Author Topic: Who was our last "good" president? (Read 4630 times)

Dos Equis · « **on:** January 17, 2012, 12:11:43 PM »

Someone asked me this question. I had a hard time answering. For example, there are things that I liked about Bush, Clinton, etc. and things I didn't like. I think Clinton actually did a decent job, but his moral failures really tarnished his presidency. Who was it?

LurkerNoMore · « **Reply #1 on:** January 17, 2012, 12:14:45 PM »

Clinton.

The Showstoppa · « **Reply #2 on:** January 17, 2012, 12:18:42 PM »

I'd say Clinton. He was smart enough to leave well enough alone in many cases. He spoke to the far-left on a lot of issues to get elected, but did virtually nothing for them. Smart guy.

Obama.....had a chance to do some monumental things, but lacks the ability, or willingness to adjust on the fly. He should have abandoned the healthcare stuff and focused on getting something accomplished in the middle east and helping the economy.

Bush.....had a chance to be a solid president, but he got so sidetracked with the middle east. I think it consumed him.

LurkerNoMore · « **Reply #3 on:** January 17, 2012, 12:20:24 PM »

Quote from: The Showstoppa on January 17, 2012, 12:18:42 PM

I'd say Clinton. He was smart enough to leave well enough alone in many cases. He spoke to the far-left on a lot of issues to get elected, but did virtually nothing for them. Smart guy.

Obama.....had a chance to do some monumental things, but lacks the ability, or willingness to adjust on the fly. He should have abandoned the healthcare stuff and focused on getting something accomplished in the middle east and helping the economy.

Bush.....had a chance to be a solid president, but he got so sidetracked with the middle east. I think it consumed him.

Excellent reply.

MM2K · « **Reply #4 on:** January 17, 2012, 01:46:18 PM »

Bush Jr. and Clinton were both good presidents. Strange that they both were also two of the most hated presidents. Bush Sr. is a mixed bag. In foreign policy he had one of the most successful military operations in the history of the US (Gulf War 1). And that was a big deal after the failure of Vietnam. But his domestic policy was a failure. Reagan was the best of the 20th century. Obama is the worst since Herbert Hoover.

Straw Man · « **Reply #5 on:** January 17, 2012, 01:49:09 PM »

Quote from: MM2K on January 17, 2012, 01:46:18 PM

Bush Jr. and Clinton were both good presidents. Strange that they both were also two of the most hated presidents. Bush Sr. is a mixed bag. In foreign policy he had one of the most successful military operations in the history of the US (Gulf War 1). And that was a big deal after the failure of Vietnam. But his domestic policy was a failure. Reagan was the best of the 20th century. Obama is the worst since Herbert Hoover.

what did Bush Jr. do that qualifies his as a good POTUS

Shockwave · « **Reply #6 on:** January 17, 2012, 01:53:38 PM »

Clinton was great.
JFK was the last GREAT president, last one with integrity, and you saw what that got him.

Sometimes I wonder if when a new president that has any glint of integrity takes office, some shadowey guys sit him down and plays a video of JFK and says "You dont want to wind up like JFK do you? Youre going to go along with us, right?"

Soul Crusher · « **Reply #7 on:** January 17, 2012, 01:56:12 PM »

Reagan was great.

GHWB - good president bad pr and political machine.

Clintoon was smart enough to let things be economically.

Jorge El Boooosh was a mess.

Obama is off the charts horrible,

loco · « **Reply #8 on:** January 17, 2012, 02:02:01 PM »

Quote from: Straw Man on January 17, 2012, 01:49:09 PM

what did Bush Jr. do that qualifies his as a good POTUS

Same thing that Obama is doing now that you applaud, keep Guantanamo open, extend the Bush tax cuts, Patriot Act, endless wars, stick to Bush's Iraq troop pullout schedule, overspending, privatizing corporate gains while socializing corporate loses, etc.

Shockwave · « **Reply #9 on:** January 17, 2012, 02:02:10 PM »

Quote from: 333386 on January 17, 2012, 01:56:12 PM

Reagan was great.

GHWB - good president bad pr and political machine.

Clintoon was smart enough to let things be economically.

Jorge El Boooosh was a mess.

Obama is off the charts horrible,

Reagan = teh uber win.
Clinton = Great, knew when to leave be, which is as important if not more so then knowing when to act.
Bush Jr = Epic fail, even though his intentions were pure IMHO
Obama = worst president since Carter, maybe worst ever. Bush had all the faults of Bush, with the added fact that he potrayed himself as the anti-bush when he is exactly the same, except worse. At least Bush made no 2 bones about what he was - he was straight up about it. I feel like Obama actually BELIEVES his own bullshit, and actually BELIEVES hes somehow better than Bush was.

Straw Man · « **Reply #10 on:** January 17, 2012, 02:03:48 PM »

Quote from: 333386 on January 17, 2012, 01:56:12 PM

Reagan was great.

GHWB - good president bad pr and political machine.

Clintoon was smart enough to let things be economically.

Jorge El Boooosh was a mess.

Obama is off the charts horrible,

reagan tripled the debt, raised taxes how many times (11 I think), needed to raise the debt ceiling how many times (17 I think), illegally sold weapons to Iran, put his tail between his legs and ran out of Lebanon after the marin barraks bombing and was likely suffeing from dementia during the last part of his second term

I'm sure I've forgotten something

Straw Man · « **Reply #11 on:** January 17, 2012, 02:06:19 PM »

Quote from: loco on January 17, 2012, 02:02:01 PM

Same thing that Obama is doing now that you applaud, keep Guantanamo open, extend the Bush tax cuts, Patriot Act, endless wars, stick to Bush's Iraq troop pullout schedule, overspending, privatizing corporate gains while socializing corporate loses, etc.

keeping Gitmo open is not something I applaud Obama for

Bush tax cuts did nothing but increase our deficit because Repubs still believed that tax cuts pay for themselves

Patriot Act sucks

Can't figure out if you're favor of socialized losses but I think they suck

anything else?

loco · « **Reply #12 on:** January 17, 2012, 02:11:49 PM »

Quote from: Straw Man on January 17, 2012, 02:06:19 PM

keeping Gitmo open is not something I applaud Obama for

Bush tax cuts did nothing but increase our deficit because Repubs still believed that tax cuts pay for themselves

Patriot Act sucks

Can't figure out if you're favor of socialized losses but I think they suck

anything else?

You are missing the point. You like Obama? Then you like Bush. You dislike Bush? Then you dislike Obama.

Obama = Bush = Obama = Bush

Shockwave · « **Reply #13 on:** January 17, 2012, 02:21:28 PM »

Quote from: loco on January 17, 2012, 02:11:49 PM

You are missing the point. You like Obama? Then you like Bush. You dislike Bush? Then you dislike Obama.

Obama = Bush = Obama = Bush

Truth.
Unfortunatley, people who support one side and blame the other will never be objective enough to see this.

Straw Man · « **Reply #14 on:** January 17, 2012, 02:30:52 PM »

Quote from: loco on January 17, 2012, 02:11:49 PM

You are missing the point. You like Obama? Then you like Bush. You dislike Bush? Then you dislike Obama.

Obama = Bush = Obama = Bush

that's your premise (I assume) and not mine

Shockwave · « **Reply #15 on:** January 17, 2012, 02:33:27 PM »

Quote from: Straw Man on January 17, 2012, 02:30:52 PM

that's your premise (I assume) and not mine

How can you argue? Theyve both done the exact same thing - take liberties from people, engage in conflicts, fund their private buddies businesses with tax payer funds.... if there is a difference somewhere, Im all ears..

Mota · « **Reply #16 on:** January 17, 2012, 02:33:57 PM »

Quote from: loco on January 17, 2012, 02:11:49 PM

You are missing the point. You like Obama? Then you like Bush. You dislike Bush? Then you dislike Obama.

Obama = Bush = Obama = Bush

100% truth...

Clinton for sure.

Straw Man · « **Reply #17 on:** January 17, 2012, 03:09:04 PM »

Quote from: Shockwave on January 17, 2012, 02:33:27 PM

How can you argue? Theyve both done the exact same thing - take liberties from people, engage in conflicts, fund their private buddies businesses with tax payer funds.... if there is a difference somewhere, Im all ears..

no doubt he has continued some of Bush policies but that doesn't mean he an analog of Bush

if you listen to the right Obama is a communist, sociallist, marxist and an out of control "Lib"

Fact is he's similar in many ways to our past 2 POTUS's but he's not the same as either one

btw - I don't agree with everything you've attributed to Obama above but I don't have time to address them right now and get into a drawn out discussion about it

Suffice to say I simply don't agree with your premise that they are identical

240 is Back · « **Reply #18 on:** January 17, 2012, 03:09:57 PM »

Washington.

LurkerNoMore · « **Reply #19 on:** January 17, 2012, 03:11:10 PM »

A better question is which one of the "great" Presidents did everyone on here vote for.

Shockwave · « **Reply #20 on:** January 17, 2012, 03:12:57 PM »

Quote from: Straw Man on January 17, 2012, 03:09:04 PM

no doubt he has continued some of Bush policies but that doesn't mean he an analog of Bush

if you listen to the right Obama is a communist, sociallist, marxist and an out of control "Lib"

Fact is he's similar in many ways to our past 2 POTUS's but he's not the same as either one

btw - I don't agree with everything you've attributed to Obama above but I don't have time to address them right now and get into a drawn out discussion about it

Suffice to say I simply don't agree with your premise that they are identical

I look at the end result.
The end result of his presidency - Nothing has changed for the better, or hell, even broken even.... everything has become worse. And the end result is exactly the same as the end result of Bush. But at least Bush didnt pretend to be something he wasnt. Obama actually believes he's somehow different and better.

Skip8282 · « **Reply #21 on:** January 17, 2012, 04:15:37 PM »

Quote from: 240 is Back on January 17, 2012, 03:09:57 PM

Washington.

lol...down hill ever since, eh?

Shockwave · « **Reply #22 on:** January 17, 2012, 04:21:48 PM »

Quote from: Beach Bum on January 17, 2012, 12:11:43 PM

Someone asked me this question. I had a hard time answering. For example, there are things that I liked about Bush, Clinton, etc. and things I didn't like. I think Clinton actually did a decent job, but his moral failures really tarnished his presidency. Who was it?

Moral failures? Im assuming youre reffering to his whole BJ scandal.
Why in the hell does who he decides to get head from tarnish his reputation? And why is it any of our business? Its not anyones business but his, his wifes, and whoever he's screwing.

I remember wondering why the hell so many people were freaking out, and why the hell did so many people care what the man did with his personal life?

Dos Equis · « **Reply #23 on:** January 17, 2012, 04:29:12 PM »

Quote from: Shockwave on January 17, 2012, 04:21:48 PM

Moral failures? Im assuming youre reffering to his whole BJ scandal.
Why in the hell does who he decides to get head from tarnish his reputation? And why is it any of our business? Its not anyones business but his, his wifes, and whoever he's screwing.

I remember wondering why the hell so many people were freaking out, and why the hell did so many people care what the man did with his personal life?

Because he was the Commander in Chief and adultery is a crime in the military. Senior officers get fired all the time for screwing around. He lost his moral authority to be CIC.

If you don't think he disgraced his public office by having an intern give him a blow job in the White House, while he was married, then lied to the world about it, then we just have different standards.

Shockwave · « **Reply #24 on:** January 17, 2012, 04:38:06 PM »

Quote from: Beach Bum on January 17, 2012, 04:29:12 PM

Because he was the Commander in Chief and adultery is a crime in the military. Senior officers get fired all the time for screwing around. He lost his moral authority to be CIC.

If you don't think he disgraced his public office by having an intern give him a blow job in the White House, while he was married, then lied to the world about it, then we just have different standards.

Yes, but he's not in the military. He's not subject to the UCMJ. He doesnt have to have "moral authority" to lead, as his personal life is between him and his wife. You dont know, could be him and his wife dont sleep together and have an understanding, many people do that, and yes, many in the military do that for benefits.

The ONLY thing I disagree with was that he did it in office - but then again, hell if I had the chance to eff my wife in the oval office I probably would.

His relationships are his business and his alone IMHO. What he does sexually and with who is none of our business and IN NO WAY has anything to do with his ability to lead or the decisions he made for the country.