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The Results Are In: Best GOP President of the 20th Century?
Yesterday, I set up a poll asking Ricochetti for their favorite Republican president of the 20th Century. We have now hit the 24-hour deadline and here are the results:
The top three:
- Reagan
- Coolidge
- Eisenhower
The bottom three:
- Taft
- Harding
- Ford
As for me and my house, we stood for Coolidge (I named my dog after him!) but Reagan is a close second.
Thanks for participating!
Published in Politics
I think Ford deserved to be higher. The dude was given about the worst hand to play and he played it well.
I voted for Ford, but the election official compared My signature to My registration on file and deemed My vote null and void.
Nah, just kidding. We live in a Banana Republic. Reagan’s minions assured His victory.
It’s interesting that Teddy Roosevelt doesn’t rate better. Not that I voted for him, but it’s interesting.
He was quite a character, but hasn’t made much of an impression. I wonder if it was the splitting of the party, or if it’s something else.
Agree with Reagan in the top spot.
But Bush over Teddy, and Hoover being tied with him is an abomination. There’s a reason he’s on Mt. Rushmore, and the fact that modern history doesn’t appreciate that and instead likes to besmirch him as an imperialist is repulsive.
Ford played a very, very poor hand very, very well. A good and decent man who was the right fit for 1974. RIP
TR’s vast egomania disqualifies him- his vanity directly led to the election of Wilson. Ford deserves better- a decent man stuck in an untenable situation.
TR was also a big government guy.
Also a Coolidge fan. Especially after seeing the cool presidential memorial for him in N.H. But Reagan faced much bigger challenges – inflation, Soviet Union, etc. Promoting small government is great, which is why most of us are here, but how do you do that in 1981 given the circumstances?
If TR was a Democrat, I have a feeling he wouldn’t be liked that much around here. Outside of some minor differences, I find all early 20th century progressives to be pretty much the same.
I see a few comments on who is in third or fourth place. Such chatter is useless. The poll structure makes down-ballot analysis meaningless.
Eisenhower, for example, is not the third-favorite president. He is the favorite among the select group of people who don’t like Reagan or Coolidge.
Taft wasn’t the best, but he was definitely the biggest!
I struggle with Teddy Roosevelt. Hard guy for me to like. Not just because of the eugenics stuff. I read a biography of him (TR) which was written in a very positive light, but left me with a very negative view of him. But that’s just me.
He’s on Mount Rushmore because he was personally selected by the sculptor, who admired him for helping start National Parks, and playing a role in the construction of the Panama Canal. Also, Coolidge demanded another Republican be included besides Lincoln.
Roosevelt did some good things, but it’s hard for me to compare him to the other presidents on Mt. Rushmore.
2:12 (and NSFW warning)
Several years ago I read Donald Rumsfeld’s autobiography. I don’t really remember a lot of it, but I recall that he very much admired the job that Gerald Ford did.