Who was the best politician of all time?

[Fixated]

Who do you think knew the dirty art of politics the best? I must say that LBJ, while not my favorite president, was one hell of a politician.

[GOPisEvil]

1. LBJ and Sam Rayburn forgot more about politics than most people know.

But, that didn't stop them from getting stuff named after them here in TX. :-)

[Bluto]

3. FDR

I think FDR has to get the prize. What other Pol. won the Pres. 4 Xs?

[jimbo fett]

2. JFK and his resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis is hard to beat.

[stevedeshazer]

4. Dick Tuck

"Dick Tuck was a legendary political hoaxer who made a career out of making life miserable for Richard Nixon.

In 1950 both Nixon and Tuck were near the start of their careers. Nixon was running for a California senate seat against democratic opponent Helen Gagahan Douglas, and Tuck was working for Douglas's campaign.
Nixon was running an extremely dirty campaign, making every effort to portray his opponent as a communist-sympathizer. This red-bashing had already worked successfully for him in a 1946 congressional race against the democrat Jerry Voorhis, and had propelled him to national fame as a member of the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Tuck decided that he would undermine Nixon by getting himself hired as a campaign worker in Nixon's campaign, where he would secretly operate as a mole for Douglas.

As a campaign worker for Nixon, Tuck was responsible for organizing campaign rallies. He organized one such rally at UC Santa Barbara, and he booked the largest auditorium possible. However, he purposefully booked it on a day that few students would be able to attend, and then he barely publicized it at all. Therefore, when Nixon showed up to speak there were only 40 students waiting to hear him in a 4000 seat auditorium. Tuck got up on the stage to introduce Nixon and proceeded to deliver a long, rambling monologue in which he made frequent references to Nixon's cut-throat, red-bashing campaign tactics against Jerry Voorhis. Finally he announced that Nixon would now speak about the International Monetary Fund. Nixon, of course, had not planned to speak about the IMF. Therefore, when he got up to the podium he was momentarily speechless."

more: http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/tuck.html

[Renew Deal]

5. Wesley Clark

No wait, Howard Dean. Oh, Kerry

Oh, whatever

[Hoosier Democrat]

6. My choice (no flames, please)

My choice for the best politican of all time was George Wallace. Think of all he stood for in Jim Crow Alabama. By the end of his term, he was winning the vast majority of black votes in Alabama.

Its also interesting to note that, in 1972, Wallace was well on his way to being the top vote-getter in the Democratic primary field if he hadn't gotten shot and had to leave the race.

Despite what you think of his politics, he was a master politician.

[LynneSin]

7. I just have to say Bill Clinton

He was a flawed man, but the repukes tossed everything at him to get him impeached and disgraced and yet he came out even more popular as ever. He took a flailing country and gave us a surplus and we were more beloved throughout the world.

My vote is for Bill!!!

[Rowdyboy]

8. William Jennings Bryan was no slouch but I'd have to say FDR

[bigwillq]

9. FDR then Bill Clinton

then my governor John Rowland...NOT!!!!

[ProfessorGAC]

10. Has To Be Bush!

Geez, he's POTUS, he was governor of Texas and he knows nothing, learnes nothing, and has failed at every business venture he's even tried.

He must be one incredible politician because he sure can't govern.
The Professor

11. Gandhi

so good, he transcended being a politician

second place Nelson Mandela

[myrna minx]

12. Mayor McCheese...n/t

[AlGore-08.com]

13. I gotta go with Elizabeth I of England

eom

[felonious thunk]

14. Marion Barry

The man was a pretty awful mayor, had several prominent youthful indiscretions, and still managed to get himself elected on several non-consecutive occasions.

[caledesi]

15. Clinton. Hands down! nt

[NoPasaran]

16. Diocletian

He reined in the power of the armies, restructured the administration of the empire and reformed the economy. After twenty years of wearing the purple he abdicated and forced his co-emperor to do likewise.
http://www.roman-emperors.org/dioclet.htm

[Fixated]

17. ....

Very good choice. I feel intelligent for knowing about the era beforehand.

[happyslug]

26. Agreed

Like most good politician Diocletian did not fear other strong politicans around him. Diocletian also has the good like that within 20 years Constantine (another great Roman Politican) ended up as Emperor and finally found the way to implement Diocletian's plan to stablized the Roman Coinage (Constantine found the needed money by melting down all the Pagan idols, thus getting the needed Gold and Silver to mint new coins to replace all the de-based coins in circulation).

Just like Julius Ceasar was followed by Augustus Caesar, Diocletian was followed by Constantine. Through out History you see this one-two punch, one politican following another implementing similar and related programs. Henry VIII and Elizabeth implemnted the policy of England as a Naval and commecial Power of Europe. Jefferson followed by Jackson, implementing American Democracy. FDR followed by Truman and than LBJ, implementing the New Deal, preserving and Protecting the New Deal and expanding it with their Fair Deals and Great Society Programs.

To have great movement you have to have great Politician and followers of the those Politicians. They have to know what to change to imporve society, what to keep (to prevent the buildup of to much opposition) and to balance between the two. Great politicians rarely win by a landside, they are doing to much change to keep that many people happy. Great Politicians do things AND GET ELECTED so they can do things.

Thus one of the test of a Great Politican is what did he do? The other test is what did he try to do? and why did he fail? For example William Jennings Bryan lost the 1896, 1904 and 1908 Presdential elections, but he ran as a Rural Progressive when the US was still over 50% rural. In 1912 he did not run, But Wilson ran in his spot as a Rural Progresive. In 1920 the US Census shown for the first time the US was more Urban than Rural. In 1933 FDR took Williams Jennings Bryan 's Rural Progressivism to the Inner Cities and won the election.

Why did Bryan fail and FDR Succeed? The US was not yet ready for the Progressive Government during Bryan's Time with the Biggest opposition being in the URBAN AREAS (Generally Republican Controlled). Bryan therefore had always to run as a RURAL PROGRESSVIVE. FDR being from New York City himself, could run as both a Rural and Urban Progresive, FOR THE GREAT DEPRESSION HAS SHOWN URBAN RESIDENTS why they needed progresive government.

Bryan set up FDR, but Bryan could only do that if he tried to win each of his own elections not some election 20 years in the Future. The same with FDR he tried (and did) to win all four of his elections. Each tried to win and if Bryan had won he would have tried to win re-elections, and as the ame time try to improve the country. FDR could do it for the Country was ready for improvment, Bryan could not for the COuntry was not yet ready (But force the GOP to address many of his concerns, why do you think the GOP Run Theodore Roosevelt as VP in 1900 and President in 1904?). Bryan was addressing the needs of the people so TR tried to also answer those needs (also an example of One Politican seeing what another is doing and grabbing those ideas as his own).

We have no Bryan right now. Bill Clinton was really not a Progressive (he was a good politican but no reformer) Some people think Dean is such a reformer, I have my questions but I like him better than the rest of the pack (Through I do have a weakness for Kerry, he has made some effort at reforms).

Lets see if a great politican comes around.

[lpbk2713]

18. Tip O"Neill was a master at his craft.

A great guy as well. I admired him and wish he was still around. We need more like him.

[corporatewhore]

19. Rove and Lee attwater

[Crunchy Frog]

20. I'll dig way back in history

and say King Arthur.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

21. No, dude. He so bungled medicare. And as for his fiscal policy?

Sheesh!

[Astarho]

22. Shuppiluliuma of Hatti

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuppiluliuma_I

He reinvigorated the Hittite army, effectively ended the threat of Mitanni and married off many of his children to form alliances.

[Exultant Democracy]

23. Ben Franklin

[pasadenaboy]

24. huey long deserves consideration

[happyslug]

25. No One mentioned Lincoln yet?

His handling of his own party during the Civil War, his selection of senior officers not only to win the war but to maintain support for the war was simple political genius. His use of his oppoistion (in the north) to rein in his own party members were the work of a master (For Example He told the Governor of New York if you will not support me over the War, I will NOT support you in your re-election).

Master Politician, something we need in time of Crisis (And we have George W. Bush).

[KittyWampus]

27. Ben Franklin Without Whom The French Wouldn't Have Backed Us

and without whom the Constitution wouldn't have been signed.

He played the French & English off one another beautifully and even took advantage of the spy in his midst.

Knew how to pen a good insult too! :)