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Congratulations, George W. Bush, you're not the worst president ever! That distinction, according to a survey conducted by C-SPAN, belongs to James Buchanan, the doughfaced Pennsylvanian who occupied the White House before Abraham Lincoln. It's not all good for Dubya though -- he does make the bottom 10. Bush came in at 7th worst (or 36th best!) of all time, beating out such putrid presidents as Andrew Johnson, the first prez to be impeached, and William Henry Harrison, who served 32 whole days in office before he died. However, in the eight years since this survey was last taken, Bill Clinton jumped from 21st-best president to 15th, proving that as time passes, presidential reputations tend to improve. So watch out top 35 presidents of all time, George is on his way up! See the 10 best and worst presidents after the jump.
Least and Most Favorite Talking Heads
Least Favorite #10: George Stephanopoulos
Scott Olson, Getty Images
Least Favorite #9: Charles Gibson
Charlie Riedel, AP
Least Favorite #8: NBC
AP
Least Favorite #7:Chris Matthews
Michael Buckner, Getty Images
Least Favorite #6: Sean Hannity
Nancy Kaszerman, ZUMA Press
Least Favorite #5:Keith Olbermann
Frederick M. Brown, Getty Images
Least Favorite #4: Rush Limbaugh
Bill Pugliano, Getty Images
Least Favorite #3: Fox News
AP
Least Favorite #2: Katie Couric
Scott Gries, Getty Images
Least Favorite #1: Bill O'Reilly
Nancy Kaszerman, ZUMA Press
The Worst:
10. Rutherford B. Hayes
9. Herbert Hoover
8. John Tyler
7. George W. Bush
6. Millard Fillmore
5. Warren G. Harding
4. William Henry Harrison
3. Franklin D. Pierce
2. Andrew Johnson
1. James Buchanan
The Best:
1. Abraham Lincoln
2. George Washington
3. Franklin D. Roosevelt
4. Theodore Roosevelt
5. Harry S. Truman
6. John F. Kennedy
7. Thomas Jefferson
8. Dwight D. Eisenhower
9. Woodrow Wilson
10. Ronald Reagan
Most Memorable Inaugurations
10. Ronald Reagan (January 20, 1985) There were difficulties with Reagan's second inauguration from the start. First off, the 20th landed on a Sunday, so the festivities to mark the event were put off until the 21st. Moter Nature then acted like a bitter Mondale supporter by making that Monday one of the coldest days in DC history. The subzero temperatures led to the cancellation of all pomp and circumstance, including a parade, which was to have 12,000 marchers, 66 floats, 57 bands and the performing offspring of the chimp from "Bedtime for Bonzo." Whether that last part was just a rumor, we'll never know.
Bob Daugherty, AP
9. Franklin D. Roosevelt (March 4, 1933) Think Obama has a difficult hill to climb? When FDR took office the US was in the depths of the Great Depression, with more than a quarter of the country was out of work, and 32 states having no operating banks within their borders. Not surprisingly, the former New York governor didn't think it right to have lavish celebrations to mark his inauguration. Instead, he simply proclaimed, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." It's a statement that still rings out to this day, and made for a great ending to the Living Colour song, "Cult of Personality."
AP
8. Theodore Roosevelt (September 14, 1901) Everybody's favorite monopoly-busting pres took office in Buffalo, N.Y., hours after President William McKinley's death as a result of an assassins' bullet fired on September 6. The swearing in happened at Roosevelt's friend Ansley Wilcox's house, and Teddy needed to borrow Wilcox's jacket to be properly dressed for the occassion. The new president had been on a family camping trip the previous day, presumably hunting large game, while plotting how to take down J.P. Morgan.
wikipedia
7. Abraham Lincoln (February 23, 1861) Lincoln's first inauguration held a bit of danger to say the least. With his election imminent, successionists stepped up rhetoric that they were done with the whole U.S. of A. thing. Fearing an assassination plot, a group of German-American gymnasts (yes, gymnasts) known as Turners served as Lincoln's bodyguards. In addition, Lincoln traveled the last part of the trip to his inauguration in disguise at night because of a suspected assasination threat in Baltimore. It was probably a great disguise considering how obvious a tall awkward guy with an entourage gymnasts seems like it would've been.
AP
6. John F. Kennedy (January 20, 1961) When you're talking memorable, few inauguration speeches matched the power and eloquence of Kennedy's challenge to American citizens: "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." If you can offer up calls to action like that, you'll probably have pretty good luck with the ladies.
AP
5. Lyndon Johnson (November 22, 1963) Alas, the hope and promise of Kennedy's presidency was dashed by Lee Harvey Oswald and that dude on the grassy knoll, leading to LBJ being the only president to take office in a plane. Johnson took the oath of office standing beside Kennedy's grieving widow on Air Force One as it sat parked in Dallas' Love Field Airport. Federal Judge and Johnson family friend Sarah T. Hughes presided, becoming the first woman to swear in a president.
Cecil Stoughton, White House / AP
4. Abraham Lincoln (March 4, 1865) Lincoln's second inauguration was much more exhilarating than the first, with a Civil War victory for the Union close at hand. His rousing speech fit the occasion, with the man on the five encouraging the nation to have, "Malice toward none, with charity for all." Unfortunately, unruly guests at the White House later that day apparently believed they were the charity and decided to steal silverware and draperies.
AP
3. George Washington (April 30, 1789) The first president was sworn in on the balcony of New York's Federal Hall, due to the Big Apple being the country's original seat of government. The whole event was pretty brief with Washington simply recounting the 35-word oath in the Constitution. He did, however, pull out a little improvisation by adding the phrase, "So help me God" and placing his left hand on a Bible. Many of his successors have followed the founding father's precedent, though most have abandoned the style of sporting a powdered wig and wood teeth.
AP
2. William Henry Harrison (March 4, 1841) Like Reagan, Harrison also got a icy cold day from Mother Nature. To show he was tough, W.H. gave his speech without an overcoat, delivering an 8,444-word, two-hour address that still stands as the longest ever. Legend has it the exposure caused him to fall ill, contract pneumonia, and die a few weeks later. Historians have debated whether the circumstances of the inauguration actually caused his death, but his successor, John Tyler, nonetheless had the good sense to be sworn in in a hotel, and never gave an inaugural address.
AP
1. Andrew Jackson (March 4, 1829) As far as inaugural parties goes, Jackson's takes the cake. After his inauguration parade, Old Hickory opened the White House to the public. A mob streamed in, destroying dishes, furniture and decorative pieces. Meanwhile, Jackson escaped the crowd through a window. Attendants eventually persuaded the crowd to leave by pouring spiked punch into tubs and placing them on the White House lawn. Needless to say, the entire proceedings turned the most famous property in America into the sort of shindig that would make most frat boys as green as a 20 dollar bill with envy.
Getty Images
Comments:
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Wednesday 18 February
By What Up Mike?
Where's Jimmy Carter at? That man just about ruined this country and it's economy! And all Clinton did was do nothing. That's why he was a good president he didn't change anything. He let any policies that were set forth by Bush Sr. stay in effect. That's the only thing the man did right. Of course you can take it was a bias democrat that wrote this article.
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Wednesday 18 February
By Stopthehate
Jimmy Carter appointed the Federal Reserve Chief whose tactics fixed the economy - all the economics experts agree, but the fool who tore the solar panels off the White House and undid all the alternate energy programs that would have saved us from our current problems gets credit. "Of course you can take it was a bias democrat that wrote this article" - you can tell by your poor grammar that you are undereducated, and that's why you fall for the right-wing hate-lies about a truly decent man, President Carter.
Wednesday 18 February
By dale031945
bull bill clinton was a darn good presdident so go figure
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Wednesday 18 February
By mike
no jimmy carter ?????........please
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Wednesday 18 February
By bantonovic
It would have been nice to know that this was not the general public's view. C-Span selected a specific group of people (eggheads) and asked them their opinion. This bias survey probably should rank as one of the worst polls ever conducted.
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Wednesday 18 February
By James
Lincoln was not a great President. He was a racist. Simple. Lincoln at the end of his term rated lower than GW.The Civil war was not about slavery, it was about money. Thier were plenty of slaves in the North, and in the Union Army. Having lived in Maine for thirty years and the South, I can say that racism is far more common in the NE than the South.
As for Mr, or Ms Stop the hate. Speaking of uneducated, look at your syntax! Besides I know more educated fools than uneducated fools.
Wednesday 18 February
By Fred
Would the general public know enough about history to make this poll worthwhile? How many people know who James Buchanan was or what he did?
Wednesday 18 February
By al
Jimmy Carter has to be among the worst President's this country has ever seen. Harry Truman was at one time seen as an ineffective President. Now, that has changed. President Bush will be looked at more favorably as time goes by and we learn more.
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Wednesday 18 February
By El
The absolute worst president was Bill Clinton. Come on... he was impeached for God's sake!!! Doesn't anyone remember Monica Lewinski??? Clinton absolutely disgraced the office, and that includes the oval office. Come on people... get real!!!!!
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Wednesday 18 February
By rfrick1970
I agree...Carter was the worst. Also, your opinion is obviously biased...very poor reporting...pls stick with the facts.
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Wednesday 18 February
By oswaldo
LBJ should certainly be considered one of the top 10 presidents. When he was senate majority leader in the 1950s he pushed through signfificant civil rights legislation. As president he signed civil rights legislation into law. He also brought medicare to elderly U.S. citizens. His great blemish was the Viet Nam War. But as far as domestic policy is concerned, Lyndon Baines Johnson, a great New Deal Democrat, ranks near to FDR in greatness.
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Wednesday 18 February
By steve
the hell with that no count bush, let our country get like it is and he dont even care, god will pay bush back, in time god will repay you the lier and war crime bush , and should be arrested for war crimes, but his maker will get him...........
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Wednesday 18 February
By Ron
Wednesday 18 February
By JamesNeutral
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lincoln was not a great President. He was a racist. Simple. Lincoln at the end of his term rated lower than GW.The Civil war was not about slavery, it was about money. Thier were plenty of slaves in the North, and in the Union Army. Having lived in Maine for thirty years and the South, I can say that racism is far more common in the NE than the South.
As for Mr, or Ms Stop the hate. Speaking of uneducated, look at your syntax! Besides I know more educated fools than uneducated fools.
Maybe you should check your post before you posted it. You talk about syntax then use the wrong form of the word there and you went and spelled it wrong.
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Wednesday 18 February
By max
there is absolutely no doubt that george w bush was the worst president by far. a meaningless war with thousands of american dead and a totally destroyed economy. i'm telling everyone right now- stay out of afganistan, look at your history books. it's a death trap. contain them, let them stay there. let them feel comfortable about their surroundings. let them come out- and then nuke the bastards. what ever happened to Douglas MacArthur? when he wanted to fight a war to win he was fired at the cost of thousands of american lives in another meaningless war... and harry truman is in the top ten. harry was likeable but if you have enemies you kill them, you don't throw american lives away. now china is a superpower and would kick our ass in a land war. we should have destroyed their ability to wage war against us then. they are playing nice now but how long will that last? i love peace as much as anyone but if you go to war you fight to win, you don't rebuild their country with american blood and walk away.
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Wednesday 18 February
By John Taube
Dumbya couldn't have done any less if he was in a coma.The worst president ever has left for Texas!
Republicans only care about big money and corporate greed.Consider the last eight years as proof.
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