Ranking Presidents - during your life time

Who was the most Under-Appreciated President - who deserves more credit than what he got

  • Eisenhower

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Kennedy

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Johnson

    Votes: 2 18.2%

  • Nixon

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Ford

    Votes: 1 9.1%

  • Carter

    Votes: 2 18.2%

  • Reagan

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • George HW Bush

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Clinton

    Votes: 1 9.1%

  • George W Bush

    Votes: 2 18.2%

  • Obama

    Votes: 2 18.2%

  • Trump

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Biden

    Votes: 1 9.1%
  • Total voters
    11
TGHusker

TGHusker

Well-known member
We've probably all have seen Ranking of Presidents polls that come from various political or historical perspectives.  With that in mind, I wanted to create our own HB poll - but with a twist - ranking presidents from Eisenhower forward to today. I doubt there is anyone on HB who lived when Truman was president but there are some of us who were born during the Eisenhower presidency.  I want to get your thoughts, during this presidential election season, on the following:

Who was the Most Consequential President since Truman.      -  This is very hard - consequential could be good, bad and a mix -  regardless of where they rank historically

Who should be the Highest Ranked President by historians    - Lincoln, Washington, FDR are typically the highest ranked presidents and for good reason.  What about those during our life time?

Who was your Favorite President   - regardless of consequentialness or rank - who did/do you like the best  

Who was the most Under-Appreciated President - by that I mean the president who should get a 2nd look - that historically may not be a high ranking president but who should be appreciated more. 

Some of you are fairly young and don't have the personal history of some of the older posters- you may need to look back as a student of history.  Our opinions / rankings may come from and through totally different filters.  It will be interesting to hear your perspectives.  

 
I've been alive since '89, I won't count Bush Sr. because I know nothing about him.

In terms of coolness, it goes

Obama

Clinton

Biden

W Bush

Trump

In terms of quality of job done

Clinton

Obama

Biden

W Bush

Trump

 
My votes: 

Most Consequential - this is so very hard for someone who has lived through all of the listed presidents.  Most of you who know me via my posts would probably think I would mark Reagan - he and Eisenhower are my top 3.  But I put Johnson -  Johnson was perhaps after Trump my most disliked president but unlike Trump, he had an substantial impact on America for years to come (assuming there is no 2nd Trump term).  With Johnson we get the real good - civil rights laws, safety nets for the poor and other social programs that were needed. We also get the bad - escalation of Vietnam War, riots in American cities.  His impact was felt in both the election of Nixon (short term reaction to Vietnam) and the election of Reagan (long term reaction to the growing political class and size of govt.).  Vietnam remains a scar in the American mind even to this day.  

Highest Rank - Eisenhower - hands down.  His measure response to Korea, Communist aggression and Soviet military expansion literally kept us out of WW3.  He pushed for and got the Interstate Highway System  based on his experience in WW2 - this transformed America.  He pushed for Civil Rights Laws and was hugely popular during his time in office.  America remained in peace while there were several opportunities for more trigger happy guys to start a war - but he didn't go that route. 

Favorite:  Reagan - We needed his personality after Carter.  We needed also his fortitude to stand against Soviet expansion at that time.  We also needed his efforts to expand the economy after the Carter malaise.   Regardless of where he may have failed in other areas (social programs), he met the greatest challenges of his day. 

Under Appreciated:  It pains me to say this as I didn't care for him while he was president but it has to be Clinton.  He knew when to compromise wt congress to get a balanced budget (the last one we've had),  he kept us out of a major war, and the economy was pretty good during his term in office.  With all of his personal shortcomings - he had a good team that managed well and he recognized that the era of big government was over and moderation was needed.   Yes, he had the benefit of the 'peace dividend' that was secured by the Reagan/Bush foreign policy but he didn't 'blow it'.  

 
Lorewarn said:
I've been alive since '89, I won't count Bush Sr. because I know nothing about him.

In terms of coolness, it goes

Obama

Clinton

Biden

W Bush

Trump

In terms of quality of job done

Clinton

Obama

Biden

W Bush

Trump
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If you could look back into history - would you change the above any?

 
Consequential is a difficult term to wrap ones head around, because it can both be framed as a positive or a negative. Johnson got passed and signed the Civil Rights Act of '63, one of the most consequential pieces of legislation in our country's history, but Vietnam ruined his presidency and all the positives his Great Society brought. Reagan was a steady hand after the political and economic turmoil of the 70s, but his reformation of the economy, tax code and unification of religious political entities and the Republican party is immensely consequential, given our current political climate. Clinton oversaw the last real economic boom we've had, and W. got us involved in virtually a second Vietnam. 

My answers: 

- Johnson

- Eisenhower

- Obama

- Johnson

 
Last edited by a moderator:
TGHusker said:
My votes: 

Most Consequential - this is so very hard for someone who has lived through all of the listed presidents.  Most of you who know me via my posts would probably think I would mark Reagan - he and Eisenhower are my top 3.  But I put Johnson -  Johnson was perhaps after Trump my most disliked president but unlike Trump, he had an substantial impact on America for years to come (assuming there is no 2nd Trump term).  With Johnson we get the real good - civil rights laws, safety nets for the poor and other social programs that were needed. We also get the bad - escalation of Vietnam War, riots in American cities.  His impact was felt in both the election of Nixon (short term reaction to Vietnam) and the election of Reagan (long term reaction to the growing political class and size of govt.).  Vietnam remains a scar in the American mind even to this day.  

Highest Rank - Eisenhower - hands down.  His measure response to Korea, Communist aggression and Soviet military expansion literally kept us out of WW3.  He pushed for and got the Interstate Highway System  based on his experience in WW2 - this transformed America.  He pushed for Civil Rights Laws and was hugely popular during his time in office.  America remained in peace while there were several opportunities for more trigger happy guys to start a war - but he didn't go that route. 

Favorite:  Reagan - We needed his personality after Carter.  We needed also his fortitude to stand against Soviet expansion at that time.  We also needed his efforts to expand the economy after the Carter malaise.   Regardless of where he may have failed in other areas (social programs), he met the greatest challenges of his day. 

Under Appreciated:  It pains me to say this as I didn't care for him while he was president but it has to be Clinton.  He knew when to compromise wt congress to get a balanced budget (the last one we've had),  he kept us out of a major war, and the economy was pretty good during his term in office.  With all of his personal shortcomings - he had a good team that managed well and he recognized that the era of big government was over and moderation was needed.   Yes, he had the benefit of the 'peace dividend' that was secured by the Reagan/Bush foreign policy but he didn't 'blow it'.  
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Yeah, Billy C is really one of those Presidents that doesn't seem to get as much appreciation as he should.  Maybe it is the cheating or maybe it is that his wife is just an unlikeable human but Bill was a boss.

 
teachercd said:
Yeah, Billy C is really one of those Presidents that doesn't seem to get as much appreciation as he should.  Maybe it is the cheating or maybe it is that his wife is just an unlikeable human but Bill was a boss.
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His character,  which at the time mattered to the FVP (Family Values Party) but no longer holds true - but I digress - is the big issue with the impeachment sting and his wife being who she is didn't help. 

 
These actually aren’t easy questions. I counted out Eisenhower and Kennedy. I wasn’t alive during Ike and JFK was shot just a few months after I was born.

Most consequential I went with LBJ due to civil rights and the great society on the plus side and Vietnam on the negative. Could’ve also gone with Trump due to his destruction of our politics. He may very well end up being the most consequential if s#!t doesn’t straighten out once he’s gone.

Historically highest I really didn’t want to pick any but the poll forced me to.

Favorite was another tough one. Kinda like picking your favorite smelling fart. I went with Reagan mostly because I liked his demeanor even if some of his policies have proven problematic in hindsight.

Under appreciated I went with GW, much to the consternation of many on this board I’m sure. I still think he handled the s#!t sandwich he was served about as well as he could’ve. I’ll just overlook his handling of the economy (as he also did) and the slightly misguided foray into Iraq. They may have fudged the facts about WMDs in Iraq but regardless, the world is a better place without Hussein. Billy C was a close second here. I pretty much hated him at the time but things were decent with the economy.

 
JJ Husker said:
These actually aren’t easy questions. I counted out Eisenhower and Kennedy. I wasn’t alive during Ike and JFK was shot just a few months after I was born.

Most consequential I went with LBJ due to civil rights and the great society on the plus side and Vietnam on the negative. Could’ve also gone with Trump due to his destruction of our politics. He may very well end up being the most consequential if s#!t doesn’t straighten out once he’s gone.

Historically highest I really didn’t want to pick any but the poll forced me to.

Favorite was another tough one. Kinda like picking your favorite smelling fart. I went with Reagan mostly because I liked his demeanor even if some of his policies have proven problematic in hindsight.

Under appreciated I went with GW, much to the consternation of many on this board I’m sure. I still think he handled the s#!t sandwich he was served about as well as he could’ve. I’ll just overlook his handling of the economy (as he also did) and the slightly misguided foray into Iraq. They may have fudged the facts about WMDs in Iraq but regardless, the world is a better place without Hussein. Billy C was a close second here. I pretty much hated him at the time but things were decent with the economy.
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Do you have an alibi? 

 
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