Who is the most UNDERRATED Democratic president we've ever had?

[Bicoastal]

Poll question: Who is the most UNDERRATED Democratic president we've ever had?

Sorry for fans of Martin Van Buren, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, or Andrew Johnson (if they do indeed exist)--there simply wasn't room.

And I didn't put Obama on here, for the obvious reason that he isn't President yet.

[NorCalDem]

1. My first thought before I even saw the choices was Carter

The man was a visionary 30 years ahead of his time. My favorite Carter story is that he put solar panels on the white house in an effort towards domestic energy independence (you know, that thing we're JUST NOW realizing how important it is). Of course Reagan took them off almost immediately after entering the white house, cause i mean, what harm could possibly come of being beholden to middle eastern dictatorships?!? Oh wait a minute...

[polichick]

2. Yep - and his 1977 energy talk could be given today...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tPePpMxJaA

[damntexdem]

14. By far -- one of the most brilliant presidents we have had.

By contrast, Andrew Jackson is way overrated in American history.

[fadedrose]

45. Me too

It didn't help when the hostages were kept until Reagon took office as the result of some deal he made with the Iranians...

[SoFlaJet]

3. I voted Truman

because had he not dropped the two bombs on Japan I prolly wouldn't be here today-the 82nd Airborne Division was already planning a drop that was estimated to be a million lives lost. My dad had pushed his luck a few times before over France on D-day and into Holland and the Bulge

[Sherman A1]

6. Truman as well, reasons are different, but I am from Missouri

and think he is the best.

[Rebubula]

4. Carter??

As a President, he is underrated for a reason. He was ineffective in a difficult time and was ill-prepared for the vulture-fest that is Washington, D.C.. The President needs to be forceful and have enough of an ego to use a bully pulpit.

However, as an Ex-President and Statesmen - he is one of the finest men on the planet. He deserves every accolade that he gets and more. I met him twice back in the Mid 80s and he was incredibly nice and even remembered me the second time we met.

[RubyDuby in GA]

5. It is kind of hard to be forceful when you are being undercut by your opposition and those

supposedly on your own side.

[lunatica]

7. Carter was undercut by Reagan regarding the hostages and the environment

Reagan made a deal with the Iranian Ayatollahs not to give in to sending the hostages back until Reagan was sworn in. That's probably when Reagan started the deal to sell Iran arms payed for with Drugs.

Carter also put solar panels on the White House that Reagan took down.

Carter was the first President to make human rights and torture an policy issue for this country. He was definitely under-appreciated by uber-jingoists pseudo patriotic chest thumpers who came back under Bush the Lesser to finally do their best to destroy this country

[Drunken Irishman]

8. LBJ.

[redstate_democrat]

10. I was torn between LBJ and Carter.

I chose Carter. I just love that man so much. He was way ahead of his time, a true humanitarian, and a person in touch with poor people. But I also have a fond appreciation for LBJ despite the Vietnam war and what some people have said about him regarding some other things. LBJ had real courage, maybe to his detriment, but he pushed the envelope for progress and you can't be mad at that.

[jberryhill]

28. I've only recently come to appreciate LBJ

Until recently, if you said "LBJ", I'd think "deepening involvement in Vietnam, appendix scar, and picking the dog up by the ears" and not much else other than wild flowers on highway median strips.

But for a man of his background to pick up on civil rights and run with it like that... I haven't learned enough about him.

[SheilaT]

9. Carter was blamed for the high inflation

of the late 1970's which was a DIRECT result of Richard Nixon's wage and price controls several years earlier. Who here remembers them? I do, because I didn't get a raise for a couple of years because of them. And when they were implemented economists up and down the political spectrum said it was a bad idea and would only lead to whopping inflation down the road.

Also, the Camp David Accords. Carter did more for peace in the Middle East than probably any President before or after.

Unfortunately he was a true outsider and seems to have been despised by the higher-ups in the Democratic Party. They allowed Ted Kennedy (whom I greatly admire) to challenge him directly for the nomination in 1980. Meanwhile, Carter actually did cut waste in the federal government and trimmed its size, rather like Democrats, the party of Big Government tend to do.

In the somewhat distant past I might have given Truman the nod for most underrated, but he's been pretty thoroughly rehabilitated by now.

[Onlooker]

11. Jimmy Carter was a terrible President

I was a paid worker on his campaign in upstate New York, and the only reason I did it was because he was far better than Reagan and it was an interesting job.

But, Jimmy Carter was really into the military, pro nuclear energy at a time when there were still many doubts, had no urban policy, favored deregulation, spoke insipidly, and was personally against gay rights and abortion. That's not to say he was all bad -- making human rights part of American foreign policy, his role in the Camp David Accords, and his willingness to let Iran find its own direction were very good things, but overall he was more conservative than Gore or Clinton. That said, he is our greatest expresident (though Bill Clinton is also doing a great job).

[Anarcho-Socialist]

12. LBJ

His foreign policy was horrible, but his domestic policies were the most progressive of the twentieth century.

[MadBadger]

15. Domestic Policies...like killing a President

I kiiiiid I kiiiiddd LBJ :-)

[Danger Mouse]

25. OMFG lol, you've been hanging out in the 9/11forum.

The one time I did go in there, I was very sorry.

[MadBadger]

26. No 9/11 conspiracy nut here

But JFK assasination nut I am. Though it doesnt feel too tin foiley over here since I dont think most people think it was just little old Lee acting on his lonesome.

[MadBadger]

27. No 9/11 conspiracy nut here

But JFK assasination nut I am. Though it doesnt feel too tin foiley over here since I dont think most people think it was just little old Lee acting on his lonesome.

[TexasObserver]

13. Polk

And I believe most historians would agree.

[NoPasaran]

19. I'm with you

Polk is the least known, most influential President of the Nineteenth Century.

(I didn't vote Jackson because his place in history is secure, despite the lack of love for him on DU.)

[Drunken Irishman]

36. I like Jackson.

[jberryhill]

29. Why did he give that award to Bill O'Reilly anyway? /nt

[Radical Activist]

37. Polk and Bush have a lot in common.

They both lied to the country to start unprovoked wars of aggression.

He was a slaveholder who allowed slavery to be extended into the new territories. Grant believed that was the primary cause of the Civil War. Polk is on my list of five worst Presidents.

[Uzybone]

16. Truman for me

with LBJ a close 2nd.

[moondust]

17. Carter's energy proposals alone

could have been so far-reaching and transformational as to dwarf anything any other President could have possibly done in 4-8 years--if only they would have been taken seriously and widely implemented.

[amborin]

40. for Carter's energy policies, alone, he's got my vote, hands down

[EconomicLiberal]

18. LBJ, easily.

In my opinion, he is the 3rd finest Democratic president of the 20th century, after FDR and Harry Truman.

[ShortnFiery]

20. Yeah, that Gulf of Tonkin LBJ lie was UNDER RATED.

http://wcownews.typepad.com/vietnam/2008/09/lyndon-b-john-1.html

30-year Anniversary: Tonkin Gulf Lie Launched Vietnam War
Media Beat (7/27/94) By Jeff Cohen and Norman Solomon

But there was no "second attack" by North Vietnam — no "renewed attacks against American destroyers." By reporting official claims as absolute truths, American journalism opened the floodgates for the bloody Vietnam War.

A pattern took hold: continuous government lies passed on by pliant mass media...leading to over 50,000 American deaths and millions of Vietnamese casualties.

The official story was that North Vietnamese torpedo boats launched an "unprovoked attack" against a U.S. destroyer on "routine patrol" in the Tonkin Gulf on Aug. 2 — and that North Vietnamese PT boats followed up with a "deliberate attack" on a pair of U.S. ships two days later.

The truth was very different.

Lyndon B. Johnson's lies about the Gulf of Tonkin and his invovlment in Vietnam

Lyndon B. Johnson had to make certain decisions about the Vietnam war. One of the issues that L.B.J had to decide on was the gulf of Tonkin. L.B.J told congress as well as Americans that two American Patrol boats were attacked by the Northern Vietnamese unprovoked. This gained support for him send more armed forces into North Vietnam and use any forces necessary to repel attacks on the United States. But while the Maddox and Timer Joy were attacked it was because the ships were collecting electronic information from North Vietnam. This wasn't the only lie that L.B.J told Congress as well as the American people about his involvement in Vietnam.

"The President's response to the Gulf of Tonkin incident spiked his poll ratings and no longer felt so vulnerable to Goldwater's attack. Instead he painted Goldwater as a dangerous extremist who might lead the United States into World War III and presented himself as a man of peace."(Appy, 113).

L.B.J actions contradicted his statements that he was a "Peace" candidate. Instead of trying to keep peace in Vietnam the amount of armed forces he sent into North Vietnam kept escalating. Not only was L.B.J sending troops into North Vietnam he was sending troops to bomb South Vietnam. More then five hundred thousand members of the armed forces were sent to Vietnam. Lyndon B. Johnson kept telling Congress and Americans that sending more troops was a way to protect Americans and keep peace in Vietnam. All the increases made in Vietnam were meant to help the people in South Vietnam. While L.B.J was explaining to Americans that his increases involvement was to keep peace, it was really a way to declare war without going through the American people or congress. Lyndon B. Johnson was not only planning the Gulf of Tonkin but also the major escalations in the war. this proves that Johnson's plans in Vietnam were not intended to keep peace but to go into war with Vietnam without the formal title. Many of the Congressmen and Americans were on the side of Johnson until they started finding out about the lies. Johnson kept informing Americans he was optimistic about the success in Vietnam. But Johnson had a lot of doubts in the success of Vietnam. Would the lies of Johnson lead to the downfall of Americans in Vietnam?

[EconomicLiberal]

23. He would be in front of Harry Truman if it wasn't for Gulf of Tonkin.

His domestic record is really impressive?

Are you denying that?

[ShortnFiery]

32. Why don't you check with the good people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with regard to Truman?

:wtf: Providing the impetus to MILLIONS OF INNOCENTS BEING MURDERED (even if they aren't Americans) sort of NEGATES any potential accolades.

I'm having a very difficult time that you could ignore ALL THAT DEATH (over two million Vietnamese (LBJ) and 300,000 Japanese (Truman) to laud these two WARMONGERING GHOULISH men. :(

[EconomicLiberal]

46. Good grief. Are you serious?

Millions more would have died if Harry did not drop the bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was neccesary.

[Bjorn Against]

21. I voted for Carter. I would have voted for Johnson if it were not for Vietnam.

Carter was very forward thinking on energy, and if people had taken him seriously we would not be in the mess we are in today.

Johnson however was great on domestic policy, he had one of the greatest domestic agendas in history and he doesn't get nearly enough credit for it. Everyone claims his war on poverty was a failure, yet the poverty rate dropped dramatically as a result of his programs. He would be on the same level as FDR if it were not for Vietnam, but what he did in Vietnam was so completely wrong that it makes me think of him as a terrible President despite the very good things he did domestically.

[ShadowLiberal]

22. Truman, but I think some you list there shouldn't be considered democrats today

Specifically I think Andrew Jackson should not be thought of as a member of the current democratic party of today. I mean look at the man's personality and his stance on the issues of his day, and see many of them we would strongly oppose him on today.

He would obviously be a big social conservative in today's society, he even fought hard for 'states rights' on stuff and limiting federal government power, and today states rights basically refers to 'let the states discriminate against minorities'. He was poorly educated and frequently attacked 'rich elites', doesn't that sound very familiar to the GOP calling liberals elitists? He also had the personality to be a very prowar president who would be furious at the suggestion of ending a war that he didn't think we had won yet.

Andrew Jackson also never accomplished any big liberal victories.

Other nondemocrats from over a century ago can also be thought of as democrats in today's society. Abraham Lincoln was a moderate liberal in what was then a very liberal republican party that was founded in the New England area. Lincoln freed the slaves, and his party in congress gave them stuff like the right to vote.

[Phredicles]

34. And who the hell is voting for James K. Polk?

The Shrub of the 1840s, his great achievement was invading Mexico like it was Poland.

[mkultra]

24. Hillary Clinton.

[old mark]

30. Jimmy Carter. A really decent person, great intellect. nt

[La Lioness Priyanka]

31. in real life carter, on du bill clinton. nt

[anonymous171]

33. Carter. He turned out to be right about energy.

[mvd]

35. Carter

He was nowhere near the failure Repukes and even some Democrats say he was. He was a victim of circumstances out of control, as Reagan had a secret deal on the hostages. Unethical from the beginning, Reagan was.

[SwampG8r]

38. wilson

won ww1 and would have won the peace and averted ww2 if he had had support of congress

[Radical Activist]

39. LBJ by far.

I don't blame babyboomers who still hate him for Vietnam.

But no President enacted more programs that still exist and improve our daily lives than LBJ. He was the first President to make major progress for the environment, the first real civil rights President in nearly a century, he gave us the first African American Supreme Court Justice, the first significant consumer protection laws, Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, the space program, major education reform, college financial aid, created PBS, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more that I couldn't even hope to finish listing in this post.

If not for Vietnam, he would easily be regarded as one of the two or three greatest Presidents in American history. JFK's accomplishments were merely a footnote by comparison.

[liberalpragmatist]

41. Grover Cleveland

I kid, I kid.

[saltpoint]

42. Franklin Pierce gets my vote. Politically he was a miserable disappointment

and died in alcoholic isolation.

But as a human, he had underrated gifts.

- - -

“There was a winning, irresistible magnetism in the presence of this man. Except my father, there was no man in whose company I liked to be so much as in his. I had little to say to him, and demanded nothing more than a silent recognition from him, but his voice, his looks, his gestures, his gait, the spiritual sphere of him, were delightful to me; and I suspect that his rise to the highest office in our nation was due quite as much to this power or quality in him as to any intellectual or even executive ability that he may have possessed. He was a good, conscientious, patriotic, strong, man and gentle and tender as a woman. He had the old-fashioned ways, the courtesy, and the personal dignity which are not often seen nowadays. His physical frame was immensely powerful and athletic, but life used him hard and he was far from considerate of himself, and he died at 65, when he might under more favorable conditions have rounded out his century.”

--Julian Hawthorne, son of Nathanial Hawthorne, writing as a boy in his teens,
on Franklin Pierce, quoted in Franklin Pierce, by Roy Franklin Nichols

- - -

[CK_John]

43. Truman, because he saved us from military rule. n/t

[mnhtnbb]

44. Hands down, Carter.

[WI_DEM]

47. Carter, (I would have voted LBJ, but historians generally do give him good marks on domestic policy)

but Carter was ahead of his time in many ways especially on energy policy. If we had kept his energy program (RR dismantled it) we would be much better off today. He also passed the Alaskan Lands Bill during his presidency. The Camp David Accords is one of the great presidential achievements of all-time. He managed to get the Panama Canal Treaties passed which was long overdue and other presidents thought too politically risky to push. He made human rights a center piece of his foreign policy.