The Best and Worst Presidents
This poll from PPP, a Democratic outfit but one with a pretty solid record, asks voters of their opinions of all the presidents. They rate Washington, Lincoln, and Jefferson as their favorites, and Nixon, LBJ, and Harding as the worst.
89% of voters see George Washington favorably, and only 3% unfavorably, followed in
the top ten by Abraham Lincoln (85-7), Thomas Jefferson (74-6), Teddy Roosevelt (66-
9), John Adams (55-9), Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower (each 62-11), John F.
Kennedy (70-21), John Quincy Adams (52-7), and Franklin D. Roosevelt (62-22).
Ronald Reagan is 14th most popular (62-30), Gerald Ford 16th (49-28), Bill Clinton 17th
(54-38), George H.W. Bush 19th (51-42), and Jimmy Carter tied for 29th (44-44).The least popular by far is Richard Nixon (27-59), followed by ten others in negative
territory: Lyndon B. Johnson (34-42), Warren Harding (12-19), Millard Fillmore (7-12),
Herbert Hoover (25-29), Calvin Coolidge (18-22), Barack Obama (46-49), Chester
Arthur (10-13), Martin Van Buren (13-15), James Buchanan (11-13), and George W.
Bush (45-46). 54% (James Monroe) to 84% of voters (Franklin Pierce) have no opinion
of 20 of the 43 presidents, mostly 19th- and early-20th-century commanders-in-chief.
Only eight have “not sure” figures in the single digits, led by the current head of state.
I rather think that Calvin Coolidge would like the fact that most Americans have no opinion of him.
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Comments:
Mar '11
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
That's obviously not a Democrat-skewed list, or Washington and Adams would be much lower, and FDR and JFK would be much higher.
Jun '10
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
Those interested in this subject should read The Leaders We Deserved by Alvin Felzenberg, who analyzed each president (except Bush II--who was still in office--William Henry Harrison, and James Garfield--because of the shortness of their terms). He looked at six factors: (1) character, (2) vision, (3) competence, (4) economic policy, (5) preserving and extending liberty, and (6) defense, national security, and foreign policy.
He rates each president under each category (and tells you why). His analysis (as opposed to polls of common citizens or liberal history professors) is transparent.
He provides an overall score by combining the ratings. Under his analysis, the top ten are (1) Lincoln, (2) Washington, (3 tie) Teddy Roosevelt and Reagan, (5) Ike, (6) FDR, (7 tie) Taylor, Grant, McKinley, Truman, Kennedy. Silent Cal comes in at no. 12.
The worst ten (beginning with the worst): Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Pierce, Nixon, Hoover, Tyler, Fillmore, Van Buren, Carter, and Hayes.
Surprises: Grant comes out much better than one would suppose, and Harding not so bad. Silent Cal is given his due as well. Jefferson is middle of the pack.
It's a fascinating read.
Edited on February 17, 2012 at 7:59pmMar '11
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
When reached, former President Coolidge had no comment.
May '11
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
James K. Polk deserves to be mentioned. He completed Americas' manifest destiny. He acquired more land than any other president. Only a one term president but it was a productive term.
Jul '10
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
Totally agree. If a list was compiled with the question, "which president best fulfilled his campaign promises?", Polk would rank first.
The problem with all these polls is that it supposes that modern Progressive views of "power of executive" should apply to Franklin Pierce or Millard Fillmore, either of whom would probably horsewhip anyone who suggested the President should have such powers. Calvin Coolidge would indeed be proud to be so far down on such polls; they show that he succeeded in his goals. Or, as H.L. Mencken observed: "Counting out Harding as a cipher only, Dr. Coolidge was preceded by one World Saver and followed by two more. What enlightened American, having to choose between any of them and another Coolidge, would hesitate for an instant? There were no thrills while he reigned, but neither were there any headaches. He had no ideas, and he was not a nuisance." I would say that he had ideas, but they were geared towards modesty in the executive.
Feb '12
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
Percival
When reached, former President Coolidge had no comment. · 46 minutes ago
Heh.
Seriously, Coolidge's popularity, high throughout his presidency, remained high for decades after his death, until Schlesinger and other revisionist historians of the 60's successfully persuaded the nation to believe that Wilson was great but tragic; the Republican presidents of the 20's were all willing servants of the "robber barons" and brought on the Great Depression; and FDR was a great and heroic. (See Thomas Silver's short work, "Calvin Coolidge and the Historians," an excerpt of which is available here.) Without Schlesinger and the others, whose doctrine became orthodox in "public" school textbooks, Coolidge might still be well remembered and regarded.
Jan '11
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
Interesting, but not terribly surprising, that Obama's negatives are greater (net. minus three) than those of George W. Bush (net. minus one). Just saying. Also interesting that anyone would hate on Fillmore - I thought I was pretty well read in American history, but I had to make a stop at Wikipedia before writing this comment.
Mar '11
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
Hey Ben... how about a Ricochet poll on best presidents... ranked by Ricochet members, best to worst? I'd do it myself, but I think something like that deserves front page status.
Mar '11
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
Not only was Silent Cal an excellent president, he gave his name to a scientific phenomenon.
Mar '11
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
I'll wager that the average poll respondent couldn't even name 10 former US presidents.
Jul '10
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
Will We ever have another President with facial hair?
Apr '11
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
Indeed. I find it amusing that the "average person" contacted by a pollster is expected to have an informed opinion on the presidency of Warren Harding or Chester A. Arthur.
Jul '11
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
I do not understand why so many rate Abraham Lincoln so high. The man presided over the country breaking up and being plunged into a civil war that killed roughly 750,000 of his fellow citizens and fundamentally changed the nature of the relationship between the federal government and the states.
Jun '10
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
Your comment assumes that Lincoln caused the Civil War, a premise I'd like to see you defend. But apparently your major reason for dislike is the apparent claim that Lincoln is somehow the father of big government federalism. Take a look at this article by Allen Guelzo (one of Lincoln's greatest biographers) at the Heritage Foundation website. His concluding words:
Apr '11
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
Fillmore ran for president again as Know-nothing in the 1850s, so that's one mark against him.
But I think in modern times "Millard Fillmore" has become humorous shorthand for "random president," so people may have responded to that.
I still can't get over the absurdity of a pollster calling someone up and rattling off the names of 44 - many now obscure - historical figures. People will just respond with whatever fleeting impression they have.
Does anyone think John Quincy Adams rated so high because 21st century soccer mom's are smitten with his support for canal subsidies and the national bank - or even his later legal defense of the Amistad slaves? No, they think he's his father.
That said, I'm not surprised that 18-35 year old college educated males overwhelmingly support Chester A. Arthur's positions on civil service reform.
Jul '11
Re: The Best and Worst Presidents
I never said he caused the civil war or that he was the father of big government. I said that I do not know why people rate him so high considering he failed to keep the peace. Other countries dealt with the slavery issue without a bloody civil war. This was a failure of his leadership. Also before the civil war the states sort of viewed themselves as a loose group of equal sovereigns. The civil war made the point that this was not true and that the federal government ruled supreme. Any state that did not accept the federal government's authority would have war waged upon it. Lincoln's greatness seems to lie in the fact that he managed to beat half his country into submission while killing 750,000 of its citizens. This is not something we typically give high marks for when it happens in other nations.