Who Really Was "The Greatest President We Never Had?"

Pre 1900: Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Ron Paul, Robert Taft, Barry Goldwater; Pre-1900: Jefferson, Monroe, Jackson

Honorable mentions to Earl Warren, John Glenn, Henry Clay, and McCain in 2000, plus Nixon in 60...guess I have to give credit to FDR for our relations w/ Britain post-WW2 (even though i pretty much disagree w/ all of the new deal, etc.)

Oh yeah, cant forget Perot :D
 
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What do I have against Bryan? Not much, apart from his being a fuzzy-minded sort who spouted popular but poorly reasoned pseudo-policies, that he was totally unqualified in experience in a responsible public position, and a terrible administrator to boot. Consider: during his tenure as Wilson's secretary of state, he did little apart from sending out biblical tracts by the ton. It took the efforts of a Robert Lansing (uncle to the two Dulles brothers) to begin to undo the harm Bryan did.

Bryan in the White House would have been as incompetent as Obama, Harding, or Carter.

Give harding a break; the depression was Hoover's fault because if you look at Hoover's record, he did the exact same thing as Obama is doing now...stimulus spending, etc.; FDR was just the same, and the Great Depression didn't end with the New Deal, it ended with World War II...notice the correlation with modern events?
 
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Sam Houston in the 1850's would have been a good one. He would not have let the South get to the point it was in in 1860.

William T. Sherman if he would have wanted the office.

Alexander Hamilton earlier, maybe after Jefferson.

Smedley Butler instead of Coolidge? It would be interesting.

Adlai Stevenson in the 50's

RFK definately

Gore in 2000. would not have the problems now.
 
Joshua Chamberlain - War Hero, Governor, Professor of theology and linguistics. Knew at least 7 languages. Would have protected civil rights like Grant, but would have run a more competent and much less corrupt administration.
 
Using the criterion that those mentioned never actually served as president, I suggest:

  • Charles Evans Hughes: a world of executive talent, and a progressive with none of Wilson's flaws
  • Wendell Willkie: could have guided the US through the war every bit as capably as Franklin Roosevelt--and would have brought people like Taft around to the right viewpoints in the bargain
  • Jack Kemp: I had a spot on the bumper of my car reserved for a "Kemp for President" sticker. Cabinet experience; solid communicator; theories and policies thoroughly acceptable to both conservatives and moderates; thoroughly personable. Could've been a more progressive Reagan 2.0.
  • Colin Powell: A latter-day Ike but one far more in touch with the American people (much as I admire Ike, the guys he liked to hang with were chairmen of the board, CEOs and the like). I'm confident that had 9/11 happened during his presidency, he'd have been able to present a cogent case with clear aims for military involvement--and get complete buy-in on it, to the point that we might well look on Iraq and Afghanistan now as memories.
  • Albert Ritchie: I suppose I have to include one Democrat. Anyhow, H. L. Mencken spoke well of the man in print more than once--and for a thorough iconoclast like Mencken, that implies Ritchie had plenty going for him.
 
Ross Perot

images
 
Henry Cabot Lodge, Al Smith, Barry Goldwater, Jack Kemp, David Boren, Lloyd Bentsen, William F Buckley, James L Buckley, and Robert F Kennedy.

Maybe more, but I can't think of a single one to call the "greatest".
 
Joshua Chamberlain - War Hero, Governor, Professor of theology and linguistics. Knew at least 7 languages. Would have protected civil rights like Grant, but would have run a more competent and much less corrupt administration.

After looking at him on wikipedia, I think that it'd be interesting, though I'll have to research more.
 
After looking at him on wikipedia, I think that it'd be interesting, though I'll have to research more.

POD, he doesn't get shot and nearly killed. He missed nearly five months of the war. If he wasn't hurt, he would have commanded his brigade in the Second Battle of the Weldon Railroad during the Siege of Petersburg, which while a limited Union victory could have gone much better. Have that go better due to Chamberlain's leadership and have him promoted on merit rather than because Grant thought he was dying.

As an even higher profile in state and national figure, he's urged by many to appoint himself Senator after William Pitt Fessenden dies in '69. He bows to the public will and does so beginning his meteoric rise. Beats Hayes out for the Republican nomination and goes on to beat Tilden legitimately in the '76 election.
 
Sam Houston in the 1850's would have been a good one. He would not have let the South get to the point it was in in 1860.

William T. Sherman if he would have wanted the office.

Alexander Hamilton earlier, maybe after Jefferson.

Smedley Butler instead of Coolidge? It would be interesting.

Adlai Stevenson in the 50's

RFK definately

Gore in 2000. would not have the problems now.
Emphasis mine. Hamilton was never POTUS.

Where are all the Perot-lovers?! :confused:
Banned, one can hope:D
 
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