Most Overrated U.S. Presidents
Some presidents have legacies that outlast their actual actions. Here they are:
Ronald Wilson Reagan (1911-2004) was an American politician and actor who was 40th President of the United States from 1981 to 1989 . Prior to his presidency, he was the 33rd Governor of California from 1967 to 1975, following a career as a Hollywood actor and union leader until his death in 2004 Even though Reagan meant a birth of new conservative politics, this man was clearly a crook for what he did throughout his presidency. Reagan was racist overall, he was truly a horrible man who has called African Americans 'Monkeys' at one point. He rallied with another racist buffoon Barry Goldwater against Lyndon B Johnson who lost in the 1964 election, Thank God. The Iran Contra affair showed the devious mind of rotten old Reagan, trying to retain his presidency. I hate this man so much. Reaganomics has destroyed people's living standards. Screw this guy.
Gambled the dissolution of the USSR on aggressive military buildup, bringing the world to the brink of nuclear war...but it worked, and many countries have been grateful ever since.
Finally. A list he actually deserves to be number 1 on. Worst president that we ever had. He believed trees caused pollution. Poor children should eat ketchup for their vegetable. Trickle down economics. What a sham. He destroyed the middle class. Iran Contra for which he took no responsibility. Worst president in modern times.
I wrote an entire Phillipic against him, but here I'll just keep it short: tripled the debt, committed treason, gladly supported terrorists and dictators, created the overbloated military-industrial complex, horrible economic policies, didn't actually cause the collapse of the USSR, war on drugs, failed to deal with HIV, cut social benefits, declawed the EPA, almost instigated WW3.
George Washington was the first President of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. The only thing that this man did right or above average in the war was morale. He had this idealist view that the war would have this romantic ending in New York, and he could not get over the fact for years that it was not going to happen. He was a hubristic man because he preferred fighting in the traditional fighting style in which he was obviously losing, and even when his brilliant generals under him decided that he should adopt a war of posts, or a Fabian tactic, he was reluctant. He was impressive however at Valley Forge, even though he was not exceptional. People regarded him as this almost sort of a deity and this facade gave the militiamen something to believe in. At most, he was a mascot or a cheerleader of a football team.
Washington was a great leader in the Revolutionary War as well as the first president.. However, he did not do much in his two terms. He did show control and a more important grasp on what's important for the country over his wanting for power, but his presidency did not have much of an impact as one would think.
He was a horrible general. Read Fakes, Frauds and Phonies
Father of our country and hero of the Revolution.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29th, 1917-November 22, 1963) commonly referred to by his initials JFK, was an American politician who served as the 35th President of the United States from January 1961 until his assassination. The Cuban Missile Crisis, The Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, ...read more. Through his 3 years, JFK only had a shaky economy and the mishandling of the Cuban Missile Crisis. He didn't do much. He might not have had a lot of time to do anything, but the legacies of people should be considered based on their actions, not their potential.
Ronald Reagan is not overrated. What did Reagan do wrong? JFK for one thing had sex with another woman in the Oval Office and he had a shaky economy and mishandled the Cuban Missile Crisis. The only reason he is popular is he died due to assassination
I know 2 other presidents who got assassinated but don't hear about.
This is kinda unfair. Why call a president overrated if he died early? He was going to be a good president anyways. The only bad thing he did was start war on Vietnam. He technically saved the world, in the Cuban Missle Crisis. You people wouldn't be here today.
What did he actually DO - get enacted. Virtually nothing. The Cuban missle crisis - his doing. It was in response to his botched attempt to overthrow Cuba (Bay of Pigs). Good job on sending us to the moon and Peace Corps but he's more fantasy than fact
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, commonly known as FDR, was an American statesman and political leader who served as the 32nd President of the United States from 1933 to 1945. A Democrat, he won a record four presidential elections and dominated his party for many years as a central figure in world events ...read more. His various policies greatly extended the Great Depression, and his administration virtually eliminated freedom of the press during his tenure (via creation of FCC, etc). He allowed billions to be stolen from private individuals by Executive Order 6102 which outlawed the private ownership of gold. Once private citizens' gold had been seized, the subsequent Gold Reserve Act allowed Roosevelt to change statutory price of gold from $20.67 to $35 per ounce, thereby devaluing the U.S. dollar, as the dollar was then gold-based. Literally billions of dollars were stolen from US citizens in this way. Whether it was true or not, a running joke among Democrats at the time was that this was okay, as Republicans had held most of the gold.
The Japanese internment camps were a mistake, but otherwise he wasn't bad. Maybe some of his ideas didn't work at first, but they weren't all intended to. The government needed to see what ideas worked and what didn't.
I bet that most of the "FDR extended the Great Depression" people are far-right Trump supporters who deny anything people say against him.
Caused most of the trouble with paying people to not work! Made sure we entered the 2nd world war! Held the blacks from college and a far better education.
He put many innocent Japanese Americans into internment camps. It was the American equivalent of the Holocaust. How could someone who helped bring the U.S out of the Depression and win World War II do such an atrocious thing as bad as Hitler did?
Barack Hussein Obama II served as the 44th president of the United States of America. He was elected in 2008 after serving in the Senate from 2005-08, beating John McCain and becoming the first African-American to be elected President of the United States. He was elected again in 2012, beating Mitt ...read more. The most unqualified person to ever be elected to our nation's highest office, not even completing even one term as a senator, won that State Senate election without any opposition, and not having any personal accomplishments prior. He did have the distinction of being our country's first interracial black/white president, not fully black, which is probably why the racist democratic party, the founding party of the KKK tolerated him, just Google his vice president's description of him to verify! He seemed to hate America, and wanted to "Fundamentally Transform" America into a Socialist Nation. Did not even know how many states were in the USA while campaigning. Even his own wife stated that she was not proud to be American until her husbands election to president. He Had connections with several well known socialists/communists like Frank Marshal Thomas, Early mentor to Obama, who was rumored to be his real father, which was the real reason his birth certificate was highly desired, ...more
Woah didn't have to write a paragraph about the cons of Obama's presidency because it probably won't change the opinions of his supporters
He was only elected because he was black. Many Obama supporters did exactly what the racists do-they judge him by the color of his skin instead of the content of his character. The only important thing he did was help assassinate Osama bin Laden. He was too focused on environmental issues-not important
I know right fixing the economy is a not important he should have just kept us in our great recession instead of lifting us out of it
Most of you don't want to admit it, but you hate President Obama because he is black. The government corrupted things for black people before Obama was born. It was brainwashed into people for generations. Obama is a better president than you'll ever be.
It is sad that every single one of the reasons you hate him isn't because of him, you say he increased unemployment even though he actually decreased it, if your reason for hating Obama is the economy then your hate is unjustified because under him the economy had gotten much better after Bush screwed it up
Usually, it requires many years to fairly evaluate a presidential administration, but not so for Obama. He is clearly the worst chief executive in our nation's history. He is in a class by himself for incompetence, and no one else is even close.
Thomas Jefferson was an American Founding Father who was principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and served as the 3rd President of the United States from 1801-1809. He was born on April 13, 1743, and died on July 4, 1826, on the same day 2nd United States President John Adams died. Most of his policies were disaterous, and even his successes required others to carry the heavy load for him.
Should be number one.
Andrew Jackson was an American statesman who served as the seventh President of the United States from 1829 to 1837 . He was born near the end of the colonial era, somewhere near the then-unmarked border between North and South Carolina, into a recently immigrated Scots-Irish farming family of relatively ...read more. He is so bad. I don't like swearing and I don't like when people swear, but he had a parrot named Poll that repeated his swear words! And he swore when he's angry.
That doesn't necessarily mean he's bad, but I just think that's funny.
I Think He Should Be Way Higher On This List But At Least He Is On It.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th President of the United States from 1913 to 1921. Born in Staunton, Virginia, he spent his early years in Augusta, Georgia and Columbia, South Carolina. Yes he did let women vote, but on top of that he made awful choices and was openly racist
Oversaw victory in WWI and oversaw the Treaty of Versailles, which provided sovereignty for many new nations.
Way too overrated. This guy was actually very racist and unpresidential over all.
Good president because he allowed women to vote
Theodore Roosevelt was an American statesman, author, explorer, soldier, naturalist, and reformer who served as the 26th President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. As a leader of the Republican Party during this time, he became a driving force for the Progressive Era in the United States in the ...read more. Although changing around the way the government handled big business, TR was not the best when it came to actual legislation and solving problems. His greatest achievement might be the Meat Inspection Act and that was spurred because of Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle".
He supported the Panama Canal
This guy is savage
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American businessman, television personality, politician, and the 45th President of the United States. Born and raised in Queens, New York City, Trump received an economics degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1968. In 1971, ...read more. This imbecilic uneducated, intellectually lazy, unthinking and unfeeling quarter of an amoeba is the worst thing that ever happened to this country. so justifiably hated and derided.
This list is for actual presidents, not morons who think they're an actual president.
But he is an actually President, whether you like it or not, no amount of name calling would change that
He said Nambia is a country... then he said said he meant Narnia. Both aren't countries. He is dumb like my teacher.
Oh please. Why isn't he first? He's so annoying and so are his fans.
William Jefferson Clinton (Born August 19th 1946) is an American politician who was the 42nd President of the United States. He previously served as governor of Arkansas. He became president after unseating incumbent president George H.W. Bush in 1992. He was re-elected in 1996 after defeating Senator ...read more. The most intelligent, eloquent, humane, compassionate and brilliant president we've ever had. This man is the most underrated, if anything. Best president, ever!
Lying under oath aside, Clinton seemed to run out of steam at the end of his presidency. The economy went down and the federal government was hated more than ever. Although his presidency might be too early to judge, the way that the public approves of him might be inaccurate.
Why is he not number one?
Bottom 10 is more like ir
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States, an American politician of the Democratic Party. Victory in Japan. Enough said.
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. Lincoln led the United States its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. Declared Martial law without consent of congress, drafted thousands of men to their deaths without consent and to top it off he seems to get credit for the freeing of slaves even though he didn't care at all about freeing them.
Worshipped in the media to condition the people into accepting tyrants like Bush and Wilson.
Belongs #1 on this list. He didn't free a single slave, was actually against abolition and believed in the inferiority of blacks. Suspended habeas corpus, illegally invaded the southern states, refused peaceful alternatives to emancipation, had newspapers shut down and had people arrested, deported, and even executed who criticized him.
Only opposed slavery for military and economics reasons, not because he thought it was morally wrong. He also opposed equal rights for blacks and wanted them deported back to Africa.
He never freed all the slaves in America in his lifetime. People think he did. He feed the slaves in the confederacy to win the war. Other then that he was a good president
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and 46th Governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. The eldest son of Barbara and George H. W. What ever rating he has, it is more than he deserves.
Number 23? Really? Get him to #1.
Why, exactly? Almost everyone hates Bush's presidential skills. Hard to think that he is overpraised when he isn't praised at all.
Lyndon Baines Johnson, often referred to as LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th President of the United States from 1963 to 1969. While FDR and (especially) Truman wanted/achieved Federal Benefits and Federal Aid... This man absolutely knowingly opened the floodgates to absolute Federal DEPENDENCE, too many people abuse every help GIVEN to them and still expect more. His tombstone should read "the taxpayer will pick up the bill"
Yes his racial/domestic progress is wonderful but he's the president that started this snowball turned avalanche we call a debt.
By the way Reagan doesn't belong on any overrated list with at least 20 candidates. He did inherit jimmy carter's pathetic tenure. But it was more than that, the transparency, the assurance only he could deliver, and the fact that the man won... And won every single deal was premeditated.
Johnson was on track to having one of the best domestic policies in American policy. And then Vietnam happened. His lack of awareness went to his downfall as Johnson just couldn't have a "New Deal-esk" platform while fighting in a war.
Johnson's administration was the most corrupt of all time, and made Nixon look like a Boy Scout.
He had the good fortune to die before most of it came to light, which prevents almost all negative reaction.
He cared only about his dick
James Madison, Jr. was a political theorist, American statesman, and served as the fourth President of the United States.
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician and author who served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. In 2002, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the Carter Center. Awful presidency. He may have had an energy policy, but much of his presidency was dominated by foreign affairs and he actually escalated the Cold War.
Carter had huge indecision with the economy, switching his platform several times. He had no real authority or confidence in his presidency.
James Knox Polk was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. He previously was Speaker of the House of Representatives and governor of Tennessee. It depends what you're opinion of a "good" president is. Polk did get a great amount of land from Mexico. However, he did so forcefully and was a very poor act of imperialism. Although the ends were good, the means weren't as much.
Stole Mexican land by starting an unecessary war. Bottom 10 in my opinion
George Herbert Walker Bush (June 12, 1924 - November 30, 2018) was an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. Prior to assuming the presidency, Bush served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States under Ronald Reagan from 1981 to 1989.
Ulysses S. Grant was an American soldier and statesman who served as Commanding General of the Army and the 18th President of the United States, the highest positions in the military and the government of the United States.
John Adams was born on October 30, 1735 in Quincy, Massachusetts, United States. Adams served as the president of the United States from March 4, 1797 to March 4, 1801. He died on July 4, 1826 at the age of 90. Gosh, it's John QUINCY Adams that should be here, not John Adams. He saved this nation from a war that was unnecessary. And that is why he served only one term.
Stephen Grover Cleveland was an American politician and lawyer who was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, the only president in American history to serve two non-consecutive terms in office. Garbage president, and even a worse human-being.
John Calvin Coolidge Jr. was an American politician and the 30th President of the United States. A Republican lawyer from New England, born in Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor.
William McKinley was the 25th President of the United States, serving from March 4, 1897 until his assassination in September 1901, six months into his second term. He was a good leader, but maybe not in the right direction. While laborers were begging for change and a right to collectively bargain, he was against it.
Started wars on Spain and the Philipines. Bottom 10 definitely
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States from 1969 until his resignation in 1974, the only president to resign from office. He had previously served as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961, and prior to that as a U.S. Representative and also Senator ...read more. Nothing that good really went on during his presidency. He abused the power of his role and didn't have a real exit strategy to Vietnam. Some people believe that Watergate overshadows his accomplishments as president, but there weren't many in the first place.
Actually, Nixon did have plenty of accomplishments. While I do think Nixon deserves all the hate he gets and was a pretty terrible president and person, we shouldn't ignore his vast amount of successes.