Best Democratic President of last 50 years

[DiamondJay]

who is the best Democratic president of the last 50 years? I ask cuz this may be tough for some, easy for others. We have JFK, LBJ, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton. All had positive qualities, and achievements, all have mistakes. I pick Clinton, cuz he took tough political stands against reluctant dems and right wing Repubs to keep us from seeing 9/11 on his watch and like-events while stopping many ethnic cleansing events, gave us the longest economic expansion without a vote of Republican support by balancing the budget Reagan and Bush trashed, improved race relations, and many other things. He PUT PEOPLE FIRST. He also broke with some in his party to end welfare as we knew it. Now it is a second chance, not a way of life. I pick him above JFK cuz JFK, while inspiring, and superb with the missile crisis, really wasn't around long enough to see real legislative results, LBJ carried them out but fucked us big time with the Vietnam escalation he took part in and with the Tonkin Gulf fairy take, tho Johnson did sacrifice the party for civil rights and the great society, and Carter really was stymied by his take no prisoner attitude towards washington. he went to washington a phaoroah who did not know. he also, to be honest was probably not the strongest leader.

[Adams Wulff]

1. The next one.

No one has gone into office with more challenges, and more obstacles than the next President of the United States.

Plus, whomever it is, will make history.

[AndyTiedye]

2. Not if It's McCain

If McCain gets elected, he might even beat out Bush** for the worst — until he kicks the bucket and Huckabee gets in and rewrites the Constitution to make the USA a theocracy officially, then he will get to be the worst.

[DB1]

4. Wow. You should write new Nightmare on Elm S. Oh, you just did!

[book_worm]

3. I voted LBJ but my favorite is Jimmy Carter

Yes LBJ had Vietnam but he also was in domestic policy the most liberal American president ever. If it hadn't been for the folly of Vietnam he would be without a doubt one of the great American presidents. As it is most put him in the above average range anyway. He was the best president we ever had for Civil Rights and the poor.

But Jimmy Carter is my personal favorite. He motivated me as a child of 12 in '76 and was my first political hero. His record as president was better than some contend and looks better every day. He is also the greatest ex-president in my opinion.

[Jed Dilligan]

5. Carter's the only one who had us on the right track

to bad he inherited the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate.

[bellasgrams]

7. I don't remember him having us on the right track. I admire him

more now than I did as a Pres. We had terrible inflation. The Iran hostage crises. Mortgage rates were at 18% the only good side of it all was CD's made us some money. I think it was around 15%. It hasn't been that high since.

[Jed Dilligan]

8. He focused on the environment and reforming drug policy

We're only now taking baby steps to catch up.

[Rageneau]

6. Anyone who wasn't alive during JFK can't vote for him.

Because they are voting for the legend, not the actual man -- sort of like wingnuts worship the legend of Ronnie Raygun, who wasn't anywhere NEAR as wonderful as they now remember.

JFK got very little done politically, even though he had large majorities in both houses, an adoring press, and a citizenry that absolutely idolized him.

Bill Clinton got quite a few difficult things done (balanced the budget, ended the Sebian crisis) with no majorities in Congress, a completely hostile press, organized GOP-hate radio, and a Democratic Party full of quislings and poltroons.

Hence, I say Clinton was the best of this bunch, because he got the most done with the least resources and left the country MUCH better than he found it.

And, unlike most people here, I clearly remember all these men.

[GoneOffShore]

9. After considering Clinton's record

He was the best Republican President of the last 50 years.