Presidential Power Rankings

[NorthSideSox72]

So, I was born in 1972, shortly after that year's election. So looking at US Presidents in my lifetime, I thought it would be fun to put together a "Power Rankings" list of who I think the best to worst Presidents have been, overall, in that period. And see what others think.

 

Here is my list, best to worst. IMPORTANT TO NOTE: You really need some time after they leave office to have a full picture, so for Obama and even to an extent Bush 43, these rankings could change in the next few years...

 

Bush 41

Clinton

Obama

Reagan

Ford

Bush 43

Carter

Nixon

 

Come at me.

 

[RockRaines]

I watched a documentary on the White House last night on WTTW (it was awesome BTW). And we got into a similar discussion except around First Ladies. The reason being it is sometimes forgotten that we've had some presidents that were morons, but First Ladies are all over the board. It was an overwhelming majority that agreed melania will be the worst though.

[GoSox05]

1900ish to now.

 

FDR

Eisenhower

Obama

Carter

JFK

Truman

LBJ

Clinton

Ford

Bush 41

Bush 43

Nixon

Reagan

Edited December 21, 2016 by GoSox05

[bmags]

Ford pardoning Nixon and entering a norm that US executives were essentially above law and any criminal activity would be politicization was among the worst actions of the 20th century. He also did not do anything of note as a president. He did something nice with the Handicapped Children act but his response to rising inflation and a declining economy was largely urging private citizens to solve the problem.

 

He was not good. Carter while dealing with many more foreign problems at least has a litany of sound and good domestic policy achievements that are taken for granted now but not enough to elevate him above the serious matters he could not tackle.

[GoSox05]

I just don't think Ford was around long enough to do anything too stupid. Besides letting Nixon off the hook.

 

Nixon should have faced war crimes for his bombing of Cambodia and Laos.

[Brian]

In my life time.

 

Clinton

Obama

Bush 41

Reagan

Bush 43

 

I can only really judge the last 3. Too young for RR and Bush 41.

 

Looking back, I feel the 80s could've been so easy but in retrospect started the WallStreet power surge. The Oliver North stuff makes RR look bad, along with ignoring the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

[NorthSideSox72]

I just don't think Ford was around long enough to do anything too stupid. Besides letting Nixon off the hook.

 

Nixon should have faced war crimes for his bombing of Cambodia and Laos.

 

Ford had a bunch of ideas on fixing the economy, virtually all of which made things substantially worse.

 

[bmags]

Ford had a bunch of ideas on fixing the economy, virtually all of which made things substantially worse.

 

His idea to kick inflation and a declining economy was to tell people not to spend. I mean.

[NorthSideSox72]

His idea to kick inflation and a declining economy was to tell people not to spend. I mean.

That was just one. And even with that, he kept pushing increases in government spending programs, while tamping down on consumer spending. It was idiotic.

 

[bmags]

That was just one. And even with that, he kept pushing increases in government spending programs, while tamping down on consumer spending. It was idiotic.

 

So curious then what Carter did that was so much worse?

[NorthSideSox72]

So curious then what Carter did that was so much worse?

For me, an inability to handle foreign policy is far more key than economic concerns. The President, especially today, has limited control over the economy. But he or she has massive control over foreign policy and military aspects. The risk of something going irreparably wrong is also higher on that end. And frankly, Carter was just not capable of handling things well in that sphere. Not just the whole Iran rescue debacle either - he just didn't do foreign policy effectively in my view.

 

All the more reason Trump is so frightening, by the way. Someone needs to get that guy off Twitter, for all of our sakes, including his.

 

[pettie4sox]

Did anyone find out if he's actually tweeting or is it a staffer?

[Balta1701]

Did anyone find out if he's actually tweeting or is it a staffer?

Back during the campaign, all of the lunatic and white supremacist supporting tweets came from an Android while anything that was professional was coming from an iPhone. Basically he's got an Android and someone else on his staff has an iPhone.

[CrimsonWeltall]

Back during the campaign, all of the lunatic and white supremacist supporting tweets came from an Android while anything that was professional was coming from an iPhone. Basically he's got an Android and someone else on his staff has an iPhone.

 

The recent "unpresidented" tweet was Android, while the correction was made on an iPhone.

[brett05]

Being one of the few conservatives that post here, my order.

 

Reagan

Bush 43

Bush 41

Carter

Obama

Clinton

[GoSox05]

For me, an inability to handle foreign policy is far more key than economic concerns. The President, especially today, has limited control over the economy. But he or she has massive control over foreign policy and military aspects. The risk of something going irreparably wrong is also higher on that end. And frankly, Carter was just not capable of handling things well in that sphere. Not just the whole Iran rescue debacle either - he just didn't do foreign policy effectively in my view.

 

All the more reason Trump is so frightening, by the way. Someone needs to get that guy off Twitter, for all of our sakes, including his.

 

Which one of Reagan's foreign policies was your favorite?

 

Support for apartheid government in South Africa.

 

His support to Rios Montt and genocide in Guatemala.

 

Backing Contra terrorists in Nicaragua from money they made illegally selling arms to Iran.

 

 

 

Carter could have never pulled off such amazing things.

[caulfield12]

Being one of the few conservatives that post here, my order.

 

Reagan

Bush 43

Bush 41

Carter

Obama

Clinton

 

I'm assuming you are counting his (Carter's) post-presidential philanthropy...because no other way he finishes above Clinton and Obama.

 

Bush 43 over 41.....how/why?

[lasttriptotulsa]

Being one of the few conservatives that post here, my order.

 

Reagan

Bush 43

Bush 41

Carter

Obama

Clinton

 

You have to be trolling at this point right? Democrat or Republican there is no way anybody could honestly rank G.W. Bush and Carter over Obama and Clinton.

[knightni]

I've been a Republican, a Democrat, and an independent.

 

In my life, I'd list presidents in this order by accomplishment:

 

Clinton

Reagan

Nixon

Obama

W

Carter

Bush Sr.

Ford

 

 

[NorthSideSox72]

I can't fathom why people have Bush 43 over Bush 41. Nonsensical in my eyes, no matter your political slant. Can someone explain it to me?

 

[NorthSideSox72]

Let's look at some Bush 43 leadership moments. Not policy stuff like NCLB or economic or environmental or infrastructure initiatives, or privacy related policy, but truly executive performance in response to crises and desperate needs...

 

Positives:

--After a few hours of unsteadiness, once he got his feet under him, he handled the first few weeks and months after 9/11 quite well.

 

Negatives:

--Started an illegal and clearly unfounded war that killed 6,000 Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and others and cost a TRILLION dollars, while spending much of the nation's political capital for a LESS stable environment in the end and no discernable gain.

--Allowed Afghanistan to wallow in failure when he took so many troops and so much money out of it for the above.

--Stumbled through a failed response to Katrina, and the days and weeks and months after.

--Failed to recognize the signs of the debt bubble and OTC markets that ballooned during this tenure, resulting in the Great Recession

 

Again, not talking policy points that tend to be partisan here. Looking at stuff that is leadership and non-partisan. He was, overall, a pretty epic failure on most of his responses to major threats to the country, internal and external.

 

I sort of like Bush on a personal level. Would love to have a beer with him. But he was a poor executive who allowed members of his inner circle to steer him into disasters, and he was never strong enough to push back.

 

[bmags]

Let's look at some Bush 43 leadership moments. Not policy stuff like NCLB or economic or environmental or infrastructure initiatives, or privacy related policy, but truly executive performance in response to crises and desperate needs...

 

Positives:

--After a few hours of unsteadiness, once he got his feet under him, he handled the first few weeks and months after 9/11 quite well.

 

Negatives:

--Started an illegal and clearly unfounded war that killed 6,000 Americans and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and others and cost a TRILLION dollars, while spending much of the nation's political capital for a LESS stable environment in the end and no discernable gain.

--Allowed Afghanistan to wallow in failure when he took so many troops and so much money out of it for the above.

--Stumbled through a failed response to Katrina, and the days and weeks and months after.

--Failed to recognize the signs of the debt bubble and OTC markets that ballooned during this tenure, resulting in the Great Recession

 

Again, not talking policy points that tend to be partisan here. Looking at stuff that is leadership and non-partisan. He was, overall, a pretty epic failure on most of his responses to major threats to the country, internal and external.

 

I sort of like Bush on a personal level. Would love to have a beer with him. But he was a poor executive who allowed members of his inner circle to steer him into disasters, and he was never strong enough to push back.

 

As an executive he had lots of incompetent administrators that he let run wild until he set some of them right in 06.

 

Also - the AG scandal where he removed attorneys for refusing to pursue baseless cases on voter fraud, which was just to serve the purpose of voter suppression.

[RockRaines]

Bush 43 is one of the all time worst. Just awful.

[Texsox]

Clinton

Obama

Bush 41

Bush 43

Carter

Reagan

Ford

Nixon

 

Looking over the list, makes me feel better about Trump. I could even name a few things about Nixon's terms that were beneficial.

 

Reagan help restore credibility and confidence to the office of President, which was so important when he took office. His low taxes and high spending set a dangerous trend that I would argue is the most long lasting damage any one of these presidents has done.