With George W. Bush leaving office, C-SPAN takes a look, via professional historians, at ranking our nation’s top presidents. And fails badly.
I rank Bush at No. 40 of 42 myself (W.H. Harrison and Garfield served too short to be ranked). Only Buchanan and Andrew Johnson rank worse. A case could arguably be made for Franklin Pierce, as C-SPAN does, but I’d keep Harding above Bush.
Wilson is ranked WAY too high. The man who invented "Wilsonian idealism" needlessly dragged us into WWI. (Yes, German submarine warfare's shoot-on-sight blockade violated international law; SO, TOO, did Britain's blockade by extension). Wilson also officially segregated Washington. He barely deserves the top 20.
Grant? While not personally corrupt, his administration was one of the most corrupt in history. It oozed out of everywhere.
And, his record on Reconstruction is overrated. He has the luxury of following Andrew Johnson.
Truman in the Top 5? Yes, he had the principle to integrate the Army in 1948 while in a presidential campaign. But, trying to nationalize steel mills in peacetime? Hiring personal Missouri county judgeship days cronies for a variety of offices.
Kennedy at No. 6? Camelot mythology. The best thing Kennedy did for civil rights was getting assassinated.
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