Grondar

I have been alive during the presidencies of Reagan, Bush (Sr.), Clinton, and now George W. Alive meaning I was old enough to understand who my president was and what he did.

My personal favorite president is Clinton, as he seemed to get me more interested in politics, and he seemed to get the most spotlight time. I am not really into politics much, but I do remember a lot about Clinton as a person, and as being a rather outgoing guy; a "normal" guy in a sense.

The whole Lewinsky incident brought him down to Earth, and put him on a level with the rest of us, and I liked that.

What president did you like the most that was in office during your lifetime, and why?

It doesn't have to be for politcal reasons (like myself), but it could be.

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Daval

His mistakes aside, I think Clinton was a great president. He was a diplomat and did a great job with the economy.

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Peetster

gurgle, spurt, WHAT??????

OK, I don't want to turn this into a bashing session. I think Regan did more for this country in my lifetime, especially after the mess inherited from Carter. He ended the Cold War and brought down the Berlin Wall.

maximusveritas

My favorite has to be Jimmy Carter, although I was a little to young to know it at the time. I don't want to turn this into a debate on the merits of his presidency, but he has unfairly been vilified for things out of his control. Regardless, he is a man of principle who really believed in what he fought for. Unlike other ex-presidents who quickly go after the big bucks on the lecture circuit or as high-paid consultants, Carter has done more as an ex-president than any other president in US history. Every other president since him has been either a scumbag, an idiot, or both. Jimmy Carter is a man I can look up to for being a good man, not just a good president.

JoeyB

I liked Ronald Reagan DURING his Presidency, before I knew of all of his controversies. I felt very safe during his two terms and I enjoyed his quick wit during his speeches.

Only after did I better understand the Iran-Contra mess and the firing the air traffic controllers. I always thought it was ironic that the man who fired the controllers had an airport named after him!!!

It's a shame that he's a shell of a man now. I would have enjoyed having a few more years of hearing his thoughts.

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Liquor Dealer

OK - I'm going to be nice! I promise. I was born during Roosevelt's final term. I have lived through several presidencies and in this time I have learned that you cannot judge how history will eventually look at either the man or the job he did. That said, I really admire the job that Harry Truman did - He inherited basically what had become a dictatorship and had been allowed little inside information on what was going on. He inherited a terrible war and two atomic bombs! He had to decide in a hurry what choices to make. While a few may still condemn him for his decision, I think you will find even Japanese who agree that what he chose to do to end the war was even in their best interests. Some that were looked at in awe at the time of their presidencies have not been able to carry that awe very far - I believe that many people now look at Kennedy for what he really was - not much other than a womanizer. I believe that in time Richard Nixon will be looked at a lot more kindly than he is being looked at at this time. The man was brilliant in dealing with foreign policy but not very smart at all in choosing his friends. LBJ allowed his wife to prove that the presidency can be bought - and accomplished very little else. Only time will tell about some who came later. I think Carter's presidency will never be anything other than an example of mediocracy - even though the man himself has become well known in his later years. George W. Bush, the man a lot of you like to hate, in my opinion is a good president - How history will deal with him is a long way down the road but, like him or hate him you'll have to admit that he inherited a mess from what I believe history will judge to be one of the most piss poor presidents in history, he inherited a country totally paralized with fear - He provided a presidency that says what it means and means what it says. It has been a long time since we had one like this. The economy is not good - I am self employed and I guarantee I know how hard it is to get by right now but that too was inherited from a charismatic asshole that should have been a television evangelist and not president of the United States.

Liquor Dealer

Would you have preferred that they be allowed to paralize the entire nation by going on strike? There are many jobs in which one simply cannot go on strike as a protest. Policemen, firemen, teachers, the list goes on and on. It is a shame that we live in a country that values those in public service so little - that said - allowing them to go on strike simply cannot be allowed. With Reagan the whole country knew where it stood - they knew where he stood and, like our current president, they knew he would do what he said he would do. The air traffic controllers attempted to call something a bluff - that was gospel. They got what he told them they would get.

JoeyB

I see your point...but teachers can't go on strike??

Liquor Dealer

I am not saying that they can't, but who do they hurt when they do? The school board they can't deal with anyway? The school board either does not have the means to do what teachers want, or have chosen to put their funds somewhere else. Take Chicago for example - A garbage collector in Chicago is paid three times more money than a teacher. What is wrong with our priorities. The only people hurt when teachers strike are the teachers themselves - it is an inconvenience to parents while it goes on but in the end nothing is really ever settled, and the kids whose summer was extended by the strike will pay by going to school into next summer to make up the days missed. School attendance is mandatory and school years are set by law. If a teacher goes on strike he or she causes nothing but resentment from the general public and often times they end up with even less than they started with.

JoeyB

Gotcha.

I completely understand about the actions of a small group affecting so many innocent people, but it's a shame that people in that position (teachers, police, refuse) have very little bargaining power in those situations. If they lose the ability to strike (only after negotiations have reached a dead-end), they have absolutely no power to improve their work situations. They're at the mercy of the boss.

(Sorry to deviate from the original thread!!!!)

The_Dude

bill clinton!


i dont give a damn wtf he does in his personal life, but he was a damn good president.

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sixate

alpha phi

I my lifetime?.....

regan got buisness back on track.
I aprove more highly of presidents long before my birth

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Liquor Dealer

bill clinton!


i dont give a damn wtf he does in his personal life, but he was a damn good president



No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!No!! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No!No! No! No! No!

The_Dude

haters!

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splck

Gerald Ford was the man, I always remember him falling down the stairs of the airplane.
Clinton came second

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nice line eh?

laconic1

I'd have to go with Reagan. He inherited quite a mess and brought this country back. He worked tirelessly on diplomacy and helped bring the end of communism. He wasn't perfect, and made his mistakes but he never made a hotel out of the White House for his personal profit.

Bill Clinton?

Sun Tzu

Along the lines of what Joey stated. I liked Reagan and for the most part still do. I attempt to come to terms with the shady things Presidents do for what they see as for the good of America. I was in the military when Clinton was in office and I hated him. Ive come to to respect him for reasons too long to go into this thread. For any that think I am; Im not a liberal (labels are getting so old. . .another civil war coming or what) I make every attempt to see both side of issues, look at things for what they are, and follow a common denominater.

BastardStepChild you sound have alot of "living experience" that I'd like to hear. Could you start an ask BastardStepChild politcal thread? I'd be interested to hear what your experience was vs some of the things Ive read and continue to read.

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George W Bush

The present president is the best one this country has ever seen

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zipper

I have say Bill Clinton too, I just wish all that blow-job, cigar stuff wouldn't have came out...............Live and learn I guess.

Make sure the woman ALWAYS swallows!!

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XXXs

Favorite was Reagan. The man should be credited for the 90's economic boom due to the simple fact that an economy that strong needs a good foundation.

Worst was Clinton. He ruined the economy, lied to all American people, didn't understand why American's were upset by the lie, and was just too Hollywood for my tastes.

reconmike

My favorite was Reagan also, I served for all 8 years of his presidency, he rebuilt a strong America.

I have been politicly alive since the Nixon days, (alive since Kennedy).

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Liquor Dealer

No! It got me in trouble before!!!

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Phaenx

Reagan's got my vote.

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Tophat665

I, too, have got to go with Clinton. He was easily the best Repubilcan presideent since Lincoln. I think he would have been an even better president if the Conswervative fringe had been more interested in the welfare of the country than in extracting revenge for pimp slappin' Poppie Bush so effortlessly.

I was too young to really get a sense of Carter (I liked him at the time, but I liked Hardy Boys books a great deal)., Reagan did win us the cold war, but also stuck us with massive debt, made Clinton look like Galahad, and is enjoying the clearest case of poetic justice in the history of the world about now. Poppy was an ineffectual little man - well suited to spymaster, not to head honcho -, and Shrub stole his election. We'll see how history treats him, but I understand the Harding and Garfield Heirs are breaking out the bubbly.

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KillerYoda

Let's see:

The Federal Reserve Board fixed the economy they fucked up in the first place, not Reagan. George Bush started a war with Iraq when Iraq actually was a threat and didn't finish it so we'd get to deal with it again 12 years later. Bill Clinton got his dick sucked a bunch and overall ignored the terrorist problem. George W. Bush is spending money we don't have to thwart a threat that doesn't exist.

I'll go with Reagan, since he did help the Germans with urban renewal (removing that annoying wall), helped end communism, and got shot, but took it like a man.

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