The Choice is clear. The Republicans give us cynicism and opportunism and call it leadership. The Democrats gave us hope and leadership. Teddy Roosevelt was the last good Republican. And Lincoln was the first. But Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, Bush, and Bush II - What can I say: 2 out of 11. That's almost 20%. And the last good one - Teddy Roosevelt - served 100 years ago!
Under Democrats - We Have the Will, We Found the Way. FDR, Kennedy, Clinton - 50% of the Democrats - were great Presidents.
The Republicans - Gave us Roosevelt, then took him away.
McKinley, 1900: Put Teddy Roosevelt on the ticket, who became President when he was assassinated in 1901.
T. Roosevelt, 1904
Taft, 1908, a Progressive Conservative - back in 1908, such a thing existed.
Harding1920, Coolidge, 1924, and Hoover, 1928 gave us the Depression.
Eisenhower1952, 1956: Teapot Dome - in which his friends made money at the taxpayers' expense, and Richard Nixon.
Nixon1968, 1972: after Watergate he resigned in disgrace, moved into government property at San Clemente, then sold it and pocketed the money.
Ford (not elected) pardoned Nixon 'For crimes he MAY have committed.'
Reagan1980, 1984: Iran Contra, and Dead Marines in Lebanon.
GHW Bush1988: Iran Contra and GW Bush.
GW Bush2000, 2004: Too many abused of power to list them all. But I'll try. He ignored the intelligence on Bin Laden and Al Queda before Sept 11. Then he lost focus on Bin Laden and Al Queda in Afghanistan after Sept 11 and invaded Iraq. Now 5 years and $2.4 Trillion later, he has spied on Americans, tortured people, shredded the Constitution, and stolen 2 elections.
The Democrats gave us hope and leadership.
Wilson, 1912, 1916. His vision of fairness and international cooperation led to the League of Nations.
FDR, 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944: When Europe was crumbling into fascism and soviet communism, and the US was mired in the Depression FDR's Fireside Chats and New Deal pulled us out of the Depression.
Truman 1948: made some serious mistakes. During WW II the Soviet Union was our ally. Truman should have slapped McCarthy down as he did Douglas MacArthur. He shouldn't have allowed McCarthy to gain power, and he shouldn't have executed the Rosenbergs.
JFK 1960: took the heat for the Bay of Pigs - a plan hatched under Eisenhower. He put a man on the moon, created the Navy Seals. And he slept with Marilyn Monroe and several other women to whom he was not married.
Johnson 1964, the Great Society, civil rights legislation, and the War in Viet Nam.
Carter 1976: had a visionary energy policy. However, he didn't understand the Middle East. His inept response to the Iranian hostage situation gave Reagan the White House.
Clinton 1992, 1996 did a great job. The events with Ms. Lewinsky, in and of themselves did not negatively impact national security. The Republicanista side show, on the other hand, cost the nation dearly.