Most Maligned President

[Burgold]

Just for the sake of asking the opposite question. Which President do you think has been the most unfairly maligned.

I'll go with Truman for now... but, there a bunch o good choices.

[codeorama]

Jefferson Davis... :paranoid:

[Burgold]

I know you lived in the south for a reason

[flyingtiger1013]

Jefferson Davis... :paranoid:

I agree.

The defeat and surrender of the armies of Lee and Johnston dissolved the Confederate States in fact leaving nothing to be done in law but the abrogation of the ordinances of secession by the States which had erected them. As one result of the fall of the armies the President was made a captive by the military, imprisoned in chains, charged unjustly with crimes for which he demanded trial in vain, and after two years of imprisonment which disgraced his enemies was released on bond. A nolle prosequi was entered in his case in 1869, and thus he was never brought to the trial which he earnestly demanded.

After this release on bail the ex-President enjoyed an enthusiastic reception at Richmond, Virginia, and then visited Europe. Returning home, he avoided ostentatious display, appearing before the public, however, in occasional address and writings. He counseled the South to recover its wasted resources and maintain its principles. Secession he frankly admitted to be no more possible, but he remained to the last an unyielding opposer of power centralized in the Federal government. Now and then public demonstrations revealed the attachment of the Southern people, especially two occasions in Georgia, one being the unveiling of the Ben Hill statue in Atlanta, and the other an occasion in Macon, Ga., during the State agricultural fair. These popular demonstrations were of such an imposing character as to evidence the undiminished attachment of the people to his personal character, and sympathy for him in his misfortunes.

The death of the President occurred at New Orleans about one o'clock a.m., December 5, 1889, and the event was announced throughout the Union. The funeral ceremonies in New Orleans were such as comported with the illustrious character of the deceased chieftain, while public meetings in other cities and towns of the South were held to express the common sorrow, and the flags of State capitols were dropped to half-mast. Distinguished men pronounced eulogies on his character, and the press universally at the South and generally at the North contained extended and laudatory articles on his character.

The burial place in New Orleans was selected only as a temporary receptacle, while a general movement was inaugurated for a tomb and monument which resulted in the removal of the body to Richmond, the capitol of the Confederacy. The removal took place by means of a special funeral train from New Orleans to Richmond, passing through several States and stopping at many places to receive the respectful and affectionate tributes bestowed by the people. The scene from the time of the departure from New Orleans to the last rites at Richmond was singular in its nature and sublime in its significance of popular esteem for the memory of the Confederate President. The funeral train moved day and night almost literally in review before the line of people assembled to see it pass. Finally in the presence of many thousands the casket was deposited in the last resting place in the keeping of the city which had so long withstood the rude alarms of war under his presidency.

Full biography:

http://www.civilwarhome.com/jdavisbio.htm

[codeorama]

I know you lived in the south for a reason

:laugh:

[iheartskins]

LBJ, though he probably deserved a fair amount of the crticism surrounding his administration.

[SkinsD]

Clinton. I think history will be a lot kinder to him than his contemporaries. He was a good president who oversaw an economic explosion and had a peaceful term. His morals can be questioned but I think few would disagree that the Republicans blew that up. In addition I know I, and can safely assume most men would have had a hard time saying no to sex.

[Burgold]

Conservatives hate sex. They know it is the original sin. Never been a republican sex scandel. Never been a televangelist or priest sex scandel or molestation case. That's all the liberal media spreading lies to weaken the moral fabric of the United States.

[@DCGoldPants]

Polk.

Why?

I don't know.

[Riggo-toni]

Without a doubt: WARREN G HARDING!!!

He was an exceptional President who rescued us from economic doldrums, and cut gov't outlays by 40%, resulting in the most prosperous decade ever, until Hoover turned what should've been a recession into the Great Depression by doubling tax rates and starting a trade war. Harding was slandered ruthlessly by virulent anti-business journalists after his death, who concocted tales of lurid affairs and took advantage of his life as an orphan to insinuate he was part African-American, which would've discredited him in 1930s racist rural America. Everyone lumped Harding and Coolidge in with Hoover, but Hoover actually had extremely different policies from his predecessors. Coolidge even confided to friends he thought Hoover would make a mess of things. Read Paul Johnson's History of the Twentieth Century, and you'll get a much enlightened view of the 20s and 30s compared to the shamefully wrong conventional wisdom.

[Sarge]

Hoover. His policies are generally accepted as what lead to the Great Depression

[codeorama]

Hoover. His policies are generally accepted as what lead to the Great Depression

Dam, Hoover sucked... :paranoid:

[Burgold]

Dam, Hoover sucked... :paranoid:

:laugh:

[WallyG3]

Yeah, Hoover was basically blamed for the whole depression. Wrong place, wrong time.

But, the most maligned President is always the current one. The whole grass is greener thing, you know.

[Ignatius J.]

Andrew Jackson sure seems to have a bad rep.

[DarkLadyRaven]

Hoover. His policies are generally accepted as what lead to the Great Depression

I agree Sarge.

For Vice President I nominate Aaron Burr

[pez]

James Buchanan

James Buchanan (April 23, 1791 – June 1, 1868) was the 15th President of the United States (1857-1861). He was the only bachelor President, and the only resident of Pennsylvania to hold that office. He has been criticized for failing to prevent the country from sliding into schism and the American Civil War and as a result, he is widely considered, together with his predecessor Franklin Pierce, to be one of the worst presidents in U.S. history.

[SkinsHokieFan]

Bush Sr

2 years later in 1994 his approval ratings were sky high and Clinton's at 32 percent which lead to the landslide of 1994

[Riggo-toni]

Hoover. His policies are generally accepted as what lead to the Great Depression

As well they should be. Maligned means to be unfairly defamed or looked down upon. Hoover deserves his bad rep, therefore he is not maligned, but rather accurately depicted as a bad President.

He went against the advice of Treasury Secretary Mellon, and expanded credit to unsustainable levels.

He more than doubled the income tax rate in the midst of an economic downturn, raising the top rate from 30 to 66 percent, to atone for the "decade of greed." (the 20s - sound familiar?)

He ignited a trade war which obliterated America's export industry by signing the Smoot-Hawley tariff.

He, like his successor FDR, placed wage controls on the manufacturing industry to counter downward pressure on the economy, which in fact aggravated unemployment instead. A little known tidbit is that the retail sector, which was left alone, actually held steady during the 30s and avoided the job losses that afflicted manufacturers.

Hoover was NOT simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was the wrong man for the job, and one of the worst Presidents in US history.