US Presidential Ranking -based on a CBS Survey-Trump's Legacy

Current Living Ex-Presidents as of this Date 12/29/2020. Trump will join this group after Jan 20, 2021 perhaps not willingly and certainly a sore Loser by not conceding his defeat.
 

Lame Duck President Trump is rank the #1 worst President of the US based on the CBS presidential historians survey. Historians evaluated them based on 10 qualities of presidential leadership, including economic management, international relations, crisis leadership, public persuasion skills and whether they pursued equal justice for all.

To Trump supporters and cult followers this is probably a surprise and a fake survey.  I have seen FaceBook comments stating that Trump is the best President in spite of his mismanaging and poor leadership in handling the Covid-19 pandemic and his attempt to destroy democracy by not conceding and accept his defeat with dignity.

In this posting I will list only the top Twelve of Forty-Five. For the complete listing visit the website below.  

   1. Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)

• Lincoln’s first-place standing in the C-SPAN survey is due to high ratings across the board, but historians hold him in highest esteem for crisis leadership. 

  He led the country through one of its most trying periods, the Civil War, and in 1863 signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves.

   
  

  2. George Washington (1789-1797)

  The nation’s first president ranked above all others for moral authority, economic management, and overall performance within the context of his times.

  Washington fought hard for the Constitution, feeling that the Articles of Confederation were not functioning well for the country. He was disappointed to see the country becoming more politically divided toward the end of his first term, and set a precedent by choosing to retire after his second. 

  3. Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933-1945)

  Historians laud Franklin D. Roosevelt for his skills at public persuasion, ranking him first among all presidents in that category. He also ranked #1 in handling of foreign relations.

  FDR assumed the presidency during the worst of the Great Depression, but assured the American people: “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” He also led the U.S. through the perilous years of World War II.

  • 4. Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt (1901-1909)

    Theodore Roosevelt ranked highly for public persuasion. 

    Just 42 when he became the youngest president in the nation’s history, he had the excitement and energy to convince Congress to pass progressive reforms and a strong foreign policy -- exemplified by his motto, “Speak softly and carry a big stick.” An avid outdoorsman, he oversaw the expansion of America’s national parks.

  • 5. Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953-1961)

    Eisenhower jumped from 9th place in the rankings in 2000 to 5th place in 2017, largely due to an increasingly favorable view of his crisis leadership. 

    Eisenhower’s energies were largely devoted to easing the tensions of the Cold War. He obtained a truce after years of war in Korea, desegregated the U.S. armed forces, and sent federal troops to enforce a court order desegregating public schools in Little Rock, Arkansas.

    • 6. Harry Truman (1945-1953)

      Truman wins praise from historians for his crisis leadership. 

      After V-E Day, when Japan refused to surrender, he ordered atomic bombs to be dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, finally ending World War II in the Pacific. Shortly thereafter, Truman watched the signing of the charter of the United Nations, established to preserve peace. 

      • 7. Thomas Jefferson (1801–1809)

        Jefferson was ranked highest for his vision and agenda setting. 

        He was the the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, and during his presidency he acquired the Louisiana Territory, vastly expanding the size of the country, and slashed the national debt by a third. 

        8. John F. Kennedy (1961-1963)

        Historians credit Kennedy most for his skills in public persuasion and his vision. He also rates well for crisis management and handling international relations.

        He stood up to the Soviets and successfully defused the Cuban Missile Crisis, vowed to put a man on the moon, and pushed for progress on civil rights. He was assassinated after barely a thousand days in office.

        • 9. Ronald Reagan (1981-1989)

          Regan’s ranking in the C-SPAN survey has risen consistently since 2000, largely due to more positive views of his economic management and crisis leadership. He also scored extremely highly for public persuasion skills and setting the national agenda.

          By working with Congress, Reagan was able to pass legislation that sped economic growth and strengthened national defense, advancing his vision of “peace through strength” in the years leading up to the end of the Cold War.

        10. Lyndon Johnson (1963-1969)

        Johnson tops the charts for his efforts in pursuing equal justice for all Americans. 

        Taking office after John F. Kennedy’s assassination, Johnson secured enactment of a landmark civil rights bill. He urged the country “to build a great society, a place where the meaning of man’s life matches the marvels of man’s labor,” which became his agenda, resulting in Medicare for the elderly, increased aid for education and anti-poverty programs.

         11. Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

        Wilson rated most highly for his vision and ability to set an agenda. 

        He moved many pieces of important legislation through Congress, and in 1917 convinced Congress that America could no longer remain neutral in World War I.  

        12. Barack Obama (2009-2017)

        Obama debuted in 12th place on C-SPAN's list. Presidential historians rated him highly for pursuing equal justice and for his skills at public persuasion.

        His signature domestic policy accomplishment, the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was unpopular with Republicans but extended health insurance coverage to 20 million more Americans. His administration helped guide the country through the great recession and rescued the U.S. auto industry.

        Historians in the C-SPAN survey gave him weaker marks for his dealings with Congress and international relations.

        The other modern presidents in their ranking are as follows:

        Clinton (15), Bush H.W( 20), Ford (25), Carter(26), Nixon (28) and Bush W.( 33).
        

        For the complete Listing Visit:
        

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/presidents-ranked-from-worst-to-best-presidential-historians-survey-2017/?ftag=ACQ449302a&vndid=6114624132833

 And for Trump's Legacy

 

By JONATHAN LEMIRE, ZEKE MILLER and DARLENE SUPERVILLE, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The most improbable of presidents, Donald Trump reshaped the office and shattered its centuries-old norms and traditions while dominating the national discourse like no one before.

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Trump, governing by whim and tweet, deepened the nation’s racial and cultural divides and undermined faith in its institutions. His legacy: a tumultuous four years that were marked by his impeachment, failures during the worst pandemic in a century and his refusal to accept defeat.

He smashed conceptions about how presidents behave and communicate, offering unvarnished thoughts and policy declarations alike, pulling back the curtain for the American people while enthralling supporters and unnerving foes — and sometimes allies — both at home and abroad.

While the nation would be hard pressed to elect another figure as disruptive as Trump, it remains to be seen how much of his imprint on the office itself, occupied by only 44 other men, will be indelible. Already it shadows the work of his successor, President-elect Joe Biden, who framed his candidacy as a repudiation of Trump, offering himself as an antidote to the chaos and dissent of the past four years while vowing to restore dignity to the Oval Office.

“For all four years, this is someone who at every opportunity tried to stretch presidential power beyond the limits of the law,” said presidential historian Michael Beschloss. “He altered the presidency in many ways, but many of them can be changed back almost overnight by a president who wants to make the point that there is a change.”

Trump's most enduring legacy may be his use of the trappings of the presidency to erode Americans’ views of the institutions of their own government. For complete details visit:

https://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2020-12-21/trumps-legacy-he-changed-the-presidency-but-will-it-last