Who is your all time favorite President of the U.S. (not a poll)

[Mr Light]

I'd go with FDR but he's the one I'm most familiar with. If I knew more about Lincoln maybe I'd pick him.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

I don't know many, but I remember reading about a couple who were great humanitarians and whose life histories and political careers greatly impressed me. I mean, they were more than just great Presidents, they were great people throughout their lives. I'm frustrated the names won't come. I can try and excuse it with "I'm not American", but really that's not an excuse....

 

[Australis]

^ No, it is an excuse. How many Americans would be able to name three of your country's leaders, let alone rate them?

 

[Skywalker]

I'm just curious since the OP said nothing about including age.

It was brought up later. The OP wanted to see how many people picked Presidents that were in power during their own lifetimes. Not many, apparently.

Well, the only presidents who have been in power in my lifetime are Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. Of those, and not including Obama since it's still way too soon, my pick would be Bill Clinton, and it isn't even close.

 

[enlisted person]

Reagan was the best president of my lifetime.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

^ No, it is an excuse. How many Americans would be able to name three of your country's leaders, let alone rate them?

Well no offense to anyone, but given America's prominence on the world stage it is much more likely that a foreigner would know one of America's leaders than we would know there's. It's like the difference between knowing who's in the Beatles and who's in Quicksilver Messenger Service.

 

[T'Girl]

Calvin Coolidge, he got unemployment in America below one percent for several months, have to love that.

Turman, took responsibility for what happen in his administration, didn't blame FDR for his troubles

I was born in 1987, only president I really knew was George Bush, can't help but wonder what he would of been like with no 9-11

 

[Bones2]

I did say Nixon, but if I had to pick within my lifetime, I'd say Bush Jr, being born 5 months too late to say Reagan. But I'm not American, so my opinion probably doesn't matter.

 

[darthvincor]

George Washington.

Obviously not within my lifetime.

Why: because he didn't want to be a president and was also reluctant about a second term and was very careful about the (ab)use of power.
For me, that is the sign of a great president: he doesn't want the power.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

For me, that is the sign of a great president: he doesn't want the power.

Which is logically impossible, since anyone who didn't want the power wouldn't *run*.

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

Here's something to debate

Truman helped create Red China

Wilson helped create Red Russia

 

[Skywalker]

Here's something to debate

Truman helped create Red China

Wilson helped create Red Russia

John Milius helped create Red Dawn.

Milius for president!

 

[Roger Wilco]

<-not an American, but my answer is FDR, easily.

eta: I know OP said no discussion, but I'm really surprised so many here say "Jefferson" - how can you get over him having been a slaveholder?

 

[NileQT87]

Lincoln and Reagan are favorites of mine (me, being a very proud Republican). Reagan was president when I was born.

As for Democrats, I'll go with Truman.

 

[Skywalker]

<-not an American, but my answer is FDR, easily.

eta: I know OP said no discussion, but I'm really surprised so many here say "Jefferson" - how can you get over him having been a slaveholder?

Jefferson was an abolitionist (though he did hold some of the same views about Blacks that many contemporary Whites held), and even banned the slave trade in 1807. The main problem was he was deeply in debt for the majority of his adult life and couldn't free his slaves until he got out of debt, which never happened. There's a very long and in-depth article about Jefferson and his relationship with slavery at Wikipedia, if you're interested.

 

[Roger Wilco]

How can you call yourself an abolitionist and own slaves without being a fucking hypocrit?

 

[Skywalker]

How can you call yourself an abolitionist and own slaves without being a fucking hypocrit?

Yeah, I know. It's one of the things discussed in that article I mentioned.

Anyway, I never said Jefferson was my favorite person, just my favorite president.

 

[JuanBolio]

<-not an American, but my answer is FDR, easily.

eta: I know OP said no discussion, but I'm really surprised so many here say "Jefferson" - how can you get over him having been a slaveholder?

There was a lot more to the man than that. I don't respect that he owned slaves, at all, but I understand why he did. He did some great things for the country, and had a brilliant and adventurous mind.

Try to look past the one fault. Yes, he owned slaves and that by our standards today is reprehensible. He was not, however, a tyrannical master by any stretch of the imagination. I find an abolitionist slave owner like Jefferson to be a better human being than an openly racist man such as Lincoln who's war happened to free the slaves. You really should read that article, if not a full biography of the man.

 

[Roger Wilco]

I'm sorry, but owning people is a dealbreaker for me, completely regardless of the circumstances.

 

[Shaytan]

Franklin Roosevelt because there is a very usefull metro station with his name on the Champs Elysées