* Confine nominations to the presidents who served in the only two full centuries the nation has lived through so far, i.e., the 19th and the 20th. I know this guideline might annoy some of you because of the serious shenanigans we've already endured in the 21st century. But I'd like this to be more about rear-view mirror history than present-day ranting, even if that ranting is justified. Besides, confining your choices to one president from each full century gives you a lot more possibilities to consider.
* In the 19th century, neither William Henry Harrison nor James Garfield lived long enough to be fairly judged so leave those two out.
* However, all the accidental presidents - e.g., John Tyler in the 19th century and Gerald Ford in the 20th - are legitimate candidates for your scorn. Ready for my nominations?
From the 19th century, I nominate Andrew Johnson - one of those accidental guys, BTW - for how quickly he began trying to dismantle pieces of Lincoln's legacy. In addition, Johnson holds the dubious distinction of being our first chief executive to be impeached, although he - like the other two with an asterisk next to their names - escaped being convicted by the Senate. By one vote.
From the 20th century, I struggled more to make a final selection, especially because I've been around since Harry Truman held the highest job. But in the end, at least for me, Warren G. Harding eased out his serious competitors for someone we would have been better without. There have arguably been more corrupt administrations before and after Harding's, but his stands out for its blatant audacity.
Why not join me in some harmless historical revisionism? Look at it this way. The only living person's feelings you can hurt are Bill Clinton's. I suspect he's heard worse.
Hey Pat ... I'm going to nominate James Buchanan for my first. His lead up to the Civil War was, in many writings, very poorly received. And my second choice would be Andrew Jackson. Corruption is one word that comes up when researching his presidency. And while that can be applied to a few others, it is fairly prominent for Mr. Jackson.
ReplyDeleteBe well,
Bob
Bob; Of the comments you made today, this is the only post where you went "solo"; congratulations? Both Buchanan and Jackson could have easily made my presidential reverse list as well, although Buchanan is an easier target given how conventional history has lionized Jackson, even putting him on currency.
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