Who are the most overrated Presidents? The most underrated?

Red Dog · 01-04-06, 09:44 AM

Inspired from the spying thread:

Most overrated:
1. FDR
2. Lincoln
3. Kennedy

Most underrated:
1. Coolidge
2. Cleveland
3. Polk

I'm sure this will get partisan, but let's try to keep it relatively benign.

classicman2 · 01-04-06, 09:45 AM

JFK - by a large margin

Most underrated - Polk

Lunatikk · 01-04-06, 09:47 AM

1. Kennedy
2. Kennedy
3. Kennedy

Tommy Ceez · 01-04-06, 09:48 AM

Ill tell you in 20 years when Im done reading all the presidential biographies in order...Ive almost started Washington

Pharoh · 01-04-06, 09:49 AM

Overrated:
1. FDR

2. Kennedy
3. Jefferson (it's as if his second term never transpired.)

classicman2 · 01-04-06, 09:50 AM

underrated preisident (due to some unfortunate happenings) - Richard M. Nixon

wendersfan · 01-04-06, 09:52 AM

JFK is overrated.

Eisenhower is vastly underrated my most people, but he gets his props from the cognoscenti.

I'm far too ignorant of pre-20th Century American history to comment on someone like Polk.

classicman2 · 01-04-06, 09:55 AM

Which president added more territory to the United States - Jefferson or Polk?

The only way I believe you can rate presidents is by what they accomplished - not whether they appealed to the citizenary or not.

CRM114 · 01-04-06, 09:56 AM

Again, I can't believe anyone would call Abraham Lincoln "overrated."

classicman2 · 01-04-06, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CRM114

Again, I can't believe anyone would call Abraham Lincoln "overrated."

I didn't say he was overrated.

wendersfan · 01-04-06, 10:03 AM

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and state than neither Bill Clinton nor George W Bush will go down in history as being nowhere close to as good as their supporters contend, nor nowhere as bad as their detractors bray obsessively. But if President Bush's vision is vindicated in 50 years, at least I won't be alive to regret that statement.

classicman2 · 01-04-06, 10:04 AM

Clinton will probably be given a little better than press than Bush considering the political leanings of most of the historians who write about such things.

Pharoh · 01-04-06, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wendersfan

JFK is overrated.

Eisenhower is vastly underrated my most people, but he gets his props from the cognoscenti.

I'm far too ignorant of pre-20th Century American history to comment on someone like Polk.

Polk is definitely on my list of underrated presidents, I just don't know exactly where to place him as his one term only and unresolved issues make it difficult for me.

My actual number one most underrated would be George Washington.

wendersfan · 01-04-06, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by classicman2

Clinton will probably be given a little better than press than Bush considering the political leanings of most of the historians who write about such things.

Since I work with historians I'm forced to agree. I will say that Richard Nixon is generally well thought of, considering.

classicman2 · 01-04-06, 10:07 AM

Without George (and I don't mean the current one

) the country might not survived.

Yeah, I believe George was a little underrated.

classicman2 · 01-04-06, 10:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wendersfan

Since I work with historians I'm forced to agree. I will say that Richard Nixon is generally well thought of, considering.

Nixon accomplished a lot.

wendersfan · 01-04-06, 10:10 AM

Any good books on Polk, or the Polk 'era'?

Tracer Bullet · 01-04-06, 10:10 AM

Overrated:

JFK
Reagan

Underrated:

Eisenhower
Johnson

Red Dog · 01-04-06, 10:13 AM

GW is widely regarded as a top-3 Prez, so that's why I don't regard him as that underrated.

wendersfan · 01-04-06, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TracerBullet

Overrated:

JFK
Reagan

Underrated:

Eisenhower
Johnson

Reagan is problematic for me, for a couple of reasons. First, he initiated the heavy levels of deficit spending that's so rampant today, and second, I don't know how 'in charge' he really was in his second term. Iran-Contra notwithstanding, the ship seemed pretty loose after 1985 or so.

I assume you mean Lyndon Johnson, not Andrew Johnson. Either way,

Pharoh · 01-04-06, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Dog

GW is widely regarded as a top-3 Prez, so that's why I don't regard him as that underrated.

But why?

Seriously, the reason that most would say that has nothing to actually do with what he accomplished and achieved while serving as president. I understand your reasoning and can't argue with it, I simply view his presidency as being underrated.

mosquitobite · 01-04-06, 10:18 AM

I like what I've read about Cleveland, so I'll say he's underrated. Overrated would have to be FDR/Kennedy.

classicman2 · 01-04-06, 10:19 AM

I consider RMN to be the best. Why? Because Nixon was responsible for giving Civil Service employees the largest pay increases in history.

I don't want to hear any bad-mouthing about Tricky Dick.

Pharoh · 01-04-06, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wendersfan

Any good books on Polk, or the Polk 'era'?

I'll look up what I have at home later on.

Red Dog · 01-04-06, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pharoh

But why?

Seriously, the reason that most would say that has nothing to actually do with what he accomplished and achieved while serving as president. I understand your reasoning and can't argue with it, I simply view his presidency as being underrated.

I agree he is underrated. I said 'that underrated' as in he should be #1 instead of #2 or #3 which is where you routinely find him (behind FDR and/or Lincoln). Not much of a difference. Whereas the guys I listed are far lower in the 'pack' and should be many spots higher. Hence, most underrated.

01-04-06, 09:48 AM	#4
Tommy Ceez DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Capitol of the Empire! Center of all Commerce and Culture! Crossroads of Civilization! NEW ROME!!!...aka New York City Posts: 10,810	Ill tell you in 20 years when Im done reading all the presidential biographies in order...Ive almost started Washington __________________ Tommy Ceez may or may not be a moron, but he's OUR possible moron - El Scorcho

01-04-06, 09:52 AM	#7
wendersfan Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Where homophobes don't get slut sauce Posts: 28,260	JFK is overrated. Eisenhower is vastly underrated my most people, but he gets his props from the cognoscenti. I'm far too ignorant of pre-20th Century American history to comment on someone like Polk. __________________ "Fifth Element may be as dumb and artless as Johnny Mnemonic, but since a frenchman made it it must be ART!" -Pants "...I think it's a low blow to draw attention to wendersfan's drunken state. " - dork "Just because their victims are still alive doesn't mean they didn't commit murder." - grundle "You concentrate on the sad wanna be hooliganism and let us worry about the actual soccer." - rocketsauce (final score: Columbus 2-Chicago 1)

01-04-06, 10:03 AM	#11
wendersfan Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Where homophobes don't get slut sauce Posts: 28,260	I'm gonna go out on a limb here and state than neither Bill Clinton nor George W Bush will go down in history as being nowhere close to as good as their supporters contend, nor nowhere as bad as their detractors bray obsessively. But if President Bush's vision is vindicated in 50 years, at least I won't be alive to regret that statement. __________________ "Fifth Element may be as dumb and artless as Johnny Mnemonic, but since a frenchman made it it must be ART!" -Pants "...I think it's a low blow to draw attention to wendersfan's drunken state. " - dork "Just because their victims are still alive doesn't mean they didn't commit murder." - grundle "You concentrate on the sad wanna be hooliganism and let us worry about the actual soccer." - rocketsauce (final score: Columbus 2-Chicago 1)

01-04-06, 10:10 AM	#17
wendersfan Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Where homophobes don't get slut sauce Posts: 28,260	Any good books on Polk, or the Polk 'era'? __________________ "Fifth Element may be as dumb and artless as Johnny Mnemonic, but since a frenchman made it it must be ART!" -Pants "...I think it's a low blow to draw attention to wendersfan's drunken state. " - dork "Just because their victims are still alive doesn't mean they didn't commit murder." - grundle "You concentrate on the sad wanna be hooliganism and let us worry about the actual soccer." - rocketsauce (final score: Columbus 2-Chicago 1)

01-04-06, 10:10 AM	#18
Tracer Bullet DVD Talk Legend Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: IND Crosstown Posts: 23,358	Overrated: JFK Reagan Underrated: Eisenhower Johnson __________________ Third World countries are worthy of our derision. -Sean O'Hara Personally, I would say that Tracer Bullet is leading you in the wrong direction. -Supermallet Sometimes you have to decide between the guy who won't give you a cupcake and the one who will stab you in the face. -DeputyDave

01-04-06, 09:44 AM	#1
Red Dog DVD Talk God Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Directionally Challenged (for DirecTV) Posts: 104,488	Who are the most overrated Presidents? The most underrated? Inspired from the spying thread: Most overrated: 1. FDR 2. Lincoln 3. Kennedy Most underrated: 1. Coolidge 2. Cleveland 3. Polk I'm sure this will get partisan, but let's try to keep it relatively benign. __________________ "A question for you. Would you rather Bucknell make the NCAA's once every 20 years or so and get ass raped by teams like Kansas in the first round or have them drop down a rung to a confernce where they can compete for a title?" - Josh Hinkle 1st Round Final Scores: Bucknell 64 Kansas 63 \| Bucknell 59 Arkansas 55

01-04-06, 09:45 AM	#2
classicman2 DVD Talk God Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 66,868	JFK - by a large margin Most underrated - Polk

01-04-06, 09:47 AM	#3
Lunatikk DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: My Car Posts: 6,563	1. Kennedy 2. Kennedy 3. Kennedy

01-04-06, 09:49 AM	#5
Pharoh DVD Talk Legend Join Date: May 2000 Location: In sadness and denial Posts: 21,162	Overrated: 1. FDR 2. Kennedy 3. Jefferson (it's as if his second term never transpired.)

01-04-06, 09:50 AM	#6
classicman2 DVD Talk God Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 66,868	underrated preisident (due to some unfortunate happenings) - Richard M. Nixon

01-04-06, 09:55 AM	#8
classicman2 DVD Talk God Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 66,868	Which president added more territory to the United States - Jefferson or Polk? The only way I believe you can rate presidents is by what they accomplished - not whether they appealed to the citizenary or not.

01-04-06, 09:56 AM	#9
CRM114 DVD Talk Hero Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 34,824	Again, I can't believe anyone would call Abraham Lincoln "overrated."

01-04-06, 10:04 AM	#12
classicman2 DVD Talk God Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 66,868	Clinton will probably be given a little better than press than Bush considering the political leanings of most of the historians who write about such things.

01-04-06, 10:07 AM	#15
classicman2 DVD Talk God Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 66,868	Without George (and I don't mean the current one ) the country might not survived. Yeah, I believe George was a little underrated.

01-04-06, 10:13 AM	#19
Red Dog DVD Talk God Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Directionally Challenged (for DirecTV) Posts: 104,488	GW is widely regarded as a top-3 Prez, so that's why I don't regard him as that underrated. __________________ "A question for you. Would you rather Bucknell make the NCAA's once every 20 years or so and get ass raped by teams like Kansas in the first round or have them drop down a rung to a confernce where they can compete for a title?" - Josh Hinkle 1st Round Final Scores: Bucknell 64 Kansas 63 \| Bucknell 59 Arkansas 55

01-04-06, 10:18 AM	#22
mosquitobite DVD Talk Limited Edition Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Pleasantville - in black & white ;P Posts: 5,967	I like what I've read about Cleveland, so I'll say he's underrated. Overrated would have to be FDR/Kennedy. __________________ "Americans are so enamored of equality, they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom." Alexis de Tocqueville (1805-1859) French historian.

01-04-06, 10:19 AM	#23
classicman2 DVD Talk God Join Date: Jun 1999 Posts: 66,868	I consider RMN to be the best. Why? Because Nixon was responsible for giving Civil Service employees the largest pay increases in history. I don't want to hear any bad-mouthing about Tricky Dick.