20th Century Presidents hurt or heal

[Guynemer]

I can't believe ya'll are about to elevate a mediocrity like Eisenhower over a Mt. Rushmore-level president...

Ike wasn't exactly a mediocrity, but...

Seriously.

Without Teddy, we don't have even a hint of conservation. No national parks, no environmental protections, nothing. Big business would own us all outright, no questions asked, without Teddy's trust-busting. We wouldn't have teddy bears. The dude got shot on the way to a speech, and he went and gave the speech anyway!

[Drake Tungsten]

Ike wasn't Prez in 1925.

Of course he wasn't. America was experiencing a huge economic boom in 1925, while Eisenhower presided over three different recessions in his eight years as President.

Ike wasn't exactly a mediocrity, but...

Oh, but he was, and was considered as such when his term ended. Republicans have been eager to revise history to make Ike look better (so they can have a President other than Reagan to point to as a success), but he really doesn't deserve it.

[MRT144]

Eisenhower 13 --
T. Roosevelt 11 +

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. Truman
2.

[MRT144]

Ike wasn't Prez in 1925.

Of course he wasn't. America was experiencing a huge economic boom in 1925, while Eisenhower presided over three different recessions in his eight years as President.

Ike wasn't exactly a mediocrity, but...

Oh, but he was, and was considered as such when his term ended. Republicans have been eager to revise history to make Ike look better (so they can have a President other than Reagan to point to as a success), but he really doesn't deserve it.

Presiding over recessions is a pretty dumb metric.

[Drake Tungsten]

Why? Economic performance is how the electorate judges presidents.

[MRT144]

Why? Economic performance is how the electorate judges presidents.

How do you judge presidents? We're not in meta land at the moment where you're trying to think how everyone else thinks. You do this often enough, to the point where I notice it, where you are just aping opinions you think other people have instead of stating the one you have.

[Drake Tungsten]

That's a startlingly imperceptive psychoanalysis.

[MRT144]

That's a startlingly imperceptive psychoanalysis.

Your takes on college football aren't your own! You just post other people's rankings instead of how you actually feel.

[Garth Vader]

Eisenhower 11 --
T. Roosevelt 12 +

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. Truman
2.

[Felch]

Eisenhower 12 +
T. Roosevelt 10 --

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. Truman
2.

[Ben Kenobi]

Heck, I voted for the big TR. How many men founded their own party and called it the "bull moose party". All kinds of awesome.

[EPW]

Eisenhower 10--
T. Roosevelt 11+

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. Truman
2.

[MOBIUS]

Ike wasn't Prez in 1925.

Of course he wasn't. America was experiencing a huge economic boom in 1925, while Eisenhower presided over three different recessions in his eight years as President.

100-0!

Well, then he isn't going to be on Mt. Rushmore, is he?

In fact, we wasn't even Prez before the dude who did Mt. Rushmore popped his clogs...

So no, he isn't going to be a Mt. Rushmore level president...

[Drake Tungsten]

You're stupid, even for a Welshman...

You don't have to actually be on Mt. Rushmore to be a "Mt. Rushmore-level president". FDR is clearly on that level, while Eisenhower is not.

[OzzyKP]

Interestingly, the Times had TR, Ike, and Truman right next to each other at 5th, 6th, and 7th place for top presidents of all time:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/article5055404.ece

Considering how many invoke his name to support imperialist policies, and Bush foreign policy I am hesitant to pick him over Ike. But as awesome as the highway system, I suppose it can't be argued that Ike had more of an *impact* on the country.

Eisenhower 8--
T. Roosevelt 12+

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. Truman
2.