List the 5 Presidents you most admire and the reason

[Dan Daly]

Exactly. Wanna blame somebody, blame those do-nothing predecessors who allowed it to fester that far.

You can go all the way back to the Constitutional convention and the compromises that were made there and during the subsequent ratification process. It would be interesting to speculate what we would be today without those compromises and the Constitution.

 

[rightwinger]

What made Lincoln a great President is that when confronted with a catastrophic situation, he did what needed to be done. Drastic times call for drastic measures. He saw the big picture which was to preserve the union. He faced petty politics and severe ridicule and opposition yet still stayed the course. He understood the politics of the situation, the role Europe would play and the impact that slavery was having on our nation

Unlike most of his contemporaries, Lincoln understood the politics of the situation and restored the union

Truly our best President

He wasn't "confronted by a catastrophic situation", he created it.

Far from it

The South was seceding before he even took office. The confrontation over slavery had been brewing for 50 years

Exactly. Wanna blame somebody, blame those do-nothing predecessors who allowed it to fester that far.

Pop quiz: in the election of 1860, the Republican candidate was Lincoln and the Democratic candidate was Stephen Douglas.
Which one won the South?

Answer -- neither.
It's not like the warning signs weren't there.

The time to resolve the situation peacefully was between 1830 and 1860. Unfortunately, we had a succession of weak Presidents unwilling to use presidential powers to resolve an issue that would break apart the country. Lincoln saw it in his declaration that the nation could not continue to exist as half slave and half free.

 

[Roadrunner]

Exactly. Wanna blame somebody, blame those do-nothing predecessors who allowed it to fester that far.

You can go all the way back to the Constitutional convention and the compromises that were made there and during the subsequent ratification process. It would be interesting to speculate what we would be today without those compromises and the Constitution.

Without those compromise, there would never have been a United States as we know it.

 

[Roadrunner]

What made Lincoln a great President is that when confronted with a catastrophic situation, he did what needed to be done. Drastic times call for drastic measures. He saw the big picture which was to preserve the union. He faced petty politics and severe ridicule and opposition yet still stayed the course. He understood the politics of the situation, the role Europe would play and the impact that slavery was having on our nation

Unlike most of his contemporaries, Lincoln understood the politics of the situation and restored the union

Truly our best President

He wasn't "confronted by a catastrophic situation", he created it.

Far from it

The South was seceding before he even took office. The confrontation over slavery had been brewing for 50 years

Exactly. Wanna blame somebody, blame those do-nothing predecessors who allowed it to fester that far.

Pop quiz: in the election of 1860, the Republican candidate was Lincoln and the Democratic candidate was Stephen Douglas.
Which one won the South?

Answer -- neither.
It's not like the warning signs weren't there.

The time to resolve the situation peacefully was between 1830 and 1860. Unfortunately, we had a succession of weak Presidents unwilling to use presidential powers to resolve an issue that would break apart the country. Lincoln saw it in his declaration that the nation could not continue to exist as half slave and half free.

The internal combustion engine would have doomed slavery in a few years anyway, without the bloodshed.

We should have been a bit more patient, it was a dying institution.

 

[heirtothewind]

Opposition to the American Civil War - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Interesting article about opposition to Civil War. The North had many textile factories dependent on cotton. And there was racist fear that freed slaves would head North and work for lower wages.

 

[Roadrunner]

Opposition to the American Civil War - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Interesting article about opposition to Civil War. The North had many textile factories dependent on cotton. And there was racist fear that freed slaves would head North and work for lower wages.

They did.

Look what happened to the industrial base of the GOUSA, to the cities that armed the Allies in WWII.

Shitholes now, all of them.

They don't call it the Rust Belt for nothing.

 

[rightwinger]

What made Lincoln a great President is that when confronted with a catastrophic situation, he did what needed to be done. Drastic times call for drastic measures. He saw the big picture which was to preserve the union. He faced petty politics and severe ridicule and opposition yet still stayed the course. He understood the politics of the situation, the role Europe would play and the impact that slavery was having on our nation

Unlike most of his contemporaries, Lincoln understood the politics of the situation and restored the union

Truly our best President

He wasn't "confronted by a catastrophic situation", he created it.

Far from it

The South was seceding before he even took office. The confrontation over slavery had been brewing for 50 years

Exactly. Wanna blame somebody, blame those do-nothing predecessors who allowed it to fester that far.

Pop quiz: in the election of 1860, the Republican candidate was Lincoln and the Democratic candidate was Stephen Douglas.
Which one won the South?

Answer -- neither.
It's not like the warning signs weren't there.

The time to resolve the situation peacefully was between 1830 and 1860. Unfortunately, we had a succession of weak Presidents unwilling to use presidential powers to resolve an issue that would break apart the country. Lincoln saw it in his declaration that the nation could not continue to exist as half slave and half free.

The internal combustion engine would have doomed slavery in a few years anyway, without the bloodshed.

We should have been a bit more patient, it was a dying institution.

Cotton was picked by hand up until the 1930s
Is that when you would have ended slavery?

 

[RKMBrown]

George Washington... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Ronald Reagan... fought for liberty and limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Calvin Coolidge... fought for limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Thomas Jefferson... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

James Monroe... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

 

[rightwinger]

George Washington... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Ronald Reagan... fought for liberty and limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Calvin Coolidge... fought for limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Thomas Jefferson... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

James Monroe... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

"Limited Government"

 

[norwegen]

GEORGE WASHINGTON- set precedents for use of executive power

This is not admiration for George Washington; it's admiration for the first president.

 

[norwegen]

These are the five I admire most, in order of preference:

1. Thomas Jefferson: a Libertarian and Republican of the first order who commanded the smallest and most limited administration in America's history.

2. James Madison: a peerless constitutionalist who despised rule by popular edict.

3. Calvin Coolidge: the last president to pay down the national debt: the definitive conservative who, as Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. says, "did not seem to care what was written about him."

4. Ronald Reagan: the rare conservative whose popularity could advance his political campaigns and subsequently the morale, prosperity, and freedom of the people.

5. Abraham Lincoln: regarded republicanism as more moral than legal, and appreciated America's commitment to its morality as communicated in the Declaration of Independence.

 

[RKMBrown]

George Washington... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Ronald Reagan... fought for liberty and limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Calvin Coolidge... fought for limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Thomas Jefferson... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

James Monroe... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

"Limited Government"

So you are arguing that these conservatives were for "big" government like the democrats? HUH ROFL

 

[rightwinger]

George Washington... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Ronald Reagan... fought for liberty and limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Calvin Coolidge... fought for limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Thomas Jefferson... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

James Monroe... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

"Limited Government"

So you are arguing that these conservatives were for "big" government like the democrats? HUH ROFL

I believe those that you listed all instituted "Big Government"
Reagan expanded the size and scope of the federal government. Jefferson and Monroe sought to expand the size and the power of the US
Coolidge just didn't want any part of acting like a President

 

[RKMBrown]

George Washington... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Ronald Reagan... fought for liberty and limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Calvin Coolidge... fought for limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Thomas Jefferson... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

James Monroe... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

"Limited Government"

So you are arguing that these conservatives were for "big" government like the democrats? HUH ROFL

I believe those that you listed all instituted "Big Government"
Reagan expanded the size and scope of the federal government. Jefferson and Monroe sought to expand the size and the power of the US
Coolidge just didn't want any part of acting like a President

Note the part where I said.. albeit with some screw ups. The OP didn't ask us to name five perfect presidents.

But, yes I understand that your marxists love to cite any thing these guys did as your excuse to redistribute wealth into your pocket.

 

[rightwinger]

George Washington... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Ronald Reagan... fought for liberty and limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Calvin Coolidge... fought for limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Thomas Jefferson... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

James Monroe... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

"Limited Government"

So you are arguing that these conservatives were for "big" government like the democrats? HUH ROFL

I believe those that you listed all instituted "Big Government"
Reagan expanded the size and scope of the federal government. Jefferson and Monroe sought to expand the size and the power of the US
Coolidge just didn't want any part of acting like a President

Note the part where I said.. albeit with some screw ups. The OP didn't ask us to name five perfect presidents.

But, yes I understand that your marxists love to cite any thing these guys did as your excuse to redistribute wealth into your pocket.

But, yes I understand that your marxists love to cite any thing these guys did as your excuse to redistribute wealth into your pocket

Sounds impressive to the Rush Limbaugh branch of the party...but you have no basis in fact for your hyperbole

 

[Roadrunner]

Not sure I can think of five but...

Dwight Eisenhower, for his dropping the warning about the "military-industrial-congressional complex" (edited to MIC) on his way out the door. A remarkably courageous case of speaking truth to power.

FDR, for his taking on of economic disaster and putting in the energy and inspiration he did.

His cousin TR, for his taking on rampant robberbarony and championing the national resources of the earth.

None of them were flawless.


"God help this country when someone sits at this desk who doesn't know as much about the military as I do" -- Ike

I am really torn on Ike. It's like he was one of our greatest heroes and also one of our greatest disappointments.

Ike talked the talk about taking on the MIC, but he didn't walk the walk.

A great organizer, he never spent a minute in combat like old Terry Allen.

Now that was a General!

 

[Roadrunner]

Hard to see how, since the CSA was formed out of seceded states while Buchanan was still President...

Well to be fair, the early seceding states did so because Lincoln won the election (similar to how some folks freaked once Obama was elected). South Carolina had a history of being a little quick with the "we're taking our toys and going home" thing.

We needed a Jackson to tell SC to cool their heels.

But Lincoln wanted war, as proved by the Ft. Sumter provocation, which SC hotheads fell for.

 

[RKMBrown]

George Washington... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Ronald Reagan... fought for liberty and limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Calvin Coolidge... fought for limited government, set us back on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

Thomas Jefferson... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

James Monroe... fought for liberty and limited government, setting us on the right path, albeit with some screw ups.

"Limited Government"

So you are arguing that these conservatives were for "big" government like the democrats? HUH ROFL

I believe those that you listed all instituted "Big Government"
Reagan expanded the size and scope of the federal government. Jefferson and Monroe sought to expand the size and the power of the US
Coolidge just didn't want any part of acting like a President

Note the part where I said.. albeit with some screw ups. The OP didn't ask us to name five perfect presidents.

But, yes I understand that your marxists love to cite any thing these guys did as your excuse to redistribute wealth into your pocket.

But, yes I understand that your marxists love to cite any thing these guys did as your excuse to redistribute wealth into your pocket

Sounds impressive to the Rush Limbaugh branch of the party...but you have no basis in fact for your hyperbole

ROFL yeah cause democrats are for limited government ROFLFLLLLFLFLLLOOOTOFLLL

 

[rightwinger]

Not sure I can think of five but...

Dwight Eisenhower, for his dropping the warning about the "military-industrial-congressional complex" (edited to MIC) on his way out the door. A remarkably courageous case of speaking truth to power.

FDR, for his taking on of economic disaster and putting in the energy and inspiration he did.

His cousin TR, for his taking on rampant robberbarony and championing the national resources of the earth.

None of them were flawless.


"God help this country when someone sits at this desk who doesn't know as much about the military as I do" -- Ike

I am really torn on Ike. It's like he was one of our greatest heroes and also one of our greatest disappointments.

Ike talked the talk about taking on the MIC, but he didn't walk the walk.

A great organizer, he never spent a minute in combat like old Terry Allen.

Now that was a General!

Why would a five star general spend time in combat?

 

[Unkotare]

You see the tyranny in FDR's imprisonment of the Japanese Americans, but fail to see that Lincoln's actions were much worse. One could conclude you think the rights of Japanese Americans are much more important than Southerns. ...

That makes absolutely no sense. Japanese Americans were not trying to destroy the country. They had not taken up arms against the country, and certainly weren't enslaving other people within the country. You are posting out of ill-considered emotion.