Bill Clinton ranks high in new historical presidents study

[BlueStater]

Source: None

Two professors have put together the first survey of experts in three years about great Presidents, and Bill Clinton has made a big leap from a previous study.

Back in 2010 and 2011, Clinton ranked 13th and 19th among the 43 Presidents considered in surveys fielded by Siena College (of 238 Presidential scholars) and by the London-based United States Presidency Centre. In all, Clinton had appeared in 11 presidential surveys and his aggregate rank was 20th out of 43 Presidents.

But a new survey of political scientists conducted by Justin Vaughn at Boise State University, and Brandon Rottinghaus at University of Houston puts Clinton in the list of near-great Presidents, as the 8th best President ever.

Vaughn and Rottinghaus contacted 391 members of the American Political Science Association’s Presidents & Executive Politics section, and 162 surveys were completed.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/bill-clinton-ranks-high-historical-presidents-study-105409374.html

---

What the hell is that corrupt homophobe Reagan doing at number 11? As for the criticism of Obama's inability to work with Congress, NO ONE could work with those idiotic assholes.

[C Moon]

1. I saw a rating of U.S. Presidents on a KCET political talk show (don't recall the name of the show)

They had Ronald Reagan in the top 5.
Since then, I don't bother looking at those lists.
But I hope this one is more realistic than most I've seen.

[rurallib]

10. Think I saw that one also online

it was a Gallup poll of some public group.
Gallup is such a bad polling company anymore, I had to laugh.

[yeoman6987]

2. I am actually surprised Reagan is ranked so low

The love fest may finally be stopping. Nothing on Carter unless I missed it. George W at 35? Doesn't say much for those below him.

[pscot]

13. He never invaded Mexico

So he has that goin' for him.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

3. When the idiot was President, W. I was driving a long trip and

heard a news story on the radio with the idiot talking, sounding like the idiot he is

then on my liberal radio station I heard I think it was Al Franken interviewing Clinton, just a few minutes after the idiot

the contrast made me laugh and angry

[yeoman6987]

4. Don't read the comments I made that mistake

Stopped after about six of them.

[Dawson Leery]

5. Reagan has fallen a few spaces since the last survey.

Perhaps reality is finally catching up with the corporate puppet.

[jalan48]

6. Was Reagan Really President?

I always thought Bush was the real President and Reagan simply a figurehead. Reagan spoke well and looked good on TV. He was an ex Hollywood actor-I thought he was just playing the part.

[olddad56]

16. he had Alzheimer's while president and was still probbaly the best of the GOP presidents.

probably was still smarter that GWB

[jalan48]

19. Eisenhower would get my vote.

Reagan's illegal and inhuman policies in Central America should have been enough to get him impeached.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

7. I always find it funny when they try to rank William Henry Harrison

The guy got sick and died in less than a month after being sworn in.

At best, he had a week and a half of an active presidency before becoming bedridden, so not much to base a ranking on.

[DonViejo]

8. Wow...

Clinton was the highest-ranking modern President, ahead of Ronald Reagan (11th), Lyndon Johnson (12th), John Kennedy (14th) and George H.W. Bush (17th).

[EEO]

9. FDR & Lincoln are the only ones who deserve the first spot.

[Recursion]

14. I don't know; Washington has to be in the running for that too (nt)

[SnakeEyes]

11. Reagan ranks highly because

he is unfairly given credit for a supposed economic turnaround, nevermind the rich got richer, and for unfairly getting credit for ending the cold war/collapsing the USSR. Of course the latter also ignores the negative effects it had as well. The corporate capitalist and banker thieves have messed up countries to the brink of collapse. They needed progressive reform not collapse into greater inequality and capitalism.

[7962]

12. Clinton's rise is likely because he's still around. I wouldnt put him above Kennedy.

Plus, this is a survey of political scientists and not a poll of the public.

[calimary]

15. Very satisfying to see reagan's name NOT in the top 10.

He deserves to be nowhere near it. Looks like the reality-based community is speaking up. I suspect as time goes on, and clearer heads prevail, and the rose-colored worship glasses start to fall off, reagan will find his rightful place somewhere in the bottom half.

And he did NOT liberate the world, either!!! If it weren't for a couple of other dudes in there at the same time, nothing would have improved. It took the pope - JP2 - and Mikhail Gorbachev to make a difference. reagan was, as usual, simply an opportunistic poseur.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

17. I don't know why Clinton is ahead of Johnson.

LBJ pushed civil rights. Clinton got NAFTA.

Somehow, I think LBJ has the more important legacy.

[candelista]

20. A little thing called the Vietnam War.

This may have reduced LBJ's historical star-status.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

22. Then Obama's legacy will be reduced by Afghanistan

and a few others.

The Vietnam war didn't start with LBJ, and didn't end with him.

Maybe I am giving him too much credit for Civil Rights legislation. But I thought it was a big deal.

Now I will go find someone with whom to argue the benefits of Miller vs Budweiser!



LBJ's signature was faithfully reproduced on my draft notice, so that's a point against him.

[candelista]

23. You are minimizing.

"The Vietnam war didn't start with LBJ, and didn't end with him."

That's a very misleading, fallacious remark. The kind of remark that insults the reader's intelligence by ignoring the elephant in the room.

As you know, but did not acknowledge, LBJ raised the number of troops in Vietnam from a few thousand to a half-million.

[patricia92243]

18. Is this a painful attemt to make W look good?

"George W. Bush had the 35th highest overall rating (out of 43 Presidents) and was the fifth most popular choice when scholars were asked for their list of the worst presidents."

Do I understand what is actually being said:

W rated 35th of 43 Presidents

W rated as 5th of the worst presidents

The round-a-bout way the article is worded sounds like they are breaking their necks to make it confusing to how bad Bush rated.

[Beacool]

21. Interesting.

I'm glad that Bill is ahead of Reagan. As for Obama, he's still in office and has a bit less than two years left to go before he steps down from the job. I think that it's too soon to rank him.

[StevieM]

24. I'm also glad that Clinton was ranked ahead of Reagan. It amazes me how overrated Reagan is.

I agree that it probably doesn't make sense to rank presidents before they leave office. But I think Obama will get pretty good marks in the history books. Look at what he inherited from George W. Bush and look at where we are now.