President Bush: The Nation's 36th best President
By
The Associated Press
Story Created:
Feb 15, 2009 at 2:30 PM EST
Story Updated:
Feb 16, 2009 at 1:15 AM EST
WASHINGTON (AP) - Just days after the nation honored the 200th anniversary of his birth, 65 historians ranked Abraham Lincoln as the nation's best president.
Former President George W. Bush, who left office last month, was ranked 36th out of the 42 men who had been chief executive by the end of 2008, according to a survey conducted by the cable channel C-SPAN.
Bush scored lowest in international relations, where he was ranked 41st, and in economic management, where he was ranked 40th.
His highest ranking, 24th, was in the category of pursuing equal justice for all. He was ranked 25th in crisis leadership and vision and agenda setting.
In contrast, Lincoln was ranked in the top three in each of the 10 categories evaluated by participants.
In C-SPAN's only other ranking of presidents, in 2000, former President Bill Clinton jumped six spots from No. 21 to 15. Other recent presidents moved positions as well: Ronald Reagan advanced from No. 11 to 10, George H.W. Bush rose from No. 20 to 18 and Jimmy Carter fell from No. 22 to 25.
This movement illustrates that presidential reputations are influenced by present-day concerns, said survey adviser and participant Edna Medford.
"Today's concerns shape our views of the past, be it in the area of foreign policy, managing the economy or human rights," Medford said in a statement.
After Lincoln, the academics rated George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Theodore Roosevelt and Harry Truman as the best leaders overall. The same five received top spots in the 2000 survey, although Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt swapped spots this year.
Rated worst overall were James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Franklin Pierce, William Henry Harrison and Warren G. Harding.
The survey was conducted in December and January. Participants ranked each president on a scale of one, "not effective" to 10, "very effective," on a list of 10 leadership qualities including relations with Congress, public persuasion and moral authority.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Sunday, Feb 15 at 2:59 PM Carl wrote ...
Jimmy Carter a better President then Bush? oh please. Say what you want, Bush has kept us safe for the last 7 years. Lets see what Obama can do. So far hes off to an expensive start.
16551582 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Feb 15 at 4:40 PM Jan wrote ...
They were pretty close, I would have put him flat on the bottom. He is the worst President of my lifetime, that is for sure.
16554287 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Feb 15 at 5:19 PM ToldYa wrote ...
That's ok...........By the time Obama leaves office he'll barely get an honorable mention. HE'LL BE THE ABSOLUTE WORST OF ALL TIME AND THE FOOLS WHO VOTED FOR HIM ARE BEGINNING TO REALISE THAT AND HE HASN'T EVEN BEEN IN OFFICE FOR A MONTH!
16555172 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Feb 15 at 5:52 PM Not newsworthy wrote ...
Who gives a crap what CSPAN's or CNN's opinion poll is? What is the poll ratio as far as party affiliation goes? This isn't news-worthy.
16556032 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Feb 15 at 6:20 PM Anonymous wrote ...
That would make sense he Democratic congress is 20 points lower than Bush. What would you expect with those clowns as law makers. What has Congress achieved in the last two years. Blame George.
16556692 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Feb 15 at 6:40 PM Anonymous wrote ...
Many southerners would totalt disagree for one thing Lincoln was a war criminal he sent Sherman and his troops marching through the south murdering women and children any food they didn't steal they burned so any one who lived faced starvatation. I agree with Carl Jimmy Carter was the worse in my life time maybe LBJ or Kennedy for the botched Asian wars. They probably surveyed Al Qeda 10 days of Obama and they opened a Headquaters in Yemen.Yemen released their Al Qeda prisoners.
16557077 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Feb 15 at 9:30 PM MarxObamaStalin wrote ...
Those who would revise history are obviously in control of the media. Funny, I don't remember any attacks after 911 on U.S. soil when Bush was President. Funny, how there are 21 states with pending secession resolutions (really- not kidding) now that Obama is President. Actually, that stat makes Obama more like Lincoln than any other. http://www.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2009/02/06/state-sovereignty-movement-growing/
16561757 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Feb 15 at 9:41 PM Anonymous wrote ...
Lincoln top ranked there are many from the south that would disagree. It is like telling a Jew Hitler was one of the worlds great leaders.
16562092 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Feb 15 at 10:10 PM Donkey wrote ...
oh you poor ignorant republicans...does it hurt when you think?
16562922 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Feb 15 at 11:32 PM Bill wrote ...
Bush and administration redefined the term incompetent and arrogant - in economic and fiscal matters, in war, in regulation, in diplomacy, in upholding the Constitution, in education, in science - a black mark on the history of this great country - I served in Vietnam - Bush and Cheney never showed up - Bush's was the Administration that didn't know how to listen, an affront to the world!
16565027 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Sunday, Feb 15 at 11:36 PM eve scherre wrote ...
where does clinton fit. He dosnt He is the last and worst president we ever had . And obama will be the second worst,since he has all the clinton crowies with him
16565147 Inappropriate? Alert Us!Monday, Feb 16 at 11:25 AM Let him go. wrote ...
Where is all of this hate coming from? Bush is out of office, but haters want to charge him with war crimes. He's out of office. Why are they even running polls about him?
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