20th Century Presidents hurt or heal

[David Floyd]

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.

That's what made Ike so awesome. Massive retaliation would not only have worked, but is also probably the only thing that kept the Soviets on their side of the border. Hell, if the French and British had followed that doctrine, they could have avoided WW2. You have to remember that Eisenhower, at the beginning of his Presidency, was still dealing with Stalin. Yes, Khruschev was less insane, but Ike had no way of knowing that. The best and only way he had to 100% ensure the defense of American security interests was to tell the Soviets that we would blow them off the map if they so much as twitched towards West Germany.

Hell, didn't Truman tell them the same thing to get them out of northern Iran? Speaking of Truman, he's way too high, but I do give him credit for having the stones to drop the Bomb on Japan and to face down the Soviets.

Anyway...

Eisenhower 21 +
Truman 9
F. Roosevelt 1 --
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

[Ben Kenobi]

Finally!

Eisenhower 21
Truman 8-
T. Roosevelt 20+

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. FDR

[EPW]

Eisenhower 21
Truman 6--
T. Roosevelt 21+

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. FDR

[DaShi]

Eisenhower 19--
Truman 6
T. Roosevelt 22+

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. FDR

[notyoueither]

Eisenhower 20+
Truman 6
T. Roosevelt 20--

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. FDR

[Wernazuma III]

Eisenhower 18--
Truman 6
T. Roosevelt 21+

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. FDR

[Bosh]

Eisenhower 18
Truman 7+
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
4. FDR

[EPW]

Eisenhower 18--
Truman 7
T. Roosevelt 20+

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. FDR

[Nikolai]

Eisenhower 18
Truman 5--
T. Roosevelt 21+

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. FDR

--------------

A shame that FDR went out.

[rah]

Eisenhower 19 +
Truman 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. Clinton
4. FDR

[Ben Kenobi]

Eisenhower 19
Truman 3--
T. Roosevelt 20+

[OzzyKP]

Eisenhower 19
Truman 4+
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. FDR

[Kontiki]

Eisenhower 19
Truman 5+
T. Roosevelt 16--


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. FDR

[Guynemer]

Eisenhower 17--
Truman 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
4. FDR

[MRT144]

Eisenhower 17
Truman 3--
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. FDR
3.