Daniel Hannan's Top 10 Presidents

[JohnEngland]

It's a list I'd generally agree with, though with different ranking:


1. Ronald Reagan (here’s why)

2. Abraham Lincoln (here’s why)

3. Thomas Jefferson (here’s why)

4. Grover Cleveland

5. Calvin Coolidge

6. George Washington

7. John Adams

8. James Polk

9. James Madison

10. Chester Arthur


On FDR:


Even if we disregard FDR’s economic legacy, it is impossible to ignore his autocratic leanings. He ruled by executive decree, sidelined Congress, trampled on the jurisdiction of the states, ignored the two-term convention and attempted to pack the supreme court. He shifted power permanently from elected representatives to federal czars, from the legislature to the executive and from the states to Washington, ripping up the sublime constitution which his predecessors had served.

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danielhannan/100072306/frankin-roosevelt-pah-here-are-ten-far-greater-us-presidents/

[Pericles]

Other than Lincoln, a well thought out list. We can never truly know what Lincoln was going to do with his military victory, which could have gone a way toward rehabilitation with a well run re-unification, instead of the post war disaster we had. In any case, the road to the current usurpation of power by the federal government is a path cut by Lincoln.

[1836er]

Pretty good list overall, with the obvious exception of Lincoln. I haven't lost all hope for Hannan, yet, though. For many would be liberty-lovers and constitutionalists... accepting that Lincoln was a tyrant rather than a hero is extremely emotionally difficult, and often the last step rather than the first step taken when transitioning from thinking with the heart to thinking with the head.

[TCE]

Reagan, Adams, and Lincoln trouble me, but decent overall. Andrew Jackson almost has to be included, even though many of his policies were bad, it should be +1000 to end the Second Bank.

I'm thinking this would be a good litmus test to judge potential candidates. What does everyone else think? As part of the C4L survey, we should have every candidate list out his/her top 10 Presidents. This way, even if they lie on the survey, their true character will come out in the Presidents section. Then we can clearly decide who deserves support.

[MaxPower]

I think most of numbers three-through-10 are good choices, though, ironically, the top two don't belong on the list.

[cindy25]

Adams has one thing in his favor, his belief of citizen legislators; the early Virginia presidents were all aristocrats. Reagan could have done so much more but he did cut taxes and pull troops from Lebanon; and if no Reagan, there would be no Paul

Ford should be there, for ending gold restrictions, and ending draft registration. a second Ford term might have been good.

[Mr.Fish]

All I can say is regardless of Hannan's choices in this list, I'm glad that he speaks his mind in the European Parliament. His speeches are excellent, well thought out and straight-forward.

Nigel Farage spoke well when it came to the EU President Van Rompuy, and the obvious confusion he was bringing to the table, but Hannan really has a grip on things there. Makes me glad he's my MEP representative :3

[Kregisen]

Hannan has said he wants Ron Paul to be president correct?

[JohnEngland]

Hannan has said he wants Ron Paul to be president correct?

Yes, I think Ron Paul was his preferred candidate in 2008. It'll be interesting to see what he thinks of the list of GOP 2012 contenders when they announce.