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Presidents: Ranking the Rank and the Righteous

Posted by JAZZ SHAW, Assistant Editor in Politics.
Feb 18th, 2009 | 5 responses

After that C-SPAN poll of presidential historians came out I had my doubts about the entire process. Presidencies are not like hockey scores where you can stack them up on a point spread basis. But I give it some time to sink in and have now come up with a final verdict on the project which you can read in my latest column at Pajamas Media today.

In this episode, we’ll explore some of the following questions:

What was so great about Kennedy and Wilson anyhow?

Why is Eisenhower so consistently over rated?

When will people stop picking on poor John Tyler? The man annexed Texas for us!

What do George W. Bush and James Buchanan have in common?

All this and more today, along with some great new diet tips and a recipe for home-made wasabi!

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5 Responses to “Presidents: Ranking the Rank and the Righteous”

GeorgeSorwell says:

February 18, 2009 at 5:22 pm

Eisenhower concluded the shooting war in Korea. He initiated the federal interstate highway system, arguably the most economically potent infrastructure project in American history. He didn't get mixed up in that Suez unpleasantness (or, for that matter, in Vietnam). He promoted integration and signed what was, way back in the late 1950's, landmark Civil Rights legislation.

Eisenhower is, if anything, under-rated.
kritt11 says:

February 18, 2009 at 5:49 pm

Kennedy started the Peace Corps, made us leaders in the space race and forced the Soviets to remove their nuclear missles from Cuba. He also came up with a civil rights agenda that LBJ implemented after his assassination.
PattonGuy says:

February 18, 2009 at 5:55 pm

What's so great about having Texas? Look at what having Texas got us these past 8 years.
GeorgeSorwell says:

February 18, 2009 at 8:45 pm

If I remember right, Tyler annexed Texas on, like, his last day in office, specifically to deny Polk the credit for doing the exact same thing.

Bitter!!
Don Quijote says:

February 18, 2009 at 9:44 pm

He didn't get mixed up in that Suez unpleasantness (or, for that matter, in Vietnam).

Actually he did get us into Vietnam.

When did the Vietnam War start and end?

POSSIBLE START DATES FOR THE WAR:

1. If one could think about direct military involvement then it would be Sept. 27, 1950 — U.S. establishes the Military Assistance Advisory Group, Indochina (MAAG) in Saigon to aid the French military (the French had been fighting communist rebels in Vietnam, their pre-WWII colony, since 1945).

2. If one could think about direct combat engagement then it would be November 1, 1955 — The U.S. redesignates MAAG, Indochina, as MAAG, Vietnam to specify its new direct combat advisory role with the South Vietnamese Army. The U.S. essentially took over the advisory role from the French, who were leaving Vietnam after their defeat at Diem Bien Phu in 1954. The Department of Defense views this date as the earliest qualifying date for inclusion on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In fact this allows US military personnel to use live weapon in Vietnam aka 'to fight'!