Who Was The Last Good U.S. President?

[Witchfan]

Ronald Reagan was the best president of my childhood and Barack Obama was the best president of my adult life.

[Coin Biter]

Questions like this make me wonder if earlier presidents and government representatives were as corrupt as they are now, and there was just no way of seeing it. With the internet and social media, it seems much easier to find and spread the dirt on anyone.

That being said, I miss having Obama as president.

I'm not an expert on US history, but from recollection, Ulysses Grant's and Warren Harding's governments, in particular, were fairly legendary for their corruption.

[Coin Biter]

In answer to the question, speaking as a non US citizen, I'd suggest Lyndon Johnson.

[PwrdOn]

Questions like this make me wonder if earlier presidents and government representatives were as corrupt as they are now, and there was just no way of seeing it. With the internet and social media, it seems much easier to find and spread the dirt on anyone.

That being said, I miss having Obama as president.

The American press has been spreading seedy tales of corrupt backroom deals since the very beginning, and if anything the public was probably better informed in the past than they are now, especially at the state and local level which most people deem beneath their attention these days. The real sea change came during the Cold War, when people got the silly idea in their heads that somehow even legitimate criticism of the government should be kept to a minimum because dissent made us look weak in front of our enemies, so people were expected to just put on the blinders and wave the flag regardless of what shady stuff was going on. And sadly this became a sort of self-fulfilling prophecy, because the rest of the world is so used to America's rah rah patriotism that it DOES make us look weak and divided now that people are questioning the government more, and our rivals have certainly been keen to exploit that.

[marvelmaniac6169]

Since I HATE and DESPISE Corporate America my answer is...

Theodore "Trust Buster" Roosevelt

Even with corporate greed buying an election they could not keep him out of the White House and fighting for the people.

[Tuck]

I'm not an expert on US history, but from recollection, Ulysses Grant's and Warren Harding's governments, in particular, were fairly legendary for their corruption.

Though not Grant or Harding themselves. The people around them were corrupt.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

The best of my lifetime were two guys (Clinton and Obama) whose legacies won’t age as well as their in office popularity. Historians tend to judge Presidents on their effectiveness rather than how popular or nice guys they were.

I’d say that overall historically the last good one was LBJ. Then the last great one was either Eisenhower or FDR depending on how you feel about the former.

Also JFK was overrated

[Tuck]

Eisenhower put Earl Warren on the Court. Pretty big deal no matter how someone might feel about him otherwise.

[Scott Taylor]

Since I HATE and DESPISE Corporate America my answer is...

Theodore "Trust Buster" Roosevelt

Even with corporate greed buying an election they could not keep him out of the White House and fighting for the people.

He is my second choice, mainly because he is the one who actually had the guts to truly to protect wildlife and public lands by creating the Forest Service, a ton of National Forests, reserves, game preserves, National Parks, and National Monuments. That is one seriously serious legacy.

[DrNewGod]

I'd go with FDR. For all his issues, he inherited a US almost as thoroughly busted as one Lincoln got, remade the nation in the only way that permitted our Constitution to survive, and put in place all major pieces that would shape the world order for the subsequent 70 years.

[Güicho]

[Tien Long]

Last good one for me is Obama. Obama was Democratic Centrist. Granted there were times I think he could have fought harder rather than yield on certain issues, but a lot of people good get behind him. Now, it just seems like everyone, whether on the left or right, is more partisan, "us vs. them," and unwilling to compromise.

If we're talking about best presidents ever, my top picks in no particular order are:

Lincoln (Keeping it together during some of the most divisive, violent, and bloody times of America's history, that is noteworthy)

FDR (Kept it together during the one-two of Great Depression and WWII. I don't like to play good guy vs. bad guy here, but seriously, he provided a good counter to Facists like Hitler or Mussolini. I think of the way he used mass media, like a Hitler, but instead of blaming the Jews, talked about getting things done together as a nation. Listen to his fireside chats or speeches today, and tell me you just don't feel inspired and reassured. As an Asian-American I wince at the passage of his Executive Order which allowed for Japanese Internment. But ultimately, I think he was a good person. He could have changed his mind on the issue. Mad props to his wife Eleanor.)

Washington (Served as general during the fight for America. Went through hell and back during the American Revolution. Kept neutrality during his presidency and established precedence which we use today. Could have been a king, but willingly gave up power after his terms. Absolutely he did own slaves. Even ordered the capture of a slave who tried to escape. At the same time, he did free them upon his death. A complicated figure. Definitely flawed, but ultimately redeemable).

[wjowski]

LBJ, at least speaking domestically.

As for Reagan...this is all I have to say about him. https://politics.theonion.com/embarr...f-e-1819572284

[marvelmaniac6169]

And this has nothing to do with politics and you can call me sexist or whatever you want, I really do not care...

Bill Clinton is my Hero, he did things that every guy thinks about and got away with it, made it through an impeachment hearing and with his marriage intact, his exploits have been memorialized on episodes of the Simpsons, does not get any better than that.

But, if you actually need to see his political accomplishments while in the White House...

https://clintonwhitehouse5.archives....tyears-01.html

[Billy Batson]

It's a bit sad that FDR was the last good one.