The Greatest U. S. Presidents of All Time?
The Greatest U. S. Presidents of All Time?
- 3.6K opinions shared on Society & Politics topic.
Unquestionably Abraham Lincoln. While the other Presidents on the list had defining accomplishments and are of undoubted historical importance, none was as decisive and significant as Lincoln, who not only saved the Union in its darkest hour, he defined its very nature.
Indeed, some years back a group of historians rated Lincoln and Churchill not just as great national leaders, but as the greatest leaders in all Western civilization. They earned the accolade - to be sure an accolade not without controversy - because they recurred to very wellsprings of Western civilization to define their statecraft and preserve their societies.
To some degree, this is an observation with a speculative cast. We can only imagine how the Western world would have looked had the United States not survived its civil war. (Ditto had Britain not stood alone and survived in 1940-41.) However, even in a contemporaneous context, Lincoln stands out.
At the time Lincoln became President, it was not just that the country was divided on the question of slavery - with all of its implications for how man viewed his fellow man. The country was, significantly, divided over its very nature. The question of whether or not it was single national community, or instead a confederation of separate and distinct communities, each with their own identity and, in extremis, sovereignty.
Lincoln answered the question not just through military victory - which by itself would not have been enduring - but by summoning the nation to the philosophical essentials of its birth. He defined the nation by common attachment to a specific creed - "a nation dedicated to a proposition" - and in the fullness of time defined the nation.
No President - not even Washington nor Jefferson - answered the question of what the United States was, and thus what it is now, as permanently and definitively. By summoning "the mystic chords of memory," i. e. to a keener sense of its animating principles, Lincoln turned the country into a nation. Something much more essential and elemental and thus enduring.
Not perfectly or completely to be sure. There is no perfection in this mortal veil of tears. However, it is undeniable that had their been no Lincoln, there would have been no America, and had there been no America, the history of Western civilization going forward - with all of its promise of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law - would have looked very different and likely would have taken a far darker turn.
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If you wanted more nuanced opinions based on specific policies that impact our every day lives, you should've constrained it to something like "Best president in the last century?" or "Best out of the last 20 presidents?".
Since you didn't, I'm just going to cop out (like most others will) and go with Washington because the United States would likely still be a British colony if it weren't for him, followed by each president involved in the conception of the Constitution, followed by Lincoln.
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- 3.6K opinions shared on Society & Politics topic.
Unquestionably Abraham Lincoln. While the other Presidents on the list had defining accomplishments and are of undoubted historical importance, none was as decisive and significant as Lincoln, who not only saved the Union in its darkest hour, he defined its very nature.
Indeed, some years back a group of historians rated Lincoln and Churchill not just as great national leaders, but as the greatest leaders in all Western civilization. They earned the accolade - to be sure an accolade not without controversy - because they recurred to very wellsprings of Western civilization to define their statecraft and preserve their societies.
To some degree, this is an observation with a speculative cast. We can only imagine how the Western world would have looked had the United States not survived its civil war. (Ditto had Britain not stood alone and survived in 1940-41.) However, even in a contemporaneous context, Lincoln stands out.
At the time Lincoln became President, it was not just that the country was divided on the question of slavery - with all of its implications for how man viewed his fellow man. The country was, significantly, divided over its very nature. The question of whether or not it was single national community, or instead a confederation of separate and distinct communities, each with their own identity and, in extremis, sovereignty.
Lincoln answered the question not just through military victory - which by itself would not have been enduring - but by summoning the nation to the philosophical essentials of its birth. He defined the nation by common attachment to a specific creed - "a nation dedicated to a proposition" - and in the fullness of time defined the nation.
No President - not even Washington nor Jefferson - answered the question of what the United States was, and thus what it is now, as permanently and definitively. By summoning "the mystic chords of memory," i. e. to a keener sense of its animating principles, Lincoln turned the country into a nation. Something much more essential and elemental and thus enduring.
Not perfectly or completely to be sure. There is no perfection in this mortal veil of tears. However, it is undeniable that had their been no Lincoln, there would have been no America, and had there been no America, the history of Western civilization going forward - with all of its promise of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law - would have looked very different and likely would have taken a far darker turn. - 8.3K opinions shared on Society & Politics topic. u
Obama better than Washington, Jefferson, and Lincoln? What a joke!
- 10.6K opinions shared on Society & Politics topic.
in my opinion it is FDR. who knows where we'd be without him navigating us through the great depression and WWII
- 4.2K opinions shared on Society & Politics topic.
George Washington was our greatest and best president. The American experiment was very fragile at the start. Washington was held in such high regard and with such reverence that there were those who would have gladly made him a king. But he had too much integrity for that and knew first hand the sacrifices that had been made to create something new after the tyranny of George III. Washington served two full terms and made that first, crucial handoff of power to a new president --- John Adams --- in a peaceful and orderly fashion. That fact, which we take for granted today, was something very unique back then. It could have all fallen apart in those early years after independence had been won were it not for a man like George Washington to serve as the first president under the new Constitution.
- 427 opinions shared on Society & Politics topic.
"No Trump, I guess I'll pick Teddy"
To all the people who are disappointed to not see the reactionary here, so you opt for the progressive, why?
Teddy supported breaking up trusts, unionized labor, conservationism, regulation, etc. This is all stuff Trump doesn't support and wouldn't have if he ran back in 1912. Teddy left the Republican Party, which was a progressive party back then, to start an even more progressive party. Shit, you guys would've called Teddy a far-leftist if you were alive in his time. -
Theodore Roosevelt was to the left of Obama in his ambitions to bust trusts and monopolies. Obama was almost entirely a disappointment and I'm ashamed to have volunteered for him. Even Lincoln, who I don't believe was virtuous in his intent when he banned slavery, was more of a leader than anyone in my lifetime.
I admit Obama might be the best since I've been born, but that's really not saying much. -
Obama almost destroyed the USA. He may have started something in the USA that will end up destroying it. USA is NOT united any longer. We are the Divided States of America.
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Out of that list, I would Reagan. I would put Eisenhower and Truman up there as well. Kennedy was a good president too, but was killed too soon. Obama was terrible, bombing countries without a declaration of war, adding more debt than George W, and outright being an incompetent traitor to our country.
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FOR saved the US from collapse after the great depression and gave america the new deal and the social saftey net. Although he was great on economics, his social policies were horrendous. Although I'm willing to overlook this (it was the 30s after all).
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I am not American, but i can say that the success of Trump to make peace with N. Korea plus they destroy their nukes and taking USA troops from middle east make him good president and not war friendly like Obama, Bush, Clinton. i can't speak about others older ones. because i don't know them what they really did.
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George Washington. There have been a few other good ones, but everything has kinda gone downhill since then in my opinion.
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Abraham! He freed the slaves. :)))) there should be no such thing ever... however with the clown up in office right now, it seems like we’re eorkijg backwards.. trump 🤡 and his trumpsturds 🤢
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First of all, Obama doesn't belong anywhere near this list. But for me it's a toss up between Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. Hmm. Even though my favorite is Teddy, I gotta go with Good ol' Honest Abe.
- 2K opinions shared on Society & Politics topic.
I've read several biographies about him and George Washington has always been mine.
- 2.7K opinions shared on Society & Politics topic.
This is a joke to even consider obama with washington, lincoln, kennedy or fdr.
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G. There's no such thing as a best president. They all did horrible shit in power, and the hierarchy of the State is inherently immoral and amoral.
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My top 5 in order: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, James Monroe, and JFK
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Obama? You guys are fools or you don't understand history.
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Is this a poll or a place for you to bash the replies people are offering?
- 4.5K opinions shared on Society & Politics topic.
Probably one of the old ones who helped build the country or steer it out of a disaster.
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