History, Media Criticism, Political Commentary

Worst Presidents

16 Comments

Obama was bad, but yes, these were probably all worse. The best thing about Obama was that he gave (finally) us an election that will allow us to undo a lot of his damage (though he should have lost in 2012). But what the kids’ opinions about good and bad presidents really speaks to is how ignorant of history they are, thanks to government schools and teachers’ unions.

16 thoughts on “Worst Presidents”

  2. When these lists and surveys come out, my first question is: “What is the ideological bias of the people rating the presidents?” I once heard Murray Rothbard call Martin van Buren the greatest president in terms of promoting liberty. Few historians would concur; but then in my experience most academics are “liberals” (i.e, “tax-happy, coercion-addicted, power-tripping State-shtuppers”). They, of course, are going to rate most highly those presidents who advanced the power of the State.

  3. I realize this opinion likely will make me quite the outlier, but I consider Lincoln to be one of the worst ever simply because he suspended habeas corpus, which enabled subsequent Presidents to defy the constitution and refer back to his precedent because the ends justify the means.

  4. Even so, Americans should think about these eight horrible presidents before saying Trump or Obama is the worst.

    I read the list and Obama fits right in.

  5. Love the first comment of the article and really no strong pushback. It may of been 40 years later than the Lefty like to point to but the Party of Lincoln had finally succumbed to the southern Strategy and becoming supported by People who would support the Party of the Confederate South unfortunately. Though PJM author clearly is ignorant of his readership/commenters though.

    Now the PJM has clearly a slant but shocked JFK, Teddy Roosevelt are not on the list. Teddy as one of the least terrible but should of have mention with the slant of the list.

    Now minus the Slant, FDR probably should be less terrible, Grant, and Jackson should be on the list, and think you have to have another pre depression president than Hoover.

    1. Well slightly misread the comment missed the first reply and saw the 4 upvotes and got sucked into the Wilson hate. But still kinda a good give and take of “War of Northern Aggression” people and pro Lincoln.

  6. Such claims about about “best” presidents and “worst” presidents really bothers me.

    Every person who has served was a product of their time and every person served as an expression of the popular will, according to the process established and amended in the Constitution. These polls of so-called historians on this matter trivializes history.

    1. I agree, to some degree. But we are still allowed to judge them, even within the contest of their times. Woodrow Wilson was, without a doubt, our first fascist president. If Teddy had been president again, he probably would have been as well.

    2. I agree with trivialization, but my point on the ignorance (maybe Rand’s point too, don’t really know) is that too many only judge the Presidents they know, rather than even studying the others.

  7. As I’ve observed elsewhere, I’m surprised Nixon isn’t on the list, given his domestic agenda was arguably as liberal as LBJ’s, if not more so.

    “Dick” doesn’t get the love he should from Democrats, given his track record from school busing to creation of the EPA.

    1. And let us not forget that Nixon ended both the draft and the ban on private ownership of gold. Score two for liberty!

    2. I’m not surprised Nixon isn’t on the list, given that the introductory paragraphs state clearly that this is a list of “the 8 worst presidents before Nixon”.

      You did read the introductory paragraphs, no?

  9. There is an inflationary aspect. In relative terms, Obama may not be the worst. But, in gross measure of harm, he probably is.

Comments are closed.