20th Century Presidents hurt or heal

[SlowwHand]

Clinton 1--
Eisenhower 22
Truman 11
F. Roosevelt 5+
T. Roosevelt 19

OUT
18. Carter
17. Reagan
16. Nixon
15. Wilson
14. Harding
13. Hoover
12. Kennedy
11. Bush, HW.
10. Ford
9. Johnson
8. McKinley
7. Coolidge
6. Taft
5.

[Wernazuma III]

Clinton 1
Eisenhower 20--
Truman 11
F. Roosevelt 6+
T. Roosevelt 19

OUT
18. Carter
17. Reagan
16. Nixon
15. Wilson
14. Harding
13. Hoover
12. Kennedy
11. Bush, HW.
10. Ford
9. Johnson
8. McKinley
7. Coolidge
6. Taft
5.[/QUOTE]

[Bosh]

Can't believe how long Taft lasted... I guess most people didn't know enough about him to bother downgrading him.

Clinton 1
Eisenhower 21+
Truman 11
F. Roosevelt 6
T. Roosevelt 17--

OUT
18. Carter
17. Reagan
16. Nixon
15. Wilson
14. Harding
13. Hoover
12. Kennedy
11. Bush, HW.
10. Ford
9. Johnson
8. McKinley
7. Coolidge
6. Taft
5.

[MOBIUS]

Hmm, interesting choice left open at this late stage...

I take particular pleasure in finally sinking Clinton!

I have also gone for Eisenhower for the sheer scale of his achievements, both on a personal level and for his country.

Eisenhower 22+
Truman 10-
F. Roosevelt 6
T. Roosevelt 17

OUT
18. Carter
17. Reagan
16. Nixon
15. Wilson
14. Harding
13. Hoover
12. Kennedy
11. Bush, HW.
10. Ford
9. Johnson
8. McKinley
7. Coolidge
6. Taft
5. Clinton -

[Drake Tungsten]

You all are mad. Eisenhower was perfectly willing to turn Europe into a radioactive wasteland in order to keep American defense expenditures down.

[MOBIUS]

But that's the point of MAD isn't it? If the Russians didn't think that, then they would have most likely attacked. So his plan worked.

Anyway, that's the point - he's looking after the interests of his country first. Surely someone like you can see that.

[Drake Tungsten]

But that's the point of MAD isn't it?

No. MAD is meant to deter a nuclear first-strike by your enemy; Eisenhower's massive retaliation doctrine advocated the first-use of nuclear weapons as a response to a conventional attack by the enemy, even a limited one. It was a crazy idea whose only redeeming feature was its effect on the American defense budget. JFK deserves far more credit than he gets for abandoning massive retaliation in favor of a saner nuclear doctrine.

[Jon Miller]

Eisenhower 20 --
Truman 10
F. Roosevelt 7 +
T. Roosevelt 17

OUT
18. Carter
17. Reagan
16. Nixon
15. Wilson
14. Harding
13. Hoover
12. Kennedy
11. Bush, HW.
10. Ford
9. Johnson
8. McKinley
7. Coolidge
6. Taft
5. Clinton

Ike was too high. FDR was too low.

JM

[MOBIUS]

It still worked though. Stalin was faced with someone who was clearly insane and blinked first.

From a European POV, obviously I have issues with it. But for this poll, I thought about who I'd vote for if I was American.

[Drake Tungsten]

It's important to note that MAD wasn't even a possibility in Eisenhower's time, as the Soviets had no means with which to launch a devastating nuclear strike on the U.S. in the '50s. This lack of a significant nuclear threat from the USSR makes Eisenhower's willingness to completely annihilate the Soviet Union in the event of a conventional war in Europe even more reprehensible.

[OzzyKP]

Hmm, no one all that great left to vote for.

Eisenhower 20
Truman 11
F. Roosevelt 5
T. Roosevelt 17

OUT
18. Carter
17. Reagan
16. Nixon
15. Wilson
14. Harding
13. Hoover
12. Kennedy
11. Bush, HW.
10. Ford
9. Johnson
8. McKinley
7. Coolidge
6. Taft
5. Clinton

[MOBIUS]

Hmm, no one all that great left to vote for.

Yes, that did influence my vote as well...

[MRT144]

It's important to note that MAD wasn't even a possibility in Eisenhower's time, as the Soviets had no means with which to launch a devastating nuclear strike on the U.S. in the '50s. This lack of a significant nuclear threat from the USSR makes Eisenhower's willingness to completely annihilate the Soviet Union in the event of a conventional war in Europe even more reprehensible.

You mean ballsy.

[MRT144]

Eisenhower 20
Truman 9--
F. Roosevelt 5
T. Roosevelt 18+

OUT
18. Carter
17. Reagan
16. Nixon
15. Wilson
14. Harding
13. Hoover
12. Kennedy
11. Bush, HW.
10. Ford
9. Johnson
8. McKinley
7. Coolidge
6. Taft
5. Clinton
4.

[Patroklos]

Eisenhower 20
Truman 9
F. Roosevelt 3 --
T. Roosevelt 19 +

OUT
18. Carter
17. Reagan
16. Nixon
15. Wilson
14. Harding
13. Hoover
12. Kennedy
11. Bush, HW.
10. Ford
9. Johnson
8. McKinley
7. Coolidge
6. Taft
5. Clinton