Who Is the Worst U.S. President of the Modern Era?

[flyhi 24]

Many won't remember some at the beginning of the list (those of us who do, hate you, by the way), but I put them there just in case. Personally, I think the choice is between just two, but I may be surprised.

Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics.

[airdvr 200]

Jimmy was a profundly good man...and a profoundly bad President.

My #2 would have to be W. I think he had good intentions but somewhere along the way things went into the crapper.

Please don't dent the planet.

Destinations by Roxanne

[Rookie120 0]

Hollywood????? What are you doing here in the SC? No get back to the Bonfire and post worthless dribble where you belong!

If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck!

[normiss 622]

We have such a short sighted view of "modern" history.

Not including the Treaty of Versailles - Warren G. Harding?

[mamajumps 0]

It baffles me how many people think the current Bush is the worst. He was handed a pile of shit (created by former presidents) and expected to make it smell like roses. The damage was already done.

If clinton had spent less time banging his interns & closing US military bases and instead paid attention to the acts of terrorism (USS Cole), I really believe that 9/11 could have been averted if not avoided all together.

In the beginning of his first term, Bush had to deal with 9/11 and I think he did a damn good job and still is.

If Bush truly was that bad, he would have been impeached.... funny that piece of shit clinton, nearly was....

[ErricoMalatesta 0]

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It baffles me how many people think the current Bush is the worst. He was handed a pile of shit (created by former presidents) and expected to make it smell like roses. The damage was already done.

If clinton had spent less time banging his interns & closing US military bases and instead paid attention to the acts of terrorism (USS Cole), I really believe that 9/11 could have been averted if not avoided all together.

In the beginning of his first term, Bush had to deal with 9/11 and I think he did a damn good job and still is.

If Bush truly was that bad, he would have been impeached.... funny that piece of shit clinton, nearly was....

Yeah invading other countries under pre-texts of terrorism and then murdering all their children - what a good job.

[ErricoMalatesta 0]

What is the criteria for worst US President? They'd all be dead if international law actually applied so that doesn't narrow it down.

I will go with.... Reagan

[Ion01 1]

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Yeah invading other countries under pre-texts of terrorism and then murdering all their children - what a good job.

It is truely amazing how quickly people have forgotten all the weapons and chemical weapons found in Iraq which the UN inspectors, under the clinton era, had tried so hard to find, the celebration of the people of iraq when the soldiers freed them from Saddam, all the people that Saddam tortured and killed, when Saddam used chemical weapons on his own people, all the humanitarian work the military has done for the people and children there, the continuous terrorist attacks on the people of iraq, and the iraq terrorist training camps. All these things are very recent history yet people continue to forget or ignore them. It is truely sad.

[billvon 2,433]

Your one warning.

[Bill_K 0]

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If Bush truly was that bad, he would have been impeached.... funny that piece of shit clinton, nearly was....

Clinton was impeached. Dec 19th, 1998. The Senate then over turned it in Feb of the next year, but history books will show that he was indeed impeached.

[JohnnyD 0]

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In the beginning of his first term, Bush had to deal with 9/11 and I think he did a damn good job and still is.

"..Terror is bigger than one person..So I don't know where [Bin Laden] is..You know, I just don't spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you. ...I'll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him."

* March 13, 2002 Press Conference at the The James S. Brady Briefing Room


- Yeah, he actually said that. I guess people will see and hear what they want to regardless of the facts.

[jloirsdaan 0]

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It baffles me how many people think the current Bush is the worst. He was handed a pile of shit (created by former presidents) and expected to make it smell like roses. The damage was already done.

If clinton had spent less time banging his interns & closing US military bases and instead paid attention to the acts of terrorism (USS Cole), I really believe that 9/11 could have been averted if not avoided all together.

In the beginning of his first term, Bush had to deal with 9/11 and I think he did a damn good job and still is.

If Bush truly was that bad, he would have been impeached.... funny that piece of shit clinton, nearly was....

For the second time in two days....

The far right has such a interesting view of the world.

Jordan

Go Fast, Dock Soft.

[brokenwing 1]

you did not have an option of

all of the above

[mamajumps 0]

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It baffles me how many people think the current Bush is the worst. He was handed a pile of shit (created by former presidents) and expected to make it smell like roses. The damage was already done.

If clinton had spent less time banging his interns & closing US military bases and instead paid attention to the acts of terrorism (USS Cole), I really believe that 9/11 could have been averted if not avoided all together.

In the beginning of his first term, Bush had to deal with 9/11 and I think he did a damn good job and still is.

If Bush truly was that bad, he would have been impeached.... funny that piece of shit clinton, nearly was....

Yeah invading other countries under pre-texts of terrorism and then murdering all their children - what a good job.

Ummm what about all of the American children, husbands, wifes, moms, dads, brothers & sisters that those camel kissing allah worshipping towel heads took from us? There have been some unfortunate casulaties in this war. But at least its targeted and we are not hi-jacking airplanes and flying them into known places of innocent people. I served our country once and would do it again in a heartbeat!

[shropshire 0]

The current one, without a shadow of a doubt.

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Amazon 7]

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It baffles me how many people think the current Bush is the worst. He was handed a pile of shit (created by former presidents) and expected to make it smell like roses. The damage was already done.

If clinton had spent less time banging his interns & closing US military bases and instead paid attention to the acts of terrorism (USS Cole), I really believe that 9/11 could have been averted if not avoided all together.

In the beginning of his first term, Bush had to deal with 9/11 and I think he did a damn good job and still is.

If Bush truly was that bad, he would have been impeached.... funny that piece of shit clinton, nearly was....

Uh.. you seem to forget something.. got those right wing blinders set a little tight again dont you???

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/28/politics/28bush.html

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ANNAPOLIS, Md., May 27 - President Bush told nearly 1,000 graduates of the United States Naval Academy on Friday that the Pentagon's plan to close dozens of bases across the country was part of an effort to transform America's military and that the process, though hard on many local communities, would be fair.

And lets not forget the Shrubs Daddy( who has played such an integral role in the Shrubs life)

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE7DD1738F933A25754C0A967958260

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Bush Is Said to Approve Military Base Closings

Published: July 10, 1991
President Bush has decided to approve a Federal commission's recommendation to close 25 military installations and consolidate or reduce 48 others, Administration and commission officials said today.

I think you will find...IF you use all that education you are trumpeting.. that MANY of the base closings have been part of the "PEACE DIVIDEND" brought on by the end of the Cold WAR

As a former Cold Warrior myself.. I find it interesting that you who were not, would advocate wasting money on continuing the same expenditures that we made when we were that close to ending our civilization in a nuclear war. The war had ended.. we had many times the needed weapons even WITH the base closing to throw us back into a neo-dark ages.

Clinton was following thru on Bush 1's decisions.. and it was needed in my opinion. The military we fought the Soviets with... is not the military we need to fight THIS war...

What I find totally incongruent is how many service members who served in the military at the time... only see that rather myopic "CLINTON CLOSED THE BASES" lens.
Yes this hurt many of them financially.. BUT.. it was Bush the First that began the closings.. and it was REAGAN.. who won the war....yet they want to not realize that the war was over and they needed to get the hell out and be productive members of society in the civilian world.

They learned many skills while serving they got benefits to attend school... and after EVERY WAR IN HISTORY.. at some point those who survive.. have to go on with their lives in a brave new world.

[Carrapeta 0]

I'm pretty sure the terrorists wre linked to Al Quaida and I'm also fairly certain Iraq isn't in Afganastan. . .
But, What do I know. .

If your gonna be dumb ya gotta be tough.

Your mom goes HandHeld

[billvon 2,433]

>I'm pretty sure the terrorists wre linked to Al Quaida and I'm also fairly certain Iraq isn't in Afganastan. . .

sssshhhh, she's on a roll . . . .

[JohnnyD 0]

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Ummm what about all of the American children, husbands, wifes, moms, dads, brothers & sisters that those camel kissing allah worshipping towel heads took from us? There have been some unfortunate casulaties in this war. But at least its targeted and we are not hi-jacking airplanes and flying them into known places of innocent people. I served our country once and would do it again in a heartbeat!

Is this a troll job? rush? tuna?

[Andy9o8 0]

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>I'm pretty sure the terrorists wre linked to Al Quaida and I'm also fairly certain Iraq isn't in Afganastan. . .

sssshhhh, she's on a roll . . . .

Than how come that Talibani is in charge of Iraq? Huh?

[penniless 0]

Undoubtedly Reagan.

He popularized the absurd idea that we could live beyond our means forever and that greed is good.

That, as sure as night follows day, led to the current mess we are in.

[flyhi 24]

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No get back to the Bonfire and post worthless dribble where you belong!

Oh, that's right. That's where the skydivers hang out, isn't it?

Shit happens. And it usually happens because of physics.

[normiss 622]

So you wouldn't want to blame the same optimism on Hoover?
Not everyone is deserving of their chicken and car?

[Ion01 1]

When Reagan entered office the United States inflation rate stood at 11.83%[85] and unemployment at 7.5%.[86] Reagan implemented policies based on supply-side economics and advocated a laissez-faire philosophy,[87] seeking to stimulate the economy with large, across-the-board tax cuts.[88][89] Citing the economic theories of Arthur Laffer, Reagan promoted the proposed tax cuts as potentially stimulating the economy enough to expand the tax base, offsetting the revenue loss due to reduced rates of taxation, a theory that entered political discussion as the Laffer curve. Reaganomics was the subject of debate with supporters pointing to improvements in certain key economic indicators as evidence of success, and critics pointing to large increases in federal budget deficits and the national debt. His policy of "peace through strength" (also described as "firm but fair") resulted in a record peacetime defense buildup including a 40% real increase in defense spending between 1981 and 1985.[90]

During Reagan's presidency federal income tax rates were lowered significantly with the signing of the bipartisan Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981.[91] Real gross domestic product (GDP) growth recovered strongly after the 1982 recession and grew during his eight years in office at an annual rate of 3.4% per year.[92] Unemployment peaked at 10.8% percent in December 1982—higher than any time since the Great Depression then dropped during the rest of Reagan's presidency.[89] Sixteen million new jobs were created, while inflation significantly decreased.[93] The net effect of all Reagan-era tax bills was a 1% decrease in government revenues.[94] Reagan also revised the tax code with the bipartisan Tax Reform Act of 1986.[95]

[kelpdiver 2]

the economic indicators were about the same at the end of Reagan's first term as when he started. It wasn't until the second term that economy motored along, the 1987 crash notwithstanding. While his defenders would like to say this proved his policies eventually worked, the subsequent dropoff during Bush's term tends to discount this, and suggest it was just the cycle.

There are many criteria for picking the 'worst' of the these choices, though I don't see any resulting in Reagan.

Most criminal, contemptuous of the Constitution and the people - Nixon easily. (LBJ wasn't given as an option)

Most forgettable - probably Ford. How effective would we expect a 2 year unelected President? And so he was.

Worst fiscally - likely W. Biggest tax cut coupled with biggest spending increase.

Least effective - likely Carter. He got the worst hand, couldn't do anything with it. This is different from W who some would argue got a great hand and pissed it away, but this measure is in the ability to accomplish what he wants to, not what you want him to.

Worst polarizer - W and Clinton vie on this one. Since Clinton won his reelection easily, not in a near dead heat, W should win here.

Worst for the soldiers - lots of contenders here, depending on your choice of criteria.