The basic criteria for my list is those presidents who have had the greatest impact on American history in terms of politics, economics, culture, and international relations . . . for the good or bad. So, this is not a listing of America's best presidents, but a listing of those who have the most lasting effect, positive or negative. I welcome your comment and debate.
- George Washington (the man who got it all started; it's hard to beat that)
- Abraham Lincoln (the man who preserved the Union, and, intentionally or not, directed us to a greater social conscience)
- Franklin Roosevelt (not my favorite, and many of today's fiscal problems can be laid at his feet, but that's just the point, can you imagine modern America without FDR?)
- Ronald Reagan (ended the Cold War and ushered in the greatest economic development in history)
- Theodore Roosevelt (the first to carry the "big stick")
- James Monroe (Manifest Destiny)
- George W. Bush (you scoff, but just wait)
- Thomas Jefferson (it's hard to keep him off this list)
- Richard Nixon (perhaps for all the wrong reasons, but his domestic and foreign policy accomplishments are overlooked in deference to his crimes)
- Andrew Jackson (a certifiable racist, but a populist, and the first to break the "glass ceiling" of elitism)
- Barack Obama (for all the wrong reasons; while I would like to remain optimistic, I fear that it will take generations to undo the harm and recover from his policies)
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