doc111
Well-Known Member
How can a president not even half way through his first term get ranked this high and with the lowest approval ratings of a president at this point in his presidency? This reinforces the reason why polls are bullshit IMO.Survey: Obama Ranked 15th Best President, Bush 39th
Obama Ranked 15th Best President, Bush 39th
President Obama ranks 15th on a new survey of the best American presidents, slightly higher than any other recent president.
Researchers at Siena College in New York polled 238 presidential scholars, asking them to rate all 43 U.S. presidents in 19 categoriesfrom imagination and integrity to their accomplishments in foreign and domestic policy.
Study director Douglas Lonnstrom says Mr. Obamas predecessors all started out in the middle range, around number 20.
Siena College has conducted the survey since 1982. Its always done one year after a new president takes office.
President Obama received high marks for imagination, intelligence and communication, but he scored poorly on family background.
Lonnstrom says many other presidents came from extremely elite families, while Mr. Obama was raised by a single mother and his middle-class grandparents.
Former President George W. Bush entered the survey as number 23 back in 2002. But one year after leaving office, hes in the bottom five at number 39.
This time, he fared poorly in communication, intelligence, handling the economy and foreign policy accomplishments.
"He just had a terrible time, says Lonnstrom. When he left office, the economy was in shambles. He had two wars going on.
Lonnstrom points out that presidential rankings tend to shift over time for those in the middle of the pack.
But at the top of the list, the same five presidents have had a lock on the first five spots since the survey began.
Franklin D. Roosevelt has been number one every time. This year hes followed by his distant cousin Teddy Roosevelt, then Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
Its the first time Teddy Roosevelt has ranked second, overtaking Lincoln who held that spot for 20 years.
Since the last survey in 2002, Bill Clinton moved up from number 18 to 13th. Ronald Reagan dropped two places from 16th to 18th, and Jimmy Carter fell from 25th to 32nd.
The bottom five presidents have consistently included Andrew Johnson, James Buchanan, Warren Harding and Franklin Pierce. Johnson was ranked at the very bottom this year.
I know it sucks to admit that the guy you voted for sucks but it's ok UB, nobody will ridicule you for it. I promise.it would take two obama terms AND two hillary terms just to get back to where we were before bush annihilated this country. i'm not sure why the spending gets used against obama either, especially when most economists agree we need to do more spending...it is simply what happens in recessions like we are in. if you want to make sure it is a prolonged recession, just go ahead and slash everything back to the bone....not very effective of a strategy, as good as it may sound to those worried about the deficit.
and as far as 'obamacare' destroying this country, i doubt it. it is already insuring more people and has built in cost controls...
The Raether family of suburban Milwaukee will gain from two of the changes: Elimination of lifetime coverage limits and a ban on insurers turning away children in poor health.
Four-year-old daughter Mira, who was born prematurely and has kidney problems, exhausted the lifetime limit on her parents' policy earlier this year. Mira now has temporary Medicare coverage because of a kidney transplant, but her parents were worried about what would happen when they have to get her back on private insurance.
"A huge weight has been lifted," said Sheryl Raether, the mother. "She has ongoing health care needs, and I was afraid she'd hit another lifetime limit." Medicare not only covers seniors, but people of any age with permanent kidney failure.
The major early coverage benefits include:
_ Allowing young adults to stay on their parents' coverage until they turn 26. In 2011, an estimated 650,000 young people who would otherwise have been uninsured will gain coverage. Another 600,000 will benefit by switching from individually purchased policies to less costly, more comprehensive employer plans. The number with coverage will grow in 2012 and 2013.
_A health plan for uninsured people with pre-existing health conditions. From 200,000 to 400,000 could benefit in 2011, according to the Congressional Budget Office. The government may limit enrollment if $5 billion allocated through 2013 starts to run out, as projected. Beginning in 2014, insurers will be required to accept all applicants, regardless of medical history.
more here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/05/first-stages-of-new-healt_n_635616.html
i know how much people like to tell us to 'stop blaming bush' already, but facts are facts: he really was a terrible president who ran the country into the ground. only this year will his tax cuts for the wealthy start to phase out and tax brackets will go back to reagan era levels (ie, communistsocialismredistributionofwealthclearlytheendofamerica). we will remain mired in two wars that were funded on the grandkids' credit card. the most trusted name in news tells it like it is:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/tue-june-29-2010-helen-mirren