Rating The Presidents (Feb. '98)
Clinton: to soon to rate.
Bush:
Presidential persona (++)
Gulf War (++)
Panama and Noriega (++)
Economy (-, bad luck)
Raising Taxes (--, but may have been good for a balanced budget)
Somalia (-)
End of USSR (+)
Score:+3
Overall evaluation: excellent foreign policy skills, lack of
understanding of domestic politics. Resolved two long standing
problems in foreign policy. Good presidents are normally continued
in office, which gives some idea of the appeal of Clinton.
Reagan:
Presidential persona (+++)
Improvement in American pride (++)
Lebanon (--)
Air Traffic Controllers Strike (+-)
Grenada (+)
Assassination attempt (++, lucky)
Iranian Hostage problem (+, lucky)
Ending the Cold War (++, smart)
Military buildup (+-, led to big deficits)
Iran/Contra (-, this will be seen as a constitutional crisis but he
let it get out of control.)
Failing Health (-)
Score:+7
Overall evaluation: Late to arrive at the presidency. Excellent
domestic and foreign policy skills. Resolved the longest standing
problem in American foreign policy of the twentieth century.
Carter:
Presidential persona (0)
Iranian hostage crisis (--)
Camp David Accords (++)
Economy (--, probably not his fault)
Score:-2
Overall evaluation: Nice guy, out of his depth.
Nixon:
Presidential persona (0)
China (++)
Viet Nam (-)
Watergate (---)
Score:-2
Overall evaluation: Excellent foreign policy skills. Poor domestic
policy skills. Paranoid personality, his election was an aberration
Johnson:
Presidential persona (0)
Viet Nam (---)
War on Poverty (-)
Handling of assassination (-)
Score:-5
Overall evaluation: Excellent example of the Peter Principle
(tendency to promote leaders one notch above their abilities).
Kennedy:
Presidential persona (+++)
Bay of Pigs (-)
Cuban Missile Crisis (++)
Personal Life (--)
Assassination (++)
Civil Rights (++)
Score:+6
Overall evaluation: Excellent but immature.
Eisenhower:
Presidential persona (++)
Cold War (++)
U2 (-)
Military/Industrial complex (+)
Score:+4
Overall evaluation: Calm and steady.
Truman:
Presidential persona (+)
Korea (0)
The Bomb (0)
MacArthur (+)
Score:+2
Overall evaluation: Well done in difficult circumstances.
Roosevelt:
Presidential persona (+++)
Depression (++)
WWII (+++)
Score:+8
Overall evaluation: Excellent in difficult circumstances.