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Washington. Without him, nothing else follows. He set the precedent for the office. Though I gotta give props to Lincoln and FDR, too - there's a reason why those are always the top three.
In modern times, I say George H.W. Bush. He's still kind of overlooked, but he's starting to get his due, and I really think he was the best since at least JFK, and maybe since Truman.
Also the biggest underachiever; the guy was a limp noodle. My favorite was Jackson. I thought that would spice this forum up a bit.
I'm not a Jackson fan, but, eh, this is civil discussion, so let's just keep it that way, shall we?
On underachievers, how about Bill Clinton? Not that he was a bad President, he was OK, maybe even above-average. But he could have been much better than that.
I respect Carter as man, and I think his Presidency kinda gets bad rap. The Camp David accords were good, and I'll always give him some credit for advocating conservation and calling a spade a spade with the "malaise" speech. 'Course he still didn't do anything about most of that stuff, so he kinda did suck, but he wasn't a disaster or anything.
Richard Nixon.
Ronald Reagan.
Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Harry S. Truman.
Abraham Lincoln.
Lyndon B. Johnson.
Thomas Jefferson.
Can anyone say the word "troll?" Nixon and Reagan in the same list (and above!) Roosevelt, Lincoln and Jefferson. Wait...I think I'm experiencing a surreal moment.
Why? Nixon and Reagan were both great Presidents and shared many of the same conservative values. Watergate was a farce.
Please dont derail this thread. The subject is "Favorite Presidents" and WHY they are your favorite. Trolling with "Watergate was a farce" is distracting.
Not exactly a conventional choice, but I would have to say that Rutherford B. Hayes is one of my favorite Presidents.
Hayes was a lawyer by profession, having graduated from Harvard Law School. A moderate opponent of slavery, Hayes defended (quite successfully) runaway slaves in legal proceedings in Ohio to prevent them from being returned to their former slave owners. Though he did not have an issue with some Southern states seceding from the Union, the attack on Fort Sumter incensed him. At nearly 40 years of age, Hayes volunteered for military service. Serving first as a Major then a Colonel, he was wounded a total of four times in battle, becoming the only future President that fought in the Civil War to have that distinction.
After the Civil War, Hayes was elected to Congress as supporter of Radical Reconstruction of the South. He resigned in 1867 to run for Governor of Ohio. As part of his campaign for Governor, Hayes supported an amendment to the constitution of Ohio that would give voting rights to African-Americans. Though elected to two terms as Governor, the amendment Hayes sought was defeated by the Democrat controlled state legislature.
In 1875, the Republican Party was in search of a candidate for President. They needed someone that would be able to repair the damage done to it's image by the scandals and economic downturn that took place during U.S. Grant's presidency. With his reputation for integrity, status as a war hero, support for Reconstruction and rights for African-Americans, Hayes was seen as the perfect choice. Hayes received the nomination and ran on a platform of reform of the civil service, resumption of the gold standard, support for honest and capable government in the South that would protect the constitutional rights of all citizens. He also pledged to serve only one term as President, going so far as to suggest the implementation of presidential term limits in combination with extending the time in office from four to six years.
The election that brought Rutherford Hayes the presidency was one of the most contentious in American history up to that point. With charges of vote fraud and intimidation, the election ended with no clear winner and the prospect of no President being seated by Inauguration Day. A bipartisan election commission was set up that actually decided the matter, giving Hayes the victory by one electoral vote. After the decision, Haye's Democrat opponents routinely referred to him as "Rutherfraud" and "His Fraudulency".
Once in office however, Hayes set out to unite the nation once more and fulfill his campaign pledges. As promised, he returned the country to the gold standard. After several years of economic instability, the move saw an almost immediate return to prosperity. He reformed the civil service, returning the power of making appointments to such posts to the President instead of the legislative branch who had routinely used the jobs to pay off political favors. He also strengthened the power of the President in legislative matters. He battled with the Democrat controlled Congress to retain his veto power, ensuring that future president's would not have unconstitutional legislation forced upon them. And as promised, Hayes served only one term, leaving office in 1880.
Though considered somewhat mediocre or ineffective by modern historians, Rutherford B. Hayes was considered to have had an extremely successful presidency by his contemporaries. He charted a very middle of the road course, was able to accomplish much of what he wanted while in office, and left the country in better shape then it was when he was elected. He was popular with the public, due in large part to his traveling the country extensively and speaking directly to the people about issues that were important to him. His greatest failure was his inability to stop the erosion and elimination of African-American voting rights at the hands of a Democrat dominated Congress. Still, Hayes was the last president of the 19th Century that had a genuine desire to see African-American's right preserved.
In his Inaugural Address in 1877, Rutherford Hayes stated "he serves his party best who serves his country best". And that is exactly how he conducted his presidency. I have to believe that if more individuals seeking higher office both past and present adhered to that simple principle, we as a country would be much better off then we are now.
He is responsible for expanding the United States by 40% by conquering Mexico and Securing the Oregon Territory from Britain. I today live in the Southwest because of President Polk. Anyway he's my favorite.
Teddy Roosevelt would be a close second.
Last edited by Six Foot Three; 09-21-2008 at 09:20 AM..
Andrew Jackson is my favorite, because without him the war against the Indians would have lasted longer and more Americans would have died fighting the Indians.
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