Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Our Worst President

A while back we discussed in this space the rankings of Presidents. We did, right? I can't seem to find it.

I got to thinking about this again when reading the excellent speech digest of Hillsdale College, Imprimis. The September issue excerpts a speech by Amity Shlaes, whose new book, The Forgotten Man, remains on my list of to-reads.

Here's a link to a wikipedia page on Presidential rankings; some interesting information is available there. I had long thought that FDR didn't deserve his place of honor on those lists, given his employ of Soviet spies in his administration and his subsequent sell-out of Eastern Europe at the conclusion of WWII. His obvious hand in our slide into socialism and interest-group politics should settle the debate forever.

Except this: which Democrat President was the worst? FDR, the father of the Cold War, Carter, the father of Islamofascism, or Clinton, the father of, well, Who Knows How Many?

9 comments:

DR said...

Well, thank you for this post I have not had any major chest pains in the couple of hours. Those Presidential rankings are horrible. How can you put Madison after Kennedy? I have to agree with you on FDR being probably the worst or second worst President.

Sebosmile said...

Ooooooooooh! Hillsdale! 1) LOVE Imprimis and 2) God willing I'll be transfered there next fall. (I was accepted before but I didn't have enough money put aside to go.)

Funny that Clinton and G.W. Bush are ranked right after the other on a Wikipedia page... I would have thought a site like that would have put Bush in 42nd spot.

Also, poor Grant. (I've always felt slightly bad for the man that he was so much a better general then a president- considering the whole twist-of-fate-it-could-have-been-him-and-not-Lincoln-at-the-theater-that-night bit.)

JFK 12th???? :gags: What, he got points for dying before he could f*ck anything else up?

On the Clinton comment, however cleverly phrased... I've often wondered if the fact that the Clintons have only one child (heavily combined with the fact that none of Clinton's girlfriends have evidently given him children, plus a few stray Monica comments) might mean our "first black president" may have medical problems he'd rather not discuss, you know?

Michael Tams said...

DR,

I know it's almost overkill at this point, but like anything else, what should we expect when we let liberals vote? When you look at the sheer scope of damage done by the three I mentioned, it's mind-numbingly difficult to pick who is the worst. It's alomst like contemplating the vastness of the universe - I don't know that human understanding is equipped for such thinking.

Sebo,

See my comments above - stupid stuff happens when you let the lefties vote. Re: WJC... I just wish he and Hillary would go away already. Haven't we suffered enough?

-MT

Michael Tams said...

Sorry I meant "almost" - look, nobody's perfect, OK?

-MT

Sebosmile said...

Having attended an increasing left leaning public high school (in a conservative town, it's more then a bit odd, but my brother is still there so I can attest that it's happening) I would hazard a guess that more stupid stuff happens when you let lefties teach then when you let them vote.

Most of them can't remember to show up at the polls on the correct day, or something, right? Wasn't that part of the fuss after they lost the '04 election? (Because the words "Tuesday" and "November" are SO HARD to keep track of, and all...)

And seeing who's passing down this version of history...

BTW, that's ok MT, Pobody's Nerfect. ;) ;)

Michael Tams said...

Sebo, thanks for the comments. You're right about the indoctrination going on in schools. As we've all concurred, education is one part of Renewal, and that part is going to involve both adults and school age children and young adults. The halls of public schools won't be a welcome place for traditionalist or originalist philosophy (as I'd sum up succinctly, balanced government), but if we start with friendly channels first (homeschoolers, private schools), I think it will eventually be possible to make inroads in even the most insulated of leftist strongholds.

-MT

Anonymous said...

Wilson was the worst for intervening in WW1. Without the US there would have been a negotiated peace and we would have spared Hitler and WW2.

Michael Tams said...

Hey Anon,

Interesting take. I'm not as well versed in the Wilson admin. as I obviously should be. Thanks for the comments and for piquing my interest.

-MT

Anonymous said...

thanks for the link....

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