Best Presidents Ever

[White Bear Lake]

Basically the exact opposite of the other thread.

1)Coolidge
2)Harding
3)Cleveland
4)Jefferson
5)van Buren
6)Jackson
7)?

[cordscords]

John Tyler FTW.

[BuddyRey]

Least harmful would probably be Jefferson, Coolidge, Cleveland, and Harrison.

[thehungarian]

Can only think of Jefferson and Coolidge. I don't read about presidential history much, though.

[fisharmor]

Which Harrison?
William Henry gets my vote, for least damage.

[BuddyRey]

Which Harrison?
William Henry gets my vote, for least damage.

Yeah, I meant William Henry. :)

Forgot about Benjamin for some reason.

[YumYum]

Chester A. Arthur is by far the best president we ever had, and very few people know this. His commitment to uphold and honor the presidency is by far the best example we have, and it cost him a second term. He was a crooked politician before he was president. He was a puppet of the political bosses and when Garfield died, headlines ran: "Arthur is Now President; America is Doomed!" But we weren't "doomed": Arthur respected the presidency so much he turned on the political bosses of his own Party and refused to play their game. He is the president, not Cleveland, that pushed for passage of the bill that did away with the corrupt spoils system. He fired crooks and threw out corrupt lobbyists in D.C. He actually saved America when it was at its most corrupt time in history. A few years after his presidency, and while on his deathbed, a reporter asked Arthur: "You were a corrupt career politician most of your life, and yet as president, you were honest and served the American people well. Why the change?" His reply: "Because I respect the office of the presidency too much". Isn't it funny how so little is known of this greatest president?

[lester1/2jr]

YumYum-fascinating

[Cutlerzzz]

Chester A. Arthur is by far the best president we ever had, and very few people know this. His commitment to uphold and honor the presidency is by far the best example we have, and it cost him a second term. He was a crooked politician before he was president. He was a puppet of the political bosses and when Garfield died, headlines ran: "Arthur is Now President; America is Doomed!" But we weren't "doomed": Arthur respected the presidency so much he turned on the political bosses of his own Party and refused to play their game. He is the president, not Cleveland, that pushed for passage of the bill that did away with the corrupt spoils system. He fired crooks and threw out corrupt lobbyists in D.C. He actually saved America when it was at its most corrupt time in history. A few years after his presidency, and while on his deathbed, a reporter asked Arthur: "You were a corrupt career politician most of your life, and yet as president, you were honest and served the American people well. Why the change?" His reply: "Because I respect the office of the presidency too much". Isn't it funny how so little is known of this greatest president?

He had a few flaws. I'll just highlight what wiki says about his position on "Civil Rights"


Chester Arthur signed the Edmunds Act that banned bigamists and polygamists from voting and holding office. The act was specifically enforced in Utah, a highly populated Mormon territory and established a five-man "Utah commission" to prevent bigamists and polygamists from voting.[14]


The Arthur Administration enacted the first general Federal immigration law. Arthur approved a measure in 1882 excluding paupers, criminals, and the mentally ill.

In response to anti-Chinese sentiment in the West, Congress passed a Chinese Exclusion Act. The act would have made illegal the immigration of Chinese laborers for twenty years and denied American citizenship to Chinese Americans currently residing in the United States who were not already citizens and who were not born in the United States.[14] Arthur vetoed this steep restriction on the grounds that it violated the Burlingame Treaty. He was immediately denounced by newspapers in California. When a compromise restriction of ten years was proposed, Arthur agreed and signed the revised bill, however the Chinese Americans residing in the United States were denied citizenship.[14] The Act was renewed every ten years until the National Origins Act of 1924 essentially eliminated Chinese immigration because the quotas were based on the 1890 numbers. The Act had remarkable staying power and was not fully repealed until sixty-one years later in 1943, by which time the US was an ally of Nationalist China in the fight against Japan during World War II. Under such circumstances, the Act had become an embarrassment to the US, necessitating its repeal.

Arthur was reluctant to enforce the 15th Amendment in the United States Constitution and never attempted while President to overturn "Jim Crow" laws throughout the nation that prevented African-Americans from voting. This may have been caused by a Supreme Court decision to overturn civil right cases and the Civil Rights Act of 1875.

[YumYum]

YumYum-fascinating

It really shocked me when I researched this. I knew nothing of this man, as most of us, because the Powers don't want us to know about him. There is not a lot of information about him that is out there. He is always "shuffled off" into the background. The Republicans were excited when Garfield died and Arthur was their new man in the White House. They thought that with him in charge, they could really rape and pillage America. Boy, were they in for a shock! The Republican bosses ended up hating him and wouldn't allow him to run for a second term. The American people loved him and all Cleveland did was follow his example. Cleveland gets credit for many of the policies that Arthur implemented.

[YumYum]

He had a few flaws. I'll just highlight what wiki says about his position on "Civil Rights"

He did have flaws; he was by no means perfect. But you have to go back and see how vile and corrupt our government was at that time and what he was up against. I contend that if Arthur had been a crook and had not been an honest president, we would have had a central bank much sooner and America would have gone down the tube much faster than it has.

[Galileo Galilei]

The best US president, and in fact the greatest chief executive in all of human history was James Madison. Madison secured American independence from the British Empire in the War of 1812 utilizing a budget of less than 4% of the GNP in a short war. Most importantly, Madison set down several war precedents:

1) congress must declare war.

2) in general, Christian Just war policy should be followed.

3) the Constitution was followed down to the letter.

4) no espionage acts were passed, no patriot acts, no alien & sedition acts.

5) no roundups of foreign nationals.

6) no draft.

7) low casualty rates

8) ample pre-war negotiation, almost 10 years of diplomacy attempting to end kidnapping on the high seas.

9) no false-flag or manufactured event to start the war (the British, expecting to win, manufactured the war by leaking important diplomatic papers to James Monroe in May, 1812)

10) Madison won the war with no income tax, no central bank, and virtually no standing army or navy. He stated the causes for the war in his wear message which is analogous to the declaration of independence.

11) Madison never invented "executive war powers"

12) the war had strategic value of value to the average American, including free trade on the Great Lakes, Atlantic ocean, Mississippi river, Gulf of Mexico, and Mediterranean Sea. It opened up the Western lands to settlement. It set the stage for the American industrial revolution and greatest economic expansion in the history of the world over the next 150 years. It began the Era of Good Feelings. It set the stage for steamboat production and trains and Jacksonian democracy.

James Madison set war precedents. He did it for us. What Madison did greatly enhanced the prosperity and liberty of the American people, but what Madison did has been steadily discarded over the years until today little remains. The key to liberty is to understand our greatest leader; James Madison.

[heavenlyboy34]

Every president sucked. http://whyeverypresidentsucked.com/

[Vessol]

Seriously guys. How many threads of this do you have to make?


Every president sucked. http://whyeverypresidentsucked.com/

QFT.

Glad someone reposted that website.

[heavenlyboy34]

Seriously guys. How many threads of this do you have to make?
Until they're not bored, I guess. /shrugs

[Cutlerzzz]

He did have flaws; he was by no means perfect. But you have to go back and see how vile and corrupt our government was at that time and what he was up against. I contend that if Arthur had been a crook and had not been an honest president, we would have had a central bank much sooner and America would have gone down the tube much faster than it has.

I guess Arther tried to lower tariffs too. Not a bad overall record.

[Vessol]

Until they're not bored, I guess. /shrugs

In my two years here there has to have been like 10 threads like this. Same with the worst president lists.

[fcmagic01]

I found this a while back and bookmarked it.

http://www.xaviercromartie.com/2009/12/libertarian-ranking-of-united-states.html

[sparebulb]

My vote:

"Gentlemen, I have had men watching you for a long time and I am convinced that you have used the funds of the bank to speculate in the breadstuffs of the country. When you won, you divided the profits amongst you, and when you lost, you charged it to the bank. You tell me that if I take the deposits from the bank and annul its charter, I shall ruin ten thousand families. That may be true, gentlemen, but that is your sin! Should I let you go on, you will ruin fifty thousand families, and that would be my sin! You are a den of vipers and thieves."
— Andrew Jackson

[Gumba of Liberty]

John Tyler is by far my favorite President. With him taking the reigns after Harrison died, the Whigs thought they had their man to bring back a Central Bank. Tyler refused, he had too much respect for the Constitution and, as a Virginian, he was truly committed to State Sovereignty in the mold of Jefferson. The Whigs got so enraged at his lack of Party loyalty, considering they were owned by the Bankers, that they held a Convention and expelled Tyler from the Whig Party while he was still a sitting President. Did I mention he refused to appoint a Vice president because the Constitution says nothing about Vice Presidents doing so? He's a badass President who needs more respect. Check him out below on the History channels series on the Presidents.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO0nXICHdVg&feature=related

[cindy25]

Ford: ended draft registration
restored right to own gold

[Schifference]

#1 Best President ever = Ron Paul

[Inkblots]

I can't believe that so many people here think Jackson was a great president.

Yes, he killed the Bank, and that's to his credit. But more relevant to the discussion, his belief in the unitary executive trumped even that of GW Bush. He outright ignored the Supreme Court's decision in Worcester v. Georgia, and actively pursued an illegal and un-Constitutional policy of mass ethnic cleansing across the Southeast that resulted in the death of thousands.

A great president? More like an arrogant monster. He may have done some good things, and isn't the worst president, but his name doesn't belong anywhere near a "best presidents" list, to my mind.

[cindy25]

just imagine how much better things would be now if Bob Taft had won in 1952, or Goldwater in 1964.

[Galileo Galilei]

I can't believe that so many people here think Jackson was a great president.

Yes, he killed the Bank, and that's to his credit. But more relevant to the discussion, his belief in the unitary executive trumped even that of GW Bush. He outright ignored the Supreme Court's decision in Worcester v. Georgia, and actively pursued an illegal and un-Constitutional policy of mass ethnic cleansing across the Southeast that resulted in the death of thousands.

A great president? More like an arrogant monster. He may have done some good things, and isn't the worst president, but his name doesn't belong anywhere near a "best presidents" list, to my mind.

Jackson did the exact opposite of ethnic cleansing. Had the Indians not been relocated west of the Mississippi, they would have been exterminated. For example, the Delaware Indians never relocated and hence, became exterminated. Jackson did more to save the Indians tribes ethnic identity than anyone else in American history. You have been duped by banking cartel propaganda.

[heavenlyboy34]

In my two years here there has to have been like 10 threads like this. Same with the worst president lists.

Yep, I've noticed that too. I usually chalk it up to boredom or the Presidency Cult/President worship.

[nbhadja]

Jackson did the exact opposite of ethnic cleansing. Had the Indians not been relocated west of the Mississippi, they would have been exterminated. For example, the Delaware Indians never relocated and hence, became exterminated. Jackson did more to save the Indians tribes ethnic identity than anyone else in American history. You have been duped by banking cartel propaganda.

Jackson was did murder Native Americans through his policies of relocation and directly he murdered them. He hated Native Americans and did not even hide it. He even refused to follow the Supreme Court ruling that supported Native Americans staying in Georgia. He signed the Indian Removal act and forced Indians to leave at gunpoint The guy is a POS who should have been shot. He even burned homes with Native Americans still living inside.

It is not central banking propaganda. It is the real deal. The guy resulted in the death of many innocent Native Americans.

Also even if you ignore his murders, even the fact of forcing Native Americans to move shows what garbage he was.

Just because you oppose central banks does not mean you are a good person. There is no reason to defend that murdering POS.

[Galileo Galilei]

Jackson was did murder Native Americans through his policies of relocation and directly he murdered them. He hated Native Americans and did not even hide it. He even refused to follow the Supreme Court ruling that supported Native Americans staying in Georgia. He signed the Indian Removal act and forced Indians to leave at gunpoint The guy is a POS who should have been shot. He even burned homes with Native Americans still living inside.

It is not central banking propaganda. It is the real deal. The guy resulted in the death of many innocent Native Americans.

Also even if you ignore his murders, even the fact of forcing Native Americans to move shows what garbage he was.

Just because you oppose central banks does not mean you are a good person. There is no reason to defend that murdering POS.

The trail of tears did not occur when Jackson was president. Jackson sought to seek a way to save as many Indian lives as possible. Had Jackson not acted, all the Indians would have been killed. Jackson opposed genocide. You are making the pro-genocide argument which Jackson rejected.

You totally missed the part about the Delaware Indians who were NOT relocated. Did ya catch that?

[nbhadja]

The trail of tears did not occur when Jackson was president. Jackson sought to seek a way to save as many Indian lives as possible. Had Jackson not acted, all the Indians would have been killed. Jackson opposed genocide. You are making the pro-genocide argument which Jackson rejected.

You totally missed the part about the Delaware Indians who were NOT relocated. Did ya catch that?

You might wanna look up the Indian Removal act that Jackson signed. It was barbaric and resulted in many innocent deaths of Native Americans and Jackson signed it.

The trail of tears did occur under Andrew Jackson.

Arguing that Jackson did not murder Native Americans is like arguing that Ron Paul is not against the Federal Reserve. There is so much evidence from various sources that Jackson not only hated and opposed Native Americans, but that he also MURDERED Native Americans. It is a indisputable fact.

You have been duped. It is not central banker propaganda.

Jackson did not want to save as many Native Americans. He murdered them. You are only supporting Andrew Jackson because you like that he was against the central bank. The guy was a murderer.

Your Delaware logic is crazy. So because the Delaware tribe was not relocated and then murdered later on that proves that Jackson cared about Native Americans despite forcefully relocating thousands of Native Americans and murdering countless innocent Native Americans? That makes no sense at all.

[mport1]

They were all tyrants. I can't pick which one was the best.

[heavenlyboy34]

They were all tyrants. I can't pick which one was the best.
qft!

[Galileo Galilei]

They were all tyrants. I can't pick which one was the best.

Yeah right, James Monroe was a real tyrant. The people in the Era of Good Feelings spent most of their time worried that the feds would knock down their doors. Get real.

[Fermli]

here's some good insight from Doug Casey on the subject.

http://www.caseyresearch.com/cwc/doug-casey-presidents-good-bad-and-ugly

[Galileo Galilei]

You might wanna look up the Indian Removal act that Jackson signed. It was barbaric and resulted in many innocent deaths of Native Americans and Jackson signed it.

The trail of tears did occur under Andrew Jackson.

Arguing that Jackson did not murder Native Americans is like arguing that Ron Paul is not against the Federal Reserve. There is so much evidence from various sources that Jackson not only hated and opposed Native Americans, but that he also MURDERED Native Americans. It is a indisputable fact.

You have been duped. It is not central banker propaganda.

Jackson did not want to save as many Native Americans. He murdered them. You are only supporting Andrew Jackson because you like that he was against the central bank. The guy was a murderer.

Your Delaware logic is crazy. So because the Delaware tribe was not relocated and then murdered later on that proves that Jackson cared about Native Americans despite forcefully relocating thousands of Native Americans and murdering countless innocent Native Americans? That makes no sense at all.

The leading modern expert on Andrew Jackson is Robert Remini, all I have said is documented in his classic book:

Andrew Jackson and His Indian Wars
by Robert V. Remini
http://www.amazon.com/Andrew-Jackson-His-Indian-Wars/dp/0670910252

You are dead wrong, trail of tears happened when van Buren was president, in 1838. The prior re-locations under Jackson were done more humanely, and hence, and not called the trail of tears.

The Indian tribes were on the verge of extinction. If not for the Indian Removal Act, these tribes would no longer exist. You have totally confused the people with the government. The people would have exterminated the Indians, government or no government. Many Indian tribes prior to the 1830s no longer exist, including the Delaware Indians. You sound like a liberal historical revisionist. Andrew Jackson formed alliances with Indians in the War of 1812.

[Galileo Galilei]

lthough he is properly critical of Jackson's cruelty, arrogance, and deceit towards the tribes, and of the horrors they underwent during the removal, Remini argues that there was no good alternative to the removal policy. If the tribes had not been removed they would have been overwhelmed by onrushing white settlement and lost entirely their tribal identity, as was the case with many northeastern tribes. Paradoxically, Jackson proved right in that the removal policy saved the southeast tribes from extinction.

http://www.amazon.com/Andrew-Jackson-His-Indian-Wars/dp/0670910252

[dude58677]

Milliard Fillmore, no controversy at all!:collins:

[heavenlyboy34]

Yeah right, James Monroe was a real tyrant. The people in the Era of Good Feelings spent most of their time worried that the feds would knock down their doors. Get real.
Monroe proposed drafting 100,000 men to fight the war of 1812 and favored standing armies over militias. :p (pg 27, Journal of Libertarian Studies, Vol. 15, no. 4 (http://mises.org/journals/jls/15_4/15_4_2.pdf))

[Galileo Galilei]

Monroe proposed drafting 100,000 men to fight the war of 1812 and favored standing armies over militias. :p (pg 27, Journal of Libertarian Studies, Vol. 15, no. 4 (http://mises.org/journals/jls/15_4/15_4_2.pdf))

that's false, Monroe asked the states to raise troops.

[heavenlyboy34]

that's false, Monroe asked the states to raise troops.
Source?

[Galileo Galilei]

Source?

well, for starters, Monroe was not president in 1814, so when rating presidents, it is irrelevant, Monroe became president in 1817.