Who is the worst U.S. President ever?

[SeattleUte]

I think Bush may be our worst president ever. By way of contrasting example, Nixon evinced his hatred for free government, overseeing an administration run amok in civil rights abuses and behaving like a thug himself, his henchmen even breaking and entering into a psychiatrist's office so they could smear a journalist who embarrassed the administration. He instituted wage and price controls ushering in the spiraling inflation of the 70's and '80's. He took seven years to extricate us from Vietnam after being elected on the promise to do so asap. The tapes reveal he was a racist and anti-semite and would have loved to shut down the news outlets. The Code of Federal Regulations tripled in size on his watch. His nuclear arms disarmament initiatives may have prolonged the cold war by ten years or so. He was a terrible president.

Yet Nixon's initiatives in China were truly groundbreaking, even subversive to conservative dogma at the time, and all for the greater good. His diplomacy for better or worse remains the stuff of high historical drama, even legend, and among many consreviatives he retains a mystique as a brilliant albeit damaged person and leader.

Bush has Nixon's dark side, and none of his complexity and positives. He'll go down in history as a shallow, mean, dogmatic little man in the thrall of his mendacious handlers who got us mired into a decade long and pointless war and disgraced us as torturers and civil righs abusers. It was always quite ambiguous who bore the fault for getting us into Vietnam between Johnson and Kennedy, and there was much sympathetic understanding that this was a sort road to hell is paved with good intentions enterprise that unfolded gradually. It's clear Bush got us into Iraq, and by invading a sovereign state on a false premise. He's certainly the least respected and worst president of my life.

[Archaea]

There were a bunch of terrible 19th Century presidents and Carter is the worst in my book. Bush may be the worst Republican, but Taft wasn't so grand. Hoover?

[FMCoug]

Originally Posted by Archaea

There were a bunch of terrible 19th Century presidents and Carter is the worst in my book. Bush may be the worst Republican, but Taft wasn't so grand. Hoover?

I chose Carter. I think it's unfair to compare 19th century presidents with those in the modern era. For that matter, the early 20th century you could say the same thing.

Also, when you go back beyond your own lifetime, you're relying on historians vs. your own living through the times. So that is a tough comparison too.

In my lifetime, it's Carter no question. And based on what I know of history, I'd include the rest of the 20th century in that. Beyond that who knows.

[YOhio]

James Buchanan.

[BarbaraGordon]

Define worst, please.

[SeattleUte]

Originally Posted by BarbaraGordon

Define worst, please.

The one who violated most egregiously the hippocratic oath of "first do no harm," which ought to be every president's first principle.

[Detroitdad]

Originally Posted by YOhio

James Buchanan.

He would be my vote as well. But since he was not in the poll I voted for Harding, if only because of his descendant, Tonya's foibles.

[Fumamota McChopperdave]

How can you list James Polk? If not for he the Portland Trailblazers would all be speaking Spanish.

[BlueK]

Originally Posted by Fumamota McChopperdave

How can you list James Polk? If not for he the Portland Trailblazers would all be speaking Spanish.

I agree. Polk is perhaps the most underrated president in US history. He easily could have had two terms but decided not to run again.

[Archaea]

Originally Posted by Detroitdad

He would be my vote as well. But since he was not in the poll I voted for Harding, if only because of his descendant, Tonya's foibles.

James Buchanan is a very good choice.

We have so many to choose from, Harding, Coolidge, Buchanan, Hoover, Carter. The choices are endless.