Rank post WW2 presidents on the quality of their character

[hawkeyetraveler]

An exchange in another thread got me thinking about the character of the presidency and thought it would be interesting to rank presidents by their behaviors - removing any policy/party/effectiveness distinction. Just pure character of the person. Here is my ranking in terms of highest quality character to least, what’s yours?

Carter
Eisenhower
Obama
Ford
Bush Senior
Bush Junior
Biden
Reagan
Kennedy
Clinton
Johnson
Nixon
Trump

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

You forgot Truman.

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

An exchange in another thread got me thinking about the character of the presidency and thought it would be interesting to rank presidents by their behaviors - removing any policy/party/effectiveness distinction. Just pure character of the person. Here is my ranking in terms of highest quality character to least, what’s yours?

Carter
Eisenhower
Obama
Ford
Bush Senior
Bush Junior
Biden
Reagan
Kennedy
Clinton
Johnson
Nixon
Trump

Maybe I'm missing something but what did Johnson do to get ranked below Clinton.

I know he was a bit of a bully to get his way with congress. But that's about it. Am I missing something?

For the most part I agree with most of the rest of it.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

You forgot Truman.

it was deliberate as he assumed office during WW2 and I had to draw a line somewhere - the list seemed too long already.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

Maybe I'm missing something but what did Johnson do to get ranked below Clinton.

I know he was a bit of a bully to get his way with congress. But that's about it. Am I missing something?

For the most part I agree with most of the rest of it.

He had numerous affairs which basically puts him on the same scale as Clinton, plus he reveled in being a bully.

 

[NorthernHawkeye]

it was deliberate as he assumed office during WW2 and I had to draw a line somewhere - the list seemed too long already.

The bulk of his presidency was post WW2. And since were discussing character, the targeting of civilian population centers with nuclear holocaust seems pertinent to this discussion.

 

[gohawks50]

I can only rank the ones I remember in the Presidency. Since I was born in 1960 my memory of Presidents starts with Nixon.

Carter
HW Bush/Obama/Ford
Reagan/W/Biden
Clinton
Nixon



Trump

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

He had numerous affairs which basically puts him on the same scale as Clinton, plus he reveled in being a bully.

I didn't know about the affairs.

 

[uihawk82]

An exchange in another thread got me thinking about the character of the presidency and thought it would be interesting to rank presidents by their behaviors - removing any policy/party/effectiveness distinction. Just pure character of the person. Here is my ranking in terms of highest quality character to least, what’s yours?

Carter
Eisenhower
Obama
Ford
Bush Senior
Bush Junior
Biden
Reagan
Kennedy
Clinton
Johnson
Nixon
Trump

I think your list is pretty spot on but Truman should be up toward the top and Kennedy, minus his womanizing, should be ahead of Bush Jr who weasled his way out of any military action (or he was just a crappy pilot they couldnt wash out) while Kennedy went into the PT boat service and you know the story.

 

[Bonerfarts]

You forgot Truman.

Not today Dewey

 

[Hoosierhawkeye]

I think your list is pretty spot on but Truman should be up toward the top and Kennedy, minus his womanizing, should be ahead of Bush Jr who weasled his way out of any military action (or he was just a crappy pilot they couldnt wash out) while Kennedy went into the PT boat service and you know the story.

I'm not sure courage is the same thing as character.

 

[uihawk82]

it was deliberate as he assumed office during WW2 and I had to draw a line somewhere - the list seemed too long already.

Well Truman spent 90% of his time in office after WW2, integrated the armed services, helped push through the Marshall Plan which was the USAID of its time doing great humanitarian good in Europe.

Truman deserves to be at or just below the top.

 

[uihawk82]

I can only rank the ones I remember in the Presidency. Since I was born in 1960 my memory of Presidents starts with Nixon.

Carter
HW Bush/Obama/Ford
Reagan/W/Biden
Clinton
Nixon



Trump

I'm not sure courage is the same thing as character.

In a list of Prez's I think so. It also takes courage to put your ideas of good character into action.

 

[Formerly Rockymtnole]

Not knowing any of them personally it’s difficult to rank Presidents, but I am comfortable saying that whatever the order Trump is at the bottom. Not even a question.

 

[Scruddy]

Biden is at the bottom for sure.

 

[ping72]

I'm not sure courage is the same thing as character.

You don’t think weaseling out of service, that others with less privilege couldn’t do, isn’t a sign of poor character?

I absolutely think it is.

 

[NorthEndzoneCrew]

Biden is at the bottom for sure.

And you can tell how many are infected with TDS in this thread rankin Trump last….what a joke.

Guy has more character in his hand than half these losers.

 

[Scruddy]

And you can tell how many are infected with TDS in this thread rankin Trump last….what a joke.

Guy has more character in his hand than half these losers.

The opinions of the people who excused and dismissed 10% for the big guy as he pardoned his whole criminal family should largely be ignored.

 

[BelemNole]

And you can tell how many are infected with TDS in this thread rankin Trump last….what a joke.

Guy has more character in his hand than half these losers.

The silly post wasn't that funny. Scuddy agreeing with it was.

 

[MichaelKeller99]

Carter.





The rest.

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

And you can tell how many are infected with TDS in this thread rankin Trump last….what a joke.

Guy has more character in his hand than half these losers.

You just trolling?

Among my acquaintances that support Trump all of them say it’s about policies and that they support him despite his behaviors. I honestly don’t know a single person that thinks he is a man of upstanding character.

What about his character do you like?

 

[hawkeyetraveler]

The bulk of his presidency was post WW2. And since were discussing character, the targeting of civilian population centers with nuclear holocaust seems pertinent to this discussion.

That’s fair, I probably should have just said rank the presidents from Eisenhower to Trump. As to Truman, I would put him somewhere in the top third, lower than Carter, higher than Bush Sr.