~*~Low Level Politics~*~

[esa]

I was thinking this.. instead of bashing each other's picks of "heros" etc... Because it seems like we keep butting heads, why not start a thread to explain who your favorite president was, why, and why you support them. And perhaps add one negative thing about them too. Just so that you can post an opinion about someone you support and no one will have to trash you. Support your reasoning. I'd like to hear some of this. And remember.. play nicely please.

Personal faves here were Abe Lincoln and JFK. Both had great ideas. Both got killed before much could happen in their presidency. One was a womanizer. So.. that's a negative. Okay.. that's pretty broad...but it's an example. K...take it away.

[Imgrimm01]

I posted mine before and got bashed but OH WELL ... Bill Clinton YES I meant it !! He cared about the people he really did and had the republicans not spent 8 years doing everything in the universe to try to skin him alive he would have done more, I am reading his book now and this guy is VERY interesting I admire him greatly as a President and a person.

[FatVin]

I like Bill Clinton but he's not my favorite, this is gonna shock a lot of people, My favorite president is Ronald Reagan. For those of you, who think I'm a liberal, that's gonna come as quite a shock but the truth is Reagan as president understood the American people better than any president in a long time, so much so that we will sadly have to suffer a lot of fools on the GOP side of the aisle who think they understand what Ron was about, the GOP today doesn't get it.

Reagan made it okay to be proud of America

Reagan knew that business was important to this country but couldn't run wild, like it is now, you'd have never seen the Enron BS under the Gipper, that's for sure.

Reagan knew when to negotiate and when not to

Our opponents knew that Ronnie wouldn't put up with any BS and was just crazy enough to send the missles, we were safe wheh Reagan was president.

Most of these extreme right wingers who claim to know what Reagan was about don't have a clue, Reagan was NEVER to the extreme right.

The sad part is that he has been claimed by the Pat Bucanans and Rush Limbughs of the world but I remember the Reagan years as time of security and prosperity and that's what you want from a president.

There have been 8 US presidents in my life time (starting with LBJ) Reagan is the one I remember most fondly

[lonewolf]

There were 5 presidents that represented a nexus in the direction of our country that brought about the 5 main eras we have experienced:

1. Thomas Jefferson as one of the chief architects of the grand experiment. This was known as "Jeffersonian Democracy".

2. Abraham Lincoln held us together and led the transition to a strong union.

3. Teddy Roosevelt (amongst other things) paved the way for industrialization for the people by taking on monopolistic corporations.

4. Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal radically changed the direction of government and the end of WW II brought about the cold war.

5. Although it was bound to happen eventually, Ronald Reagan practically willed the end of the cold war. We re-adopted most of his ideas on free-market capitalism that brought about the longest economic expansion and bull market in history. He proved (as did Kennedy) that when you cut taxes on investment, you get more investment and end up with more tax revenues. This stimulation in investment has brought about the technological era.

Of all of them, I like Reagan most. He was the right man in the right place at the right time. I don't think I could put it any better than Vinny did.

Except, of course, there have been 10 presidents during my lifetime.