Best US President

[adios]

For the presidents I've observed, Ronald Reagan and it's not even close:

1. He had the right message at the right time. After the Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter years the U.S. was in what Carter called a "malaise" and I think Reagan was the cheerleader we needed to bring the U.S. out of that situation.

2. Bringing an end to the cold war. Even though the liberals will argue ad infinitum that Reagan didn't end the cold war, they're wrong, he did. Could he have done it following the same policies in 1965? Probably not but again he was the right guy at the right time. If you read Alan Greenspan's current book, The Age of Turbulence, you get a good picture of what the economic situation int he communist countires at the time Reagan was in office. It was worse than anyone had ever imagined and certainly the West had vastly overrated their economic capabilities. Reagan policies exposed this weakness.

3. Handling of the PATCO strike. He warned the Air Traffic Controllers that he'd fire every one of them if they went out on strike illegally. They did and he did. IMO this was the turning point and market the zenith in the power of unions in the U.S.

4. His leadership in fashioning a bipartisan "fix" for Social Security that created a surplus in Social Security revenue that exists to this day. Can't imagine anything like this happening in today's political environment.

5. Following through on de-regulation. Carter started the ball rolling on de-regulation of many industries. Reagan saw it through and helped it continue.

6. Reaganomics. Reagan embraced "supply side" economics. He also embraced freer less regulated markets and the U.S. economy grew as a result. One of the nastiest recessions that I've witnessed occurred early in Reagan's administration. That was due to the Fed policy of "break the back" of inflation. The era of disinflation began during the Reagan era and it continues to this day. Also he appointed Alan Greenspan during his term.

7. Supreme Court appointments. Sandra Day O'Conner, William Rehnquist, and Antonis Scalia.

8. Tax simplification. Well it didn't last but he actually championed a law (another bipartisan effort btw) that was passed that created 2 tax brackets.

Did I make any liberals puke yet?

[maxtower]

Washington is easily the best. He was non-partisan and had practically the unanimous support of his contemporaries. He was a good leader at a time when the country needed one. Plus Martha was hot.

[andyfox]

"Did I make any liberals puke yet?"

One, for sure.

Just one comment on your citation of Mr. Greenspan's book. Indeed, the economic situation in the Communist world was far worse than most anyone had thought. Whose voice was it that had consistently told us ad inifinitum that it was in fact far better than our leaders had either known or were letting on and that we had in fact vastly underrated their economic capabilities?

[andyfox]

"specifically, Andyfox, could you elaborate on why Nixon was far and away the worst?"

Vietnam, Watergate, Kissinger.

[AlexM]

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"specifically, Andyfox, could you elaborate on why Nixon was far and away the worst?"

Vietnam, Watergate, Kissinger.

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Yeah, damn Nixon for getting us out of Nam! We should have kept going until those commies were conquered!

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

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Eisenhower? You're an old fart.

I don't think there have been any good presidents in my lifetime, I'd probably go with Eisenhower as the "best."

Nixon was the worst, and it isn't close. That's saying something, because Carter and the current Bush were awful.

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I was born late in the Truman administration.

Carter was a close choice. Nixon was as much a socialist as any Democrat, maybe more (wage and price controls), but recognizing that we had to have some dialog with the PRC mitigates him just enough to push Carter over the edge.

I also think one needs about 20 years of perspective to really rate a President. I may not live long enough to get a true perspective on GWB.

[mbillie1]

which Jackson killed all the indians? I vote for the other one

[Jeff W]

[ QUOTE ]
which Jackson killed all the indians? I vote for the other one

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There was only one Jackson (Andrew).

He had his flaws, but IMO one of the top 10 U.S. presidents.

[andyfox]

"recognizing that we had to have some dialog with the PRC"

I give him zero credit for that since he deserves a major portion of the blame for closing off our relationship with China to begin with, and his McCarthyist tendencies kept others from reapproaching China before him.

"I also think one needs about 20 years of perspective to really rate a President."

In some respects, maybe. I'm a firm believer in what is wrongly called "revisionism" because we usually have more evidence to go by, as well as the perspective of succeeding years, well after historical events take place. But I knew Johnson as a disaster while he was president, and I knew Nixon was a crook and a pathological liar while he was president, and I knew Carter was a disaster while he was president. And I know the current Bush is a disaster.

I was born in February of 1953, so I just missed Truman. (I believe; or was the inauguration in March in those days?) This will surely get me in hot water here, I think, but I would rate Truman as just above Nixon as a horrible president. I'm not wild about Harry.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

I'm going to challenge you here, Andy.

But I knew Johnson as a disaster while he was president, and I knew Nixon was a crook and a pathological liar while he was president, and I knew Carter was a disaster while he was president. And I know the current Bush is a disaster.

And yet, you're still not a libertarian? You still seek a solution from the current 2 parties?

You know, they say one definition of insanity is repeating the same action over and over and expecting a different result. [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]