Who is the most underrated/overrated President?

[CubsFan1982]

I have to write an essay for my history class on who I believe are the most underrated and overrated Presidents in American history. My picks were John Adams as the most underrated and Dwight D. Eisenhower as the most overrated. Adams because he showed extraordinary courage in pursuing a diplomatic solution to the Quasi-War crisis with France between 1798-1800, when his party and the country were clamoring for war. Eisenhower because he accomplished practically nothing during his time in office except the interstate system and didn't stand up more forcefully to the Soviets during the time of the Hungarian revolts of 1956.

Those are my picks, what are yours?

Edit: Excluding *. Then it won't be "history". :D

[SmileyBoy]

1. Underrated: Harry Truman. Overrated: Dubya.

JMHO.

[Bok_Tukalo]

2. Underrated - James Polk Overrated - George Washington

<eom>

[Exultant Democracy]

3. Hum

I would go with Hoover as the most underrated president. I am not saying that he did a good job, but if it hadn't been for his presidency he could have been man of the century. As for overrated it is Reagan.

[hickman1937]

4. Underrated, Johnson.

Overrated, Reagen. Kennedy talked about civil rights, Johnson got it done, Reagen, how the hell did this poser get his name on an airport, and a gov't building. History will consider his a failed presidency. History will be a lot kinder to Johnson than his contemporaries have been.

[punpirate]

5. Bush's term isn't over yet...

... but he'd be first on my list of the overrated. But of historical characters, I'd say underrated would be Andrew Jackson--he took a lot of flak as a backwoods hick in the press--there were lots of stories about things like wiping his nose on the White House dinner napkins, but he effectively derailed the Whigs' plans to ram through the Second Bank of the United States, etc.

Overrated, of historical figures, I'd have to say Reagan, because of the near-cultish adoration of the man, when, in fact, he set this country on a course of prudishness, niggardliness, militarism and debt that we're seeing coming to fruition today.

[lpbk2713]

6. Dipshit Raygun over rated by far

Jimmy Carter was the most dissed prez thanks to the rightie assholes.

[lenidog]

7. I hate to say this

Carter is rated about right. His presidency was well more or less a seat warming one. Partially it was his fault, they talk about the Lewinsky BS distracting Clinton and keeping him from doing anything. Damm that was nothing compared to the Iranian Hostage Crisis now that was a real mess to distract a president.

[MrModerate]

8. Polk and Regan

Polk is underrated because the primary "achievement" of his term was the Mexican War, a wicked, vicious act of evil for which America still has a lot of 'splainin' to do. But boy howdy he got the job done, and picked the right people to do it.

Reagan because he was a disaster on so many fronts, but the pubbies have managed to somehow scrub the record clean and turn him into St. Ronnie. Even though he was something of a nitwit and morally bankrupt to boot (where have I heard this recently?)

[CubsFan1982]

10. Polk did something no President has ever done.

He fulfilled all his major campaign promises: he acquired more territory for the US from Mexico, settled the Oregon claims in his favor, and annexed Texas. Can't really beat that.

[lenidog]

12. You forgot that he also said

he would do it in one term. And he did, among historians Polk actually is pretty high up on the list of best presidents. While among the general populace he is non-existent on their lists because they only vote for the presidents they actually lived under or the really famous ones like Lincoln. Someone like Gallup did a poll last Presidents day las year and Clinton ranked higher than FDR. Hey I think Clinton was a great President but in no way shape or form did he accomplish as much as FDR.

[CubsFan1982]

14. Yep.

He DID promise to do it in one term, you're right. And as for Clinton outranking FDR? As much as I like the Big Dawg, putting him ahead of FDR is criminal. To me, there's only two Presidents that go ahead of FDR, and that's Lincoln and Washington.

[saltpoint]

9. Reagan was a clueless imbecile long before the --

-- Alzheimer's diagnosis. I'd rate him highly overrated until the GOP spinmasters give him credit for ending the Cold War, and then I consider him the MOST overrated.

Most underrated politically: Adams or Madison.

Most underrated personality (as a human being): Pierce.

[DaveinMD]

11. I actually think

Eisenhower is underrated. He was a lot better than most people think. I think George Washington is very underrated. What he did to set this country on a Democratic course was remarkeable. Reagan is the most overrated.

[Left Is Write]

13. My vote definitely goes to the overrated and

inexplicably canonized Reagan.