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Who are your top five American Presidents? (Original Post) ellisonz Feb 2012 OP
that's hard, but I think of how different things would be without JFK... hlthe2b Feb 2012 #1
In this order: FDR, Lincoln, Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson. UrbScotty Feb 2012 #2
good list fe625sfe Mar 2012 #11
top five American presidents CountAllVotes Feb 2012 #3
I love these list questions. limpyhobbler Feb 2012 #4
It's perennial. Doesn't get all that old. n/t ellisonz Feb 2012 #5
My top 5 are........ mrmpa Feb 2012 #6
For the job they did in office? shcrane71 Feb 2012 #7
Probably TheKentuckian Mar 2012 #8
My list amandabeech Mar 2012 #9
I like your list. bemildred Mar 2012 #10
I know I'm coming late to this party, but... kag Apr 2012 #12
That doesn't make sense. Buzz cook Apr 2012 #13
As I see it... kag Apr 2012 #14
Washington, Lincoln, FDR, Jefferson and Harry Truman pscot Apr 2012 #15
Tough one sarisataka Apr 2012 #16
Lots of initials. Earth495 Apr 2012 #17
My top five favorites :-) Christian23 Apr 2012 #18
RayGun? hootinholler Apr 2012 #19
Reagan? I don't think so! LeftishBrit Apr 2012 #20
My list: susanlinch Apr 2012 #21
Who is KFC? LeftishBrit Apr 2012 #22

hlthe2b

(106,237 posts)
1. that's hard, but I think of how different things would be without JFK...
Wed Feb 22, 2012, 01:01 AM
Feb 2012

Might we have gone to war over the Cuban missile crisis? Would we have ever gone to the moon and reaped all the technological advances? Would the road to civil rights for AA been further delayed?

I think that BO may well earn a place in the top five, with a second term. I certainly have great hopes.

Of course, I would have FDR on there--no question. Washington, yup, Lincoln, absolutely.

I'd have to think about the fifth spot...

limpyhobbler

(8,244 posts)
4. I love these list questions.
Wed Feb 22, 2012, 11:34 PM
Feb 2012

These are just my favorites. Not saying they were the Best. It's based things including personality.

1. FDR
2. Lincoln
3. Teddy Roosevelt
4. LBJ
5. Harry Truman

 

amandabeech

(9,893 posts)
9. My list
Wed Mar 21, 2012, 12:59 AM
Mar 2012

Lincoln
FDR
Washington
Teddy R
Jefferson

Very Honorable Mention: Truman and Wilson

I want to read some of the new biographies of Ike. He may have been a much more subtle manipulator for the common good the scenes, and he did end the Korean War.

bemildred

(90,061 posts)
10. I like your list.
Wed Mar 21, 2012, 08:55 AM
Mar 2012

Obama is a story not finished yet.

Mostly I consider them a sorry lot. Jimmy is the only one since WWII I have any real respect for.

kag

(4,106 posts)
12. I know I'm coming late to this party, but...
Tue Apr 3, 2012, 02:55 PM
Apr 2012

I think my list would go something like...



FDR
Washington
JFK
Madison
LBJ

Obama is, like others have said, a bit incomplete. And I have to exclude Lincoln because of the whole "If I could save the Union without freeing a single slave..." line. He would be in my top ten, but not top five because I think deep down he was a racist.

Buzz cook

(2,583 posts)
13. That doesn't make sense.
Thu Apr 5, 2012, 11:08 AM
Apr 2012
"He would be in my top ten, but not top five because I think deep down he was a racist."


You exclude Lincoln because he "might" be a racist, but include two slave owners who were undoubtedly racist.

Good job including LBJ though. Too many people forget how much we owe to the Great Society.

kag

(4,106 posts)
14. As I see it...
Fri Apr 6, 2012, 08:26 AM
Apr 2012

Lincoln's claim to greatness rests largely with his having emancipated the slaves. And, frankly, even though I believe he was a racist, he would still make my top ten since freeing the slaves was still a "great" thing to do, no matter what was in his heart. I just think that among great presidents some others might eclipse him for reasons that have to do with things other than slavery.

Washington and Madison were instrumental in creating the United States in the first place. I think that's pretty great. BTW, So was Jefferson, who would also make my top ten. But Jefferson was a pretty sleazy politician, and an overall weird guy.

But that's just my opinion...

pscot

(21,037 posts)
15. Washington, Lincoln, FDR, Jefferson and Harry Truman
Sat Apr 7, 2012, 06:34 PM
Apr 2012

Truman was the last, maybe the only, peoples President. He was one of us.

sarisataka

(20,930 posts)
16. Tough one
Tue Apr 10, 2012, 12:31 AM
Apr 2012

Washington- the infant country could have been stillborn. he showed that the new federal republic would work

Lincoln- despite some failings he kept the country together in its greatest challenge

FDR- brought the country out of the depression. Saw the U.S. As a player on the world stage equal to any of the traditional powers

Truman- a man of the people. Made what was probably the single hardest decision any president has made. Use the bombs which will surely kill thousands or not and risk millions upon invading Japan.

Wilson- a master diplomat who saw where the world was going,decades before anyone else. He is not fully appreciated even today.

Honorable Mentions- JFK- inspired his generation and beyond. LBJ- Kennedy was a tough act to follow, his contributions are lost in the shadow of JFK's charisma.

Christian23

(2 posts)
18. My top five favorites :-)
Thu Apr 19, 2012, 09:20 AM
Apr 2012

1. George Washington
2. Franklin D. Roosevelt
3. Bill Clinton
4. Ronald Reagan
5. Abraham Lincoln

susanlinch

(17 posts)
21. My list:
Fri Apr 20, 2012, 03:19 AM
Apr 2012

1. George Washington
2. Abraham Lincoln
3. Franklin Delano Roosevelt
4. LBJ

and the 5:
KFC(not JFK)

LeftishBrit

(41,302 posts)
22. Who is KFC?
Fri Apr 20, 2012, 03:38 AM
Apr 2012

I just looked up a list of American presidents, and there was no one with those initials. I can't even think of a president in fiction with those initials, though I may be being dim.

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