by Mark Silva
On the eve of President's Day, ranking the 42 individuals who have occupied the presidency before now seems a fitting undertaking.
That's what "a cross-section'' of 65 historians have done, commissioned by C-SPAN to produce a Historians Survey of Presidential Leadership.
The results, released today, second the top finding of a survey conducted in 2000: Abraham Lincoln wins top billing for leadership.
George Washington comes in second, in this question of leadership, followed by Franklin Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt and Harry Truman. Ronald Reagan ranked No 10, behind Woodrow Wilson. George W. Bush drew 36, behind Hoover and Tyler. Bill Clinton: 15. Jimmy Carter: 25.
The survey was led by a team of advisers: Dr. Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History at Rice University; Dr. Edna Greene Medford, Associate Professor of History, Howard University; and Richard Norton Smith, Scholar in Residence at George Mason University. The team approved ten criteria, the same used in C-SPAN's 2000 Survey.
"Bill Clinton and Ulysses S. Grant aren't often mentioned in the same sentence - until now,'' Smith notes - with both boosted "significantly higher than in the original survey conducted in 2000. All of which goes to show two things: the fluidity with which presidential reputations are judged, and the difficulty of assessing any president who has only just recently left office.''
"As much as is possible, we created a poll that was non-partisan, judicious and fair minded, and it's fitting that for the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln that he remains at the top of these presidential rankings," Brinkley says. "How we rank our presidents is, to a large extent, influenced by our own times. Today's concerns shape our views of the past, be it in the area of foreign policy, managing the economy, or human rights.
"The survey results also reinforce the idea that history is less about agreed-upon facts than about perceptions of who we are as a nation and how our leaders have either enhanced or tarnished that image we have of ourselves,'' Medford adds. "Lincoln continues to rank at the top in all categories because he is perceived to embody the nation's avowed core values: integrity, moderation, persistence in the pursuit of honorable goals, respect for human rights, compassion; those who collect near the bottom are perceived as having failed to uphold those values.''
Comments
Interesting Washington Journal this morning discussing the different presidents and their ratings. If you missed it, I' sure it is archived on the C-SPAN website.
Posted by: lochnessmonster | February 15, 2009 12:57 PM
C-SPAN rocks. What a great survey...just dug into their site and saw more on these rankings. It's candy for political junkies. Thanks Chicago Tribune for bringing this to my attention.
Posted by: Dan of Evanston | February 15, 2009 1:32 PM
C-SPAN rocks. What a great survey...just dug into their site and saw more on these rankings. It's candy for political junkies. Thanks Chicago Tribune for bringing this to my attention.
Posted by: Dan of Evanston | February 15, 2009 1:32 PM
That was the "napping" Reagan at #10. The "awake" Reagan ranked #40 and Nancy, who called the shots, ranked #39.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport ☯ | February 15, 2009 1:58 PM
Ronbo Reagan benefitted from the most sustained case of revisionist history (Grover Norquist) in American politics. All we're ever told about him was how he cut taxes for all, presided over the greatest economy in American history, made American strong again etc and cut down on govt spending blah blah blah.. But if you do some researh that isn't colored by rightwing propaganda you'll find that he presided over one of the worst recessions ever, proposed MORE net spending than Congress appropriated, and did nothing in response to the attack on our Marines in Beirut. It's hard to think of a more sustained campaign to create a false image of someone.
Whenever somene utters the name "Reagan", my instant, Pavlovian response is: "Reagan? Ronald Reagan? The Ronald Reagan who sold missiles to Ayatollah Khomeini? That Ronald Reagan?"
Reagan was a liar who proudly and publicly proclaimed that he would not negotiate with terrorists at the very same time he was cowardly, cravenly, and secretly doing exactly that. He should have been impeached, removed from office, tried for treason, and shot. Period.
Never forgive. Never forget. Never miss a chance to point it out: Reagan was a coward and a traitor.
Posted by: Doug Vader, son of Darth | February 15, 2009 3:35 PM
Dan of Evanston:
You should try and catch (or watch the archived copies on their website) Washington Journal on C-SPAN. I became a junkie when I was home for an extended time with an injury. It was the only daytime TV I could stomach. You can also watch the votes (or lack thereof) when the congress is in session.
Posted by: lochnessmonster | February 15, 2009 3:43 PM
Nawww -- that can't be right. See, for this survey to be correct, Jimmuh Carter comes out AHEAD of George W. Bush, in just about every single category. That would mean that he's rated HIGHER, or that historians think of him as -- shall we say -- BETTER? than George W. Bush. That just can't be, because any good Republican will tell you that CARTER was the worst President ever. Not Bush, CARTER. So the survey has to be wrong. HAS to be.
.
Bush is actually rated as a worse president than Nixon as well. Wow. So who IS rated as worse than Bush II? Well -- there's Filmore, Warren Harding (who I always thought of as pretty slimy), W.H. Harrison, Pierce, Johnson (Andrew, not Lyndon) and Buchanan. Nice to know Bush isn't THE worst ever (at least not until history has some more time to digest and process him), and that there were presidential idiots, slackers and crooks worse than him. Take heart, Repubs -- things are looking up for your boy! In another century or two, maybe he'll actually be upgraded to "almost adequate in some respects."
Posted by: Op109 | February 15, 2009 4:45 PM
This is the most biased piece of claptrap C-SPAN has ever produced. It is nonsensical to suggest that Kennedy is anywhere near a top ten POTUS. Shows once again that despite some very solid names among the contributors, the left-liberal Democratic Party bias still holds in the U.S. History establishment. Many learned their Schlesingerian lessons well.
Posted by: Stephen Meyer | February 16, 2009 12:29 PM
Obviously, the 100,000 American citizens of Japanese descent were not asked about Franklin Roosevelt, whose executive order put them in concentration camps for 4 years. American Indians were not polled about Andrew Jackson, who slaughtered their ancestors by the hundreds. The families of 50,000 Americans whose loved ones were killed in the Vietnam war obviously were not polled about Lyndon Johnson who sent them there. And obviously, the families of the sailors killed on the USS Cole were not asked about Bill Clinton. These popularity polls are simply phony stories based on the ignorance of people who know very little about history.
Posted by: Damien | February 16, 2009 1:29 PM
Obviously, the 100,000 American citizens of Japanese descent were not asked about Franklin Roosevelt, whose executive order put them in concentration camps for 4 years. American Indians were not polled about Andrew Jackson, who slaughtered their ancestors by the hundreds. The families of 50,000 Americans whose loved ones were killed in the Vietnam war obviously were not polled about Lyndon Johnson who sent them there. And obviously, the families of the sailors killed on the USS Cole were not asked about Bill Clinton. These popularity polls are simply phony stories based on the ignorance of people who know very little about history.
Posted by: Damien | February 16, 2009 1:29 PM
Since the war was Lincoln's and the Republican/Abolitionist Party's fault, I put Lincoln LAST! Washington first, Polk 2nd before Jefferson because Polk had to fight for Texas, California and the SW and also made a treaty with England for the NW. Jefferson only had to pay 15 million for the Louisiana Purchase. 4th - FDR, 5th - Truman (for the bomb), then Teddy Roosevelt, John Adams, James Madison & James Monroe (for the Constitution and Monroe Doctrine). Franklin Pierce , James Buchanan and Herbert Hoover should not be docked for living in very difficult times. Andrew Jackson would round out my top 10.
How Kennedy, Wilson, Eisenhower, Lydon Johnson and Carter got so high is because of liberal barstards.
Posted by: Harold Reimann | February 16, 2009 2:35 PM
I put W firmly in last place. Of the bottom five, W was the only 2 termer. 4 more years than the others to perfect his carnage on our Nation. You might recall, most of the damage W did was in his second term. We would have been much better off if he was not re-elected, and the ironic thing is that W's number would have been better.
Posted by: Tim | February 16, 2009 3:40 PM
why is wilson ranked so high. he was a horrible president, who acted more like an imperialist than any other pres. in us history.
Posted by: theguywhoknowsthepresidents | February 16, 2009 4:07 PM
The good news is that everyone will move up a notch in 4 years. I have no doubt Obama will end up in last place. He's already proving that he has no experience to lead.
Posted by: karenpog | February 16, 2009 6:01 PM
The good news is that everyone will move up a notch in 4 years. I have no doubt Obama will end up in last place. He's already proving that he has no experience to lead.
Posted by: karenpog | February 16, 2009 6:01 PM
Kennedy at #6? You've GOT to be kidding.
Posted by: Max Sherwood | February 16, 2009 7:48 PM
I agree with the presidential ranking.. I go for Lincoln.. Thank C-SPAN.. Hope that Obama will be motivated about this presidential ranking.. He must also do well to get a good ranking.. I think no one would want that they be ranked the worst, right?..
Posted by: News Review | February 16, 2009 9:11 PM
Wow.. what bunch of idiots arguing on a message board about the rankings of Presidents.
Posted by: Bill | February 17, 2009 11:20 AM
C-span has several things wrong, especially the George W. Bush place. No president has ever placed the US in two separate wars, with one pending, as well as the extreme economic crisis we currently stand. He was simply not smart enough to prepare for anything. Also, lets not forget about the Katrina situation.
Posted by: Vastorm | February 17, 2009 1:43 PM
Franklin Roosevelt deserves to be disgraced. He truly was an evil man with no value of human life, even that of Americans. He was the reason that Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, then when he knew they were attacking, he refused to let anyone at Pearl Harbor know. Over 3,000 Americans died so he could get his war with Germany. The man has, had, never will have honor or integrity and his memory is deserving of that of a rat that spread the bubonic plague. He didn't even honor the two term limit tradition started by George Washington. FDR is a slimy-crippled politician and should be remembered as the invalid he truly was. May he burn in Hell for all eternity.
Posted by: American | April 18, 2009 12:06 PM
My top 5 favorites:
Abraham Lincoln
Franklin Roosevelt
Harry Truman
Dwight Eisenhower
Ronald Reagan
My top 5 least favorites:
Andrew Johnson
James Buchanan
Franklin Pierce
Millard Fillmore
Woodrow Wilson
Posted by: Duster | April 18, 2009 6:46 PM
Liberals get a life! Reagan was one of the greatest. FDR put thousands of Japanese in camps! Reagan restored America after the 1970s. I think many of the Reagan haters would love to see America fail.
Posted by: Anthony | June 24, 2009 9:08 PM
It's too bad that Obama is more focused on what way the winds are blowing...it's sad to be a part of a current sitting POTUS that actually agress with a rival in Honduras to overthrow the countries constitution and bring in an FDR non -term limit law...what a coincidence...Brad Thorr(sp), believes there are actually rouge informants from foreign countries within our current political system...what say you? I think there is one at the highest level on govt and that WE THE PEOPLE need to take back our country...
Posted by: Mobus Liberitus | June 30, 2009 1:40 PM