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Who has been our greatest President?[W:196]

Who has been our greatest President?


  • Total voters
    89
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

I chose George Washington. He was a mad cut from a different cloth imo. He viewed the office as it should be viewed and that is to "serve the country and his fellow man" and not how I see almost all others and that is "serve the country as far as it serves me".

I am a little dismayed that so many view Abraham Lincoln as a great president. I feel he did the wrong things for the right reasons. I also see his actions as long term detrimental to our nation. He ushered centralized governing powers to the Federal government like they were never seen before, exactly what I believe our founders wished to avoid. As a result I believe our government better serves less people instead of more.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

It's really hard to pick one president on his accomplishments unless you are familiar with the majority of their Congress that they had to work with during their term. The president I picked isn't on the list provided. I chose Andrew Jackson because he hated debt and made it a deliberate policy to pay off the national debt entirely -- and succeeded in doing so. He was a Jeffersonian through and through and the smaller the government the better. Ironically he was the father of the modern Democrat party. My how things have changed.

He also spearheaded the systematic extermination of American Indians, started the great political tradition in America known as the "spoils system," where cronyism is encouraged as never before in our nation's history, and also applied this system to our banking system. These were known as "pet banks."
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

Overall I've always been a Lincoln fan, even more than Washington. Lincoln had extraordinary circumstances and did what he had to, to preserve the union. With 150+ years of hindsight, I would thank him for his actions as controversial as they were then and in some ways still are.

In the past 114 years though - I'd say Teddy Roosevelt.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

He also spearheaded the systematic extermination of American Indians, started the great political tradition in America known as the "spoils system," where cronyism is encouraged as never before in our nation's history, and also applied this system to our banking system. These were known as "pet banks."
Booth every president listed in this poll has something one could make the case was wrong from Washington to Obama. I think you are confusing wildcat banks with pet banks. Pet banks was a term used to describe banks set up in states with the surplus that Jackson acquired after paying off the debt and vetoing every spending bill that came across his desk. Jackson's distrust of the national banking system (which he claimed to be unconstitutional) began a bank war. Jackson cited four reasons for vetoing the recharter, each degrading the Second Bank of the United States in claims of it holding an exorbitant amount of power.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

Booth every president listed in this poll has something one could make the case was wrong from Washington to Obama. I think you are confusing wildcat banks with pet banks. Pet banks was a term used to describe banks set up in states with the surplus that Jackson acquired after paying off the debt and vetoing every spending bill that came across his desk. Jackson's distrust of the national banking system (which he claimed to be unconstitutional) began a bank war. Jackson cited four reasons for vetoing the recharter, each degrading the Second Bank of the United States in claims of it holding an exorbitant amount of power.

I'm just saying, Jackson did a lot more that could be considered wrong than many of the presidents in the list. I think Wilson, Lincoln, and Raegan have the most strikes against them for some partisan individual's opinions, but they didn't give people smallpox-covered blankets. I admit, you did refute one of my points quite well. I withdraw my point about pet banks. However, you didn't address the Indian Removal (which also defied a Supreme Court decision) or Spoils System.

I agree that he did well on government spending. But, like with Woodrow Wilson, there's too many wrongs he did for his name to even belong on this list.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

I'm just saying, Jackson did a lot more that could be considered wrong than many of the presidents in the list. I think Wilson, Lincoln, and Raegan have the most strikes against them for some partisan individual's opinions, but they didn't give people smallpox-covered blankets. I admit, you did refute one of my points quite well. I withdraw my point about pet banks. However, you didn't address the Indian Removal (which also defied a Supreme Court decision) or Spoils System.

I agree that he did well on government spending. But, like with Woodrow Wilson, there's too many wrongs he did for his name to even belong on this list.

I understand what you are saying. And this poll is about each of our opinions. I've explained multiple times why I picked Jackson because for me the debt is the number one crisis we face as a nation. It is hard for me to pick a best as all were men with flaws. So I chose one that did well on the thing I find could use a good dose of Jackson to help to start turn things away from the cliff we are about to go over.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

George Washington, the amount of power that guy could have had and instead left it all is sign of probably the greatest president of all.

Eh, I give him credit for his foresight, but I actually think that it wasn't quite the decision you would make it out to be.

If Washington had seized power in the 1780's and became King Washington, it's not like he'd suddenly have absolute control over a hugely powerful and influential nation that could really change the tide of history.

After America's break from Britain, it was little more than a shambles of squabbling states propped up by French support and influence, with little manufacturing, little military power, and little hope for anything more than what Chile or Colombia would eventually become.

It was specifically America's democratic republican experiment, and some of the values that it engendered, that contributed to its rise during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

So, while I credit Washington for his foresight and belief in the American experiment, I'm not sure I can credit him for being tremendously selfless in giving up power, as there wasn't really all that much power to give up at that point.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

Keep in mind the "New Deal" that was Roosevelt's hall mark domestic policy.

that and wilson and LBJ were the three most harmful presidencies in US History
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

Thomas Jefferson because of the Bill of Rights... I don't care that it was not during his presidency...
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

By far FDR.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

Yeah I like how many Republicans say FDR should be scorned, but have no problem enjoying Social Security. When I see a Republican scorn FDR and NOT accept social security, then I will be impressed with that person.

Why would someone who worked 40+ years not take back some of the money they paid in FICA taxes? :doh
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

Μολὼν λαβέ;1063454960 said:
Why would someone who worked 40+ years not take back some of the money they paid in FICA taxes? :doh

And that is why they are hypocrites. They complain about a system they take part of willingly.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

And that is why they are hypocrites. They complain about a system they take part of willingly.

Then they have a right to criticize how the program is enacted, enforced, and managed especially since they pay into it, willingly or not.

Get a clue...
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

And that is why they are hypocrites. They complain about a system they take part of willingly.

I don't really see that as hypocritical. You're being forced to pay into the system. I don't see why you should have to reject the money you paid into social security just because you criticize with it.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

Was going to go with Washington, but voted for Teddy - see, I still sleep with a Teddy Bear (please don't judge me), whom threatened to kick my arse if I voted any other way... Not a very deep comment, which I of course realize, but it's late and I'm barely awake right now (and Teddy says to get to bed).

Out. :2wave:
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

I picked Reagan, but there are others I would consider:

Eisenhower
McKinley
Jefferson (I know he's on the list)

Seriously? Ronald "My heart wants to believe that I didn't lie to the America people, but the facts say otherwise" Reagan?
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

Seriously? Ronald "My heart wants to believe that I didn't lie to the America people, but the facts say otherwise" Reagan?

At least he had the balls to admit it.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

At least he had the balls to admit it.

That's admitting it? LOL.....he couldn't even be honest when the facts clearly said he lied. That's what was so ridiculous and funny about his statement. Plus he was a total invalid throughout most of his second term.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

That's admitting it?

"The facts say otherwise". Yes, that's admitting it. Do you not understand the other part? He never felt he was, in his heart, because he felt he was doing the right thing; nonetheless, he admits it.

Every president has lied to the American people about one thing or another (some with better intentions than others). He had the integrity to admit it.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

"The facts say otherwise". Yes, that's admitting it. Do you not understand the other part? He never felt he was, in his heart, because he felt he was doing the right thing; nonetheless, he admits it.

Every president has lied to the American people about one thing or another (some with better intentions than others). He had the integrity to admit it.


Saying in your heart, you want to believe you didn't lie to the American people is not admitting it.....We paid a huge price and are still paying a price for Reagan arming the contra rebels and negotiating with terrorists.
Reagan did some good things, but he did a lot of bad things that have had a huge long term negative effect on this country.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

Saying in your heart, you want to believe you didn't lie to the American people is not admitting it....

Yes, it is, if you read the whole statement. He didn't feel, in his heart, that he was deceiving because he honestly felt it was the right thing and what Americans would want. He was wrong, the facts say so.

It's really not that hard to understand.

What's funny is you attacking him for it when he is the only president, in my recollection, that ever had the balls to admit it. And please, let's not pretend any president has served without a lie; that's too naive.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

And that is why they are hypocrites. They complain about a system they take part of willingly.

But they don't take part in the system willingly. You are forced to pay in. There is no hypocrisy in collecting the money you were forced to pay in and still being aginst a program. Take your partisan blinders off and you could probably see that.
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

I think Mount Rushmore pretty much sums it up for me.
Though I do love Eisenhower's interstates .

Yep, back when people understood that great nations have state of the art infrastructure...
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

As many times as I've driven the 950 to and from Denver, the upcoming Western trip will be more like 700 a day with my Wife along.
Over the Big Horns and through Yellowstone to the West Entrance.
All roads in the park are upgraded and done.
National Forest roads around Yellowstone/Tetons are also awesome as you know.
Yep, back when people understood that great nations have state of the art infrastructure...

So is Trail Ridge road open yet?
Isn't this another year for construction out to Bear Lake or is it done ?
 
Re: Who has been our greatest President?

There was a time when Indian casinos wouldn't take $20 bills .

That's hilarious. Times have surely changed. I can't imagine that happening today at an Indian casino.
 
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