the door to the west and eventually we got the Oregon territory from Lewis and Clarks expedition.  Opened up the route to settle Texas and later the Southwest and California.  He had the Constitution built (Old Ironsides) and 2 other ships to stop the pirates in present day Libia from raiding our commerce ships.  Washington is probably tops, but did he really handle the "Wiskey Rebellion" properly? 

[us920669]

Ditto Jefferson.  Washington was between a rock and a hard place.  No president can allow any bozo with a musket to fly his own flag.  That's the whole dilemma.  That's why the south was right.

[jlchucker]

In my opinion, the great Chester A. Arthur.  Took over early on when Garfield was killed.  Looked around, saw that no much needed doing, so that's what he did--at least that's how they tell it around here (about 5 miles from where he was born).  Most of these other guys come to office with big ideas, then when they implement them they screw up the works.  Chester A. was smart enough to leave well enough alone. 

[Dixie Dude]

I don't agree with Keynesian economics, but at least FDR refused to just give out welfare money.  He was chided for not doing so by far left liberals and commies.  He said if he created jobs they could do, they would feel and act better about themselves by earning the money.  He said if you just hand out money, people would become dependent on the government and not on their own hard work.  Not like today. 

No matter who is president now, or who is in control of congress, when our national debt reaches $20 trillion (over $14 trillion now) our nation will be bankrupt, and the Federal side of our government will cease to exist.  We will become 50 different countries.  Remember the Soviet Union and their bankrupt state.  It split up into about 20 different countries.  We cannot keep spending more that we take in taxes.  The point of no return is $20 trillion.  There will be no national military, no welfare, no food stamps, no social security, nothing, because we can't afford it.  All federal tax money will have to be used to pay the interest ONLY on the debt, nothing left over.  China, Japan, and others will want their money. 

This is either a plan by the NWO socialists for this to happen, or no one really cares or believes it to be true. 

[purpledragon]

In my time,Ronald Regan,Gee I wonder why nobody said anything about Jimmy Carter........Just a joke guys don't bomb me........PD

[Gary G]

I don't agree with Keynesian economics, but at least FDR refused to just give out welfare money.  He was chided for not doing so by far left liberals and commies.  He said if he created jobs they could do, they would feel and act better about themselves by earning the money.  He said if you just hand out money, people would become dependent on the government and not on their own hard work.  Not like today. 

No matter who is president now, or who is in control of congress, when our national debt reaches $20 trillion (over $14 trillion now) our nation will be bankrupt, and the Federal side of our government will cease to exist.  We will become 50 different countries.  Remember the Soviet Union and their bankrupt state.  It split up into about 20 different countries.  We cannot keep spending more that we take in taxes.  The point of no return is $20 trillion.  There will be no national military, no welfare, no food stamps, no social security, nothing, because we can't afford it.  All federal tax money will have to be used to pay the interest ONLY on the debt, nothing left over.  China, Japan, and others will want their money. 

This is either a plan by the NWO socialists for this to happen, or no one really cares or believes it to be true.

Don't forget fannie and freddie debt as well as FDIC guarantees and other off balance debt as well as unfunded liabilities. We are just over 96% GDP and the true debt is more like 70 Trillion. We are already bankrupt. Their plan is to pay off the debt with worthless dollars. Of course that will rob the wealth of all ordinary people. They print the dollars and pay debt. Your dollars and dollar denominated wealth becomes worthless as the dollar is trashed. In this way the steal your wealth to keep the government going. Thanks democrats and republicans!

FDR was the dictator-in-chief and introduced many socialist programs still around today. His heavy handed command and control of the economy is what made the great depression so great and last so long.

[Gary G]

In my time,Ronald Regan,Gee I wonder why nobody said anything about Jimmy Carter........Just a joke guys don't bomb me........PD

I will.
Ronald Reagan talked the good talk, but he spent more on social programs than Jimmy Carter.

But most presidents are judged more on what they say than what they do, because it is requires little effort.

[Gary G]

In my opinion, the great Chester A. Arthur.  Took over early on when Garfield was killed.  Looked around, saw that no much needed doing, so that's what he did--at least that's how they tell it around here (about 5 miles from where he was born).  Most of these other guys come to office with big ideas, then when they implement them they screw up the works.  Chester A. was smart enough to leave well enough alone. 

A good man. We would be better off to send every president on an extended four year vacation. If we had done that, no wars, no indebtedness, no prison overcrowding, lower or no taxes; but what would we argue about.

[slim rem 7]

who was the best depends on what an individual wants..as to my favorite.. ronald reagan made me believe in the U.S. again ,he also inspired me to hope an believe..

[us920669]

About Carter - he was (and is) a world class numskull, but it is a fact that his administration (late '79 - early '80) changed US policy toward the Soviet Union from appeasement to confrontation - about 20 - 25 years too late in my opinion.  Seeing that go down convinced me that people whose names we never hear call the shots in this country, and probably quite a few others too.  Note that Reagan was kept on a very tight lease in terms of domestic policies.

[sdb777]

Simple answer....

Best Ever?  Hasn't been elected yet.  We're still waiting.......







Scott B

[Cabin4]

Simple answer....

Best Ever?  Hasn't been elected yet.  We're still waiting.......







Scott B

The question posted is "Who Was America's Best President". The key word is "was", as in the past tense. The selection can only come from the current and or former presidents.

[sdb777]

Simple answer....

Best Ever?  Hasn't been elected yet.  We're still waiting.......







Scott B

The question posted is "Who Was America's Best President". The key word is "was", as in the past tense. The selection can only come from the current and or former presidents.

Fair enough....

Are we talking about President's that were actually elected, or those placed in power?




Scott (which kind of Prez) B

[us920669]

Absolutely right on Abe and FDR.  They usually rave about Wilson too.  It's hard to check this guy out since so many of our history books are propaganda.  He was installed to pass the Federal Reserve Act, which Taft tried to do but couldn't.  Then up pops the war.  Wilson proclaimed "strict neutrality" but worked hard to get us in, then informally used vigilante mobs to browbeat ordinary citizens and whomp up on Blacks, Germans, Irish, anyone who wouldn't toe the line.  Trying to sell the League of Nations, he completely changed course and said the war was simple economics and there should be a no-fault peace.  Some of the things he said were good, but he constantly changed his position and had a way of viciously attacking anyone who had agreed with him earlier.  His only motive was to make himself look good.  It didn't help when a massive stroke totally incapacitated him and his wife started doing his thinking for him, but now it looks like he had several small strokes which made him completely crackers.  He would turn red, scream and cry if he couldn't get his way, just about ordinary political turf war type stuff.  A real nut case.   

[Cabin4]

Simple answer....

Best Ever?  Hasn't been elected yet.  We're still waiting.......







Scott B

The question posted is "Who Was America's Best President". The key word is "was", as in the past tense. The selection can only come from the current and or former presidents.

Fair enough....

Are we talking about President's that were actually elected, or those placed in power?




Scott (which kind of Prez) B

The question does not distinguish on that point so I would have to assume all are included. That would even include the current president even though he is not a natural born US citizen, which technically disqualifies him from holding the office. Nonetheless, he is still president and therefore included in this assessment even though he is a Muslim.

[sdb777]

I'd go with John Adams(Prez No#2)


He had to be on heck of an American to beat Thomas Jefferson.....twice!  And Thomas Jefferson was a great American!(Even though TJ's Republican Party was reportedly getting a lot of support from European countries...)







Scott (Alien and Sedition Acts) B

[FWiedner]

I like Ike.

 

[BAGTIC]

Close. Teddy Roosevelt at the turn of the century. In my lifetime clearly Ronald R.

Theodore Roosevelt was another of those 'big government' usurpers of power. He vastly extended the reach of the federal bureaucracy.

[BAGTIC]

Thomas Jefferson.....maybe the smartest man that ever lived.

Thomas Jefferson's fame was due to authoring the Declaration of Independence. Several years ago a convention of American historians rated Jefferson and Kennedy as the two "most overrated" Presidents. Jefferson nearly bankrupted the country as he did his own fortune. Worse he was responsible for the destruction of the US Navy and the weakening of the Army that resulted in America's near defeat in the War of 1812.

[BAGTIC]

I don't know about all those who lived before me, but in my lifetime I remember Harry Truman.  He stood up against anti-semitism on May 14th, 1948 by signing a statement recognizing the state of Israel as an official Jewish State.

I liked Harry too but then again he refused to end the Korean War thereby establishing a precedent that lead to Vietnam, Iraq, a a bunch of other no win confrontations. Would we respect a football coach who always fought for a draw instead of going for a decisive victory.

[Dixie Dude]

Jeffersons thought was with no standing army and no navy, the people couldn't be "controlled" by the federal government.  The army I could understand with the people as a malitia.  I do dissagree with no navy, since that was why we got involved in the War of 1812.  He did expand our nation west. 

[sdb777]

Washington; It's been all downhill after him.

Got to agree with this one.....

Been a stairway to corruption ever since.




Scott B