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Saw an editorial about this today and thought that it was pretty good question to ask. The article is here:Can You Name the Greatest President of the Past 100 Years?I think my answer would be Teddy Roosevelt for many reasons. Top would be his unstinting support of American Power, 2 would be his support for the creation of the National Park System, and 3 would be his almost “Laissez Faire” Economic Policies
I'll add Reagan for the greatest in my lifetime even though as a child I was “brainwashed” to think FDR was numero uno for many years. Born in '32 and almost 13 when he died, I am still conditioned to think of him first each time I hear Hail to the Chief.
Calvin Coolidge? Really? He wouldn't have even appeared on the radar IMHO… I also would go with T.R.Plain and simple he had balls… and principles, and while he was surely an massive extrovert and not ashamed of his persona, he had America's best interest in mind at all times.
I like Herbert Hoover :)Not for his presidency in USA but for humanitarian aid which he provided after WWI.American food saved many lives in that time. He got “honorary citizenship of Poland” for that.
Hoover gets low rates because he was the one in office when the Depression started in '29..
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in the top 3 if not 1
In the general consciousness, isn't Kennedy mentioned in the top three or so?
He's the most romanticized President, but what did he actually accomplish? Had he not been killed, he might have led us into the Vietnam War and had LBJ's baggage. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a near blunder and the Bay of Pigs was his darkest hour. Not to mention his affair with Marilyn Monroe. I could go on to debunk Camelot, but I won't. He did get us going on our way to the moon though. He just didn't have enough time to do more.
Based on The Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy would have chickened out of Vietnam. He had some strange notion of being destined to start world war 3 that made him afraid to engage. He was so superstitious that they use his picture here in Asia on something they call ghost money (or hell money). Used by Taoists to burn as an offering.Have a look. http://aes.iupui.edu/rwise/banknotes/china/china_hellnotekennedy.JPGI go with T.R.
I have to +1 Donnie on his analysis of Kennedy. Kennedy is idolized because he was young, had not been around long enough to really make many mistakes and he was idolized and made into some type of secular martyr after his assassination based on the fact that he was killed, not on his meager accomplishments.
