An Interesting Poll

I originally found out about this on Reason's blog, a poll to determine the most overrated/underrated presidents in history.  Definitely a different twist on ranking presidents, as you usually hear of polls ranking the greatest or worst presidents of all-time.  My picks from each party:

*Most Overrated Democrat:  FDR.  The idea that he saved the economy is one of the biggest charades in US history.  It was the Federal Reserve that gave us the Great Depression, and FDR's New Deal helped prolong it.

*Most Overrated Republican:  Ronald Reagan.  I'll give Reagan credit for rejuvenating the economy.  Ex-Kremlin officials give Reagan credit for accelerating the demise of the Soviet Union.  But the man was not a deity, as many conservatives seemingly make him out to be.  His administration did break the law.  For many broken families, the Reagan legacy is his breaking down the barrier between the military and civilian law enforcement, and the resulting corruption and needless violence we've seen since then in the name of fighting the War on Drugs.

*Most Underrated Democrat:  Grover Cleveland.  He'd be a pariah in today's Democratic Party, as he opposed tariffs and foreign intervention.  Arguably the last true classically liberal president we've had in this country.

*Most Underrated Republican:  Calvin Coolidge.  Many like to point the finger of blame at Coolidge for the Great Depression.  But the economy was humming during Coolidge's time as President.  A lot of the tax cutting that happened under Coolidge, engineered by Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon, started when Mellon held the same position with President Harding.  Harding is very much maligned by history, and maybe deserves the "most underrated" title, but Harding himself said "I am not fit for this office and never should have been here."

One of the comments on the website running the poll is worth noting:  "Although Bush II is widely regarded as our worst President ever...he's even worse than that."

 

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