Topic: Ranking the US Presidents From Worst to First

[shemps#1]

I was looking over this wikipedia page recently: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_rankings_of_Presidents_of_the_United_States

While going the lists and being bored I decided to combine all of the rankings together and find out how the US Presidents ranked. I added up there rankings on each list and then divided by the number of lists they were on (the first list is from 1948 so Presidents from Truman to Obama are not on every list) to come up with an average number. I ranked 40 Presidents even though technically there have been 44. Of course Grover Cleveland is considered the 22nd and 24th US President and I can't count him twice. Here are the three Presidents I decided to exclude from the list, the first number is there average score and the number in ellipses () is the chronological number President they are/were.

Barack Obama:  15 (44th) I decided not include him because in fairness he is the current President. Starting with the 1982 Siena Poll they included the current Presidents. I did not include the rankings of sitting Presidents in my average (for example Ronald Reagan's rank in the 82 Siena Poll was omitted). Obama is included in the latest poll where he ranked 15th.

James Garfield: 18.4375 (20th) Garfield was President for only 200 days so I excluded him from the rankings. 10 of the 16 polls actually included him but I didn't think it was fair.

William Henry Harrison: 34.8 (9th) Harrison is the shortest reigning President in US history, getting sick and dying about a month into his term. Like Garfield I didn't think he was fair to include him. Also like Garfield 10 of the 16 polls do include him.

Remember: The bigger the number the worse your score. I already know a couple of you guys are definitely not going to like how this turned out.

The Worst (35 or more)
40. James Buchanan 37.6875 (15th)
39. Warren G. Harding 37.5625 (29th)
38. George W. Bush 37.5 (43rd)
37. Franklin Pierce 35.8125 (14th)
36. Andrew Johnson 35.125 (17th)

Terrible (between 30 and 35)
35. Millard Fillmore 33 (13th)
34. John Tyler 32.25 (10th)
33. Richard Nixon 30.2142 (37th)

Very Bad (between 25 and 30)
32. Zachary Taylor 29.625 (12th)
31. Ulysses S. Grant 29 (18th)
30. Herbert Hoover 28.4375 (31st)
29. Calvin Coolidge 28.25 (30th)
28. Benjamin Harrison 27.6875 (23rd)
27. Jimmy Carter 27.0714 (39th)
26. Gerald Ford 26.1429 (38th)
25. Chester A. Arthur 25.75 (21st)

Bad (between 20 and 25)
24. Rutherford B. Hayes 23.625 (19th)
23. Martin Van Buren 23.375 (8th)
22. George HW Bush 22.1 (41st)
21. William H. Taft 20.9375 (27th)

Fair (between 15 and 20)
20. Bill Clinton 18.2 (42nd)
19. John Q. Adams 17.5 (6th)
18. William McKinley 16.625 (25th)
17. Grover Cleveland 15.8125 (22nd & 24th)
16. Ronald Reagan 15.4545 (40th)

Good (between 10 and 15)
15. James Monroe 14.125 (5th)
14. Lyndon B. Johnson 13.5714 (36th)
13. James Madison 13.125 (4th)
12. John Adams 12.75 (2nd)
11. John F. Kennedy 11.7857 (35th)
10. James K. Polk 10.9375 (11th)
09. Dwight D. Eisenhower 10.1333 (34th)

Very Good (between 5 and 10)
08. Andrew Jackson 9.625 (7th)
07. Woodrow Wilson 7.6875 (28th)
06. Harry Truman 7.2 (33rd)

The Best (between 1 and 5)
05. Teddy Roosevelt 4.6875 (26th)
04. Thomas Jefferson 4.5625 (3rd)
03. George Washington 2.5625 (1st)
02. Franklin D. Roosevelt 2.0625 (32nd)
01. Abraham Lincoln 1.5625 (16th)

Remember, these are not MY rankings: if they were Jefferson would be first.

[Dunrobin]

Well, I'd have to disagree with the vast majority of those rankings, but I'm really not surprised.  Those rankings were made by those who "make" a living supporting the State, so naturally they tend to favor those whose administrations expanded State power over the rights and freedoms of the individual citizen.  Those who respected the limits on their office tend to get labeled as "poor" or "weak" presidents.  There is obviously also a lot of partisan (factional) bias apparent in that list (or G.W. Bush and Nixon would be counted among the "greats" like Wilson and FDR.)

I understand why you left him out, but personally I'd consider William Henry Harrison to be among the best - at least he had the decency to die early in office, before he could do much to fuck over his fellow man.  Likewise, I consider Gerry Ford to be the best president we've had during my lifetime, as he did the least harm of any of them (which still isn't saying much in his favor.)

Put me down as being in favor of abolishing the office altogether.  To borrow from Obi-Wan Kenobi, when it comes to Washington, DC, "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." 

[shemps#1]

I know what you mean. Take Warren Harding for instance: he is ranked second to last but personally I would have him in the Top Ten at least. Everybody looks at Teapot Dome and whatnot but forgets that he ended WWI and an "America First" agenda that helped fix the economy. He was also a pioneer in Civil Rights, supporting an anti-lynching law and wanting to appoint blacks to high level positions. He also enacted a Child Welfare law at a time when US children were toiling in sweatshops.

My problem with W Bush's ranking is that is not the very bottom. That asshole gave the Office untold amounts of power and expanded government in general to scary heights, threw the country into pointless wars and flushed the economy that Clinton fixed straight down the shitter. I can kind of see Buchanan getting last spot but I feel W Bush deserves it a lot more.

[Curly4444]

My problem with W Bush's ranking is that is not the very bottom. That asshole gave the Office untold amounts of power and expanded government in general to scary heights, threw the country into pointless wars and flushed the economy that Clinton fixed straight down the shitter. I can kind of see Buchanan getting last spot but I feel W Bush deserves it a lot more.

Man, I agree 100%. I hated this asshole with a passion. 8 years of utter torture. Maybe Obama wouldn't have to work so hard to fix this economy if he hadn't fucked it up so much. Bottom of the list? He needs a special spot at the very bottom just for him. I use to be more republican, but this idiot pushed me toward being more liberal.

[Dunrobin]

Man, I agree 100%. I hated this asshole with a passion. 8 years of utter torture. Maybe Obama wouldn't have to work so hard to fix this economy if he hadn't fucked it up so much. Bottom of the list? He needs a special spot at the very bottom just for him. I use to be more republican, but this idiot pushed me toward being more liberal.

As much as I loath and despise GW Bush, I think you and Jim are giving him far more credit than he deserves.   Bush was merely a puppet of the banksters, and not a very good one at that.  (Obama is just as much a puppet, but at least he sounds reasonably intelligent, if no one switches off his teleprompter.)

The economy has been getting systematically destroyed over the past 100 years; it's not a recent thing.  The problems we are facing weren't caused by either Bush or Obama, although both of their administrations have seriously exasperated them with their out of control spending.  (I wouldn't have thought it possible, but Obama has quickly proven to be even more egregious in that regard than Bush ever was - and Bush was already worse than all the previous presidents combined.)

I am thoroughly amused by people, like my father, who supported - or at least condoned - Bush and yet vehemently denounce Obama.  Frankly, I don't understand what is bothering them; Obama has continued and expanded everything that Bush ever did.

I'm equally amused at those who (rightly) condemn Bush and yet think that Obama is somehow going to make everything all better.  Don't they pay any attention to what he's doing?  If someone hated Bush, they should really despise Obama; his administration's record is far, far worse already.  Bush claimed the right to torture people, for example, but Obama not only defends that claim but has expanded it to claim the right to murder anyone - including American citizens - at the president's decree without charges, trial or any pretense at the due process of law.  All in the name of "national security," of course.

Frankly, I have come to despise all politicians; they are the most loathsome of all the criminal classes.  The Mafia are more honest.  Decent people who respect their fellow man should shun and ostracize anyone who involved in politics, just as they would anyone who advocated or condoned child molestation.

[Rhinosaurus]

Remember, these are not MY rankings: if they were Jefferson would be first.

My thoughts exactly.  Especially in the state our nation is in today, I really wish Barack Obama would ahve modeled himself after Jefferson rather than Lincoln or FDR.  Right now we need a president like Jefferson who acknowledges all the changes and economic backlash we are having, and wants to revolutionize the way we think about our current situation.

I also would put Jackson at the bottom of the list, right before George W.  Old Hickory was more of a dictator rather than a president though.

[shemps#1]

Agreed, Jackson would rank near the bottom: he was the closest thing the US has ever had to a Hitler type. I think Kennedy, LBJ and Reagan are a little too high up on the list for my tastes. I think they rank LBJ so high because of his Civil Rights record, but he kept us in Vietnam, which Kennedy started. While I do not despise Lincoln like Rob does I don't think he deserves to be ahead of Jefferson. McKinley also deserves a higher ranking in my opinion, if only for having kept that douche Bryan out of office.

Is it a coincidence that 4 of the top 5 are the Mt. Rushmore Presidents?

[Curly4444]

I don't know Dunrobin, maybe it was more his personality that made me want to punch him in the face.

[Dunrobin]

What, you didn't like that smarmy, smirking chimp expression?  (I suspect that James Adomian managed to portray the real G.W. Bush in Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.)

Ironically, I see that same smarmy smirk on most politicians' faces these days, including Obama.  They apparently don't feel that they really need to hide their contempt for the rest of us any more.

[Curly4444]

Frankly, I have come to despise all politicians; they are the most loathsome of all the criminal classes.  The Mafia are more honest.  Decent people who respect their fellow man should shun and ostracize anyone who involved in politics, just as they would anyone who advocated or condoned child molestation.

A busload of politicians were  driving down a country road, when suddenly the bus ran off the road and crashed into an old farmer''s barn.

The old farmer got off his tractor and went to investigate. Soon he dug a hole and buried the politicians. A few days later, the local sheriff came out, saw the crashed bus and asked the old farmer where all the politicians had gone.

The old farmer told him he had buried them.

The sheriff asked the old farmer, "Lordy, were they ALL dead?"

The old farmer said, "Well, some of them said they weren''t, but you know how them crooked politicians lie."

[Dunrobin]

I also would put Jackson at the bottom of the list, right before George W.  Old Hickory was more of a dictator rather than a president though.

I would agree that Jackson wasn't that great of a person or president, but he did have a couple of redeeming points: he reduced the Federal debt to zero and he fought (and defeated) the central bank of his time.  That raises him above at least some of the sleazebags in the list, in my estimation - especially Lincoln.

[Dunrobin]

That's an old joke but a good one, Curly4444!   

[Curly4444]

That's an old joke but a good one, Curly4444!   

I know, just felt like posting it when i saw your post. 

[xraffle]

As much as I loath and despise GW Bush, I think you and Jim are giving him far more credit than he deserves.   Bush was merely a puppet of the banksters, and not a very good one at that.  (Obama is just as much a puppet, but at least he sounds reasonably intelligent, if no one switches off his teleprompter.)

The economy has been getting systematically destroyed over the past 100 years; it's not a recent thing.  The problems we are facing weren't caused by either Bush or Obama, although both of their administrations have seriously exasperated them with their out of control spending.  (I wouldn't have thought it possible, but Obama has quickly proven to be even more egregious in that regard than Bush ever was - and Bush was already worse than all the previous presidents combined.)

I am thoroughly amused by people, like my father, who supported - or at least condoned - Bush and yet vehemently denounce Obama.  Frankly, I don't understand what is bothering them; Obama has continued and expanded everything that Bush ever did.

I'm equally amused at those who (rightly) condemn Bush and yet think that Obama is somehow going to make everything all better.  Don't they pay any attention to what he's doing?  If someone hated Bush, they should really despise Obama; his administration's record is far, far worse already.  Bush claimed the right to torture people, for example, but Obama not only defends that claim but has expanded it to claim the right to murder anyone - including American citizens - at the president's decree without charges, trial or any pretense at the due process of law.  All in the name of "national security," of course.

Frankly, I have come to despise all politicians; they are the most loathsome of all the criminal classes.  The Mafia are more honest.  Decent people who respect their fellow man should shun and ostracize anyone who involved in politics, just as they would anyone who advocated or condoned child molestation.

Wow! I actually agree with everything you said in that post. Well said!

[metaldams]

I was a freakish 5 year old because at that age, I could name all the presidents in order.  You would think a 5 year old like that would grow up to have an interest in politics, but that's not the case here.

One of the reasons I don't follow politics is because I never trust the source I'm getting my information from.  I believe any media outlet, be it mainstream media or a little Internet webpage, all have their own agenda to promote, so I don't know who to believe.

The second reason is because I am convinced any human being who desires the kind of power most of these politicians have must be certifiably insane.  

Yeah, I just don't bother with politics, there's enough in this world that bothers me without listening to the geniuses on Fox News or MSNBC.  It's best I focus on what I can control on this Earth to find my personal happiness, and you know what?  If the government weren't so damn big, perhaps we really could control it.  Ah, but they wouldn't have it any other way.

[shemps#1]

Far be it for me to stick up for Obama, but there is no way he has been worse than Bush. He hasn't lived up to a lot of his promises: "Don't Ask Don't Tell" is still on the books and I haven't heard a thing about the "work for school aid" thing. With that said he hasn't extended the power of the Executive Branch beyond what Bush had expanded it too and while he hasn't fixed the economy it hasn't gotten worse. He has "sutured the wound" as it were. Let's face it, the man inherited a mess the likes of no President had before him. I am not a Democrat (vomit) or a Republican (barf) but I call them like I see them and GW Bush was by far the worst President we have ever had and it will take a lot more than Obama's record to this date to top him. My major Obama disappointment is that he hasn't put an end to the "Faith Based Initiatives" bullshit. It is direct violation of the First Amendment and I don't want one red cent of my money going to any fuckin' church.

Doug I absolutely agree in regards to news sources. I completely disregard the cable stations such as Fixed News and MSNBD and long for the days when the Press at least tried to be unbiased and impartial. I do take an interest however, mostly from a historical standpoint.

PS: From a pure aesthetic standpoint it is nice to have a President who does not sound like a backwoods inbred redneck for a change. In my lifetime we have only had two: Obama and Reagan.

[stooge1029]

"I was a freakish 5 year old because at that age, I could name all the presidents in order.  You would think a 5 year old like that would grow up to have an interest in politics, but that's not the case here."

I thought I was the only one! I knew them all in order before 1st grade, yet I have next to no interest in modern politics. I do however enjoy a good history lesson, the Presidents was a good documentary on the history channel. Based on my viewings of that series and my readings its hard not to put Warren G Harding as the worst president. He died in office but probably would have been impeached. Hes widley regarded as the laziest man ever elected, but he also gambled compulsivly and was involved in scandal everywhere he turned (Tea Pot Dome). Had he lived to serve out his term, this country may never have recovered.

5 best
1. FDR
2. Lincoln
3. Washington
4. Jefferson
5. Teddy Roosevelt

5 Worst
40. Andrew Johnson
41. Milliard Fillmore
42. Herbert Hoover
43. James Buchannan
44. Warren G Harding

[shemps#1]

Harding was lazy? In his two years he began installing Highways, made it a federal crime to lynch a person, fixed the economy AND made it so the President had to be accountable for his budget. He got an awful lot done, and he was getting all sorts of side ass! A man's man that Harding was.

As for my personal top/bottom 5
1. Thomas Jefferson
2. George Washington
3. William McKinley
4. Abe Lincoln
5. Warren Harding

40 (t). James Buchanan
40 (t). John Tyler
41. Jimmy Carter
42. Richard Nixon
43. Andrew Jackson
44. George W. Bush

[shemps#1]

I should note that coming up with the worst list was much harder than the best list because there have been so many bad Presidents.

[stooge1029]

Harding gave all his buddies powerful positions and then turned and let them rob this country blind. Even bad presidents have good things happen during their term, it doesnt mean they were great.

[Dunrobin]

Harding gave all his buddies powerful positions and then turned and let them rob this country blind.

LOL!  What do you think "government" is for?  Name me a president in the last 100 years that hasn't done that.  (Calvin Coolidge may be an exception.)

[shemps#1]

It doesn't mean they were terrible, or the worst either. Unfortunately you cannot say "let them rob the country blind" with certainty because the man died before the scandals came to light so we never got his side of the story. Judging from his prior record however I'm more inclined to believe that he was not "in the know" of the scandals.

You could have nailed me on Harding keeping himself well stocked with liquor during Prohibition and the fantastic orgies he had, but I don't put much stock in moral issues such as those when it comes to the Presidency (after all Jefferson was knocking up his slaves, not mention the likes of Kennedy and Clinton).

Oh, and he did give us Coolidge, another fine President.

[shemps#1]

LOL!  What do you think "government" is for?  Name me a president in the last 100 years that hasn't done that.  (Calvin Coolidge may be an exception.)

I would venture to say that almost every President has given their friends some kush jobs.

[Lefty]

Warren Harding's inauguration was the 2nd-most important thing on that day -- my mother's birth being the first.  Anyway, I would rate George W. Bush the greatest president who ever lived -- had he died in 2000. 

[metaldams]

Warren Harding's inauguration was the 2nd-most important thing on that day -- my mother's birth being the first.  Anyway, I would rate George W. Bush the greatest president who ever lived -- had he died in 2000. 

He'd still be no match for William Henry Harrison.