1 On Feb 19, 08:33 pm, Mom of Three wrote:

Well, shoot. Because the one we have now has run us into a ditch that I am not sure we can ever get out of.

I don’t remember THAT many presidents, but I have to say I admire Jimmy Carter to this day. I don’t think he was cutthroat enough or lied enough to be an effective leader of that pack of wolves. But I admire him as a human being and he is very wise when it comes to foreign policy.

History has shown that Lincoln, Truman and FDR remain the most admired and, of course, George Washington. The deeds of these men are well-known, so I’d have to concur.

James Buchanan’s presidency was seen as pretty awful, considering that, though he morally opposed slavery, he also believed that the Constitution supported the continuation of slavery in states where it existed. By the time Lincoln took over, the South was on its way to succession, and Fort Sumter would erupt soon. Franklin Pierce saw his presidency also suffered from trying to juggle the slavery issue.

3 On Feb 20, 07:01 am, Walter Richards wrote:

I don’t think you can judge it in terms of scandals. Almost every Presidency had it’s own scandals, that may seem small to us but were big to their time. I think you have to judge them on the basis of how they affected where the gov’t stands within the Constitution.

Washington was the best, by far. He, IIRC, was the one that convinced the rest of the Founders not to have a “President for life”. And he was the first politician to step down after a self-imposed term limit.

Lincoln was the worst, as he destroyed the Republic and gave us a Union. (And he didn’t care a whit about the slavery issue, per his own words.)

FDR, who gave us the socialist welfare state, is a close second to Lincoln. He enslaved the entire country in the name of “compassion”, basically.

5 On Feb 21, 06:35 am, Auntie L wrote:

I am with MO3 – Love Jimmy C. A marshmallow with a heart, who had a real family,... he didn’t lie, was good with the foreign relations and he has actually done other stuff after his ‘presidential life’ that we should all strive for – helping others less fortunate than ourselves. Or giving in any way!

TH, I know you told us not to, but I have to. Wasn’t a fan of “Shrub the Elder” and …...just when you didn’t think it was possible, (the saying goes about the apple (or the turd as my daddy always said) not falling far from the tree.) “Son of Shrub” has been our worst nightmare.

7 On Feb 21, 09:58 am, Pierce wrote:

True enough Jimmy Carter was not to blame for the misery index and he provided leadership in a time of energy crisis. He is a great negotiator and spelendid example of what an American President is. Too many it seems are hung up on the “Comander and Chief” thing.

9 On Feb 22, 05:28 pm, Pierce wrote:

Gotta part company with you on at least part of this post Walter. There are a passel of toads out there constantly attempting to rewrite history. Too often they get away with it. The Iranian hostage deal is a perfect example. Sure it was investigated, but its all just smoke and mirrors. Count me among those who who are highly skeptical of the CIA and erstwhile director George H W Bush’s role in that sordid affair. Others may need to wait at least 10 years after his death to determine the big picture on him and W too but it’s been crystal clear for me and many others for a long time.

11 On Feb 23, 07:54 am, Walter Richards wrote:

Partly right, Tryan. But they are more likely to read ALL sides, rather than just one – as people who were/are directly affected tend to do. And the farther out from the Presidency such looking takes, the more likely previously unavailable information (Presidential papers, “confidential” reports, etc) will be available. They can also better look at trended information (IE; economic figures) and get a more accurate picture, than someone just looking at the figures for that particular administration.