tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post8674855727978570083..comments2023-10-16T07:13:12.123-05:00Comments on A plain blog about politics: Q Day 7: Evaluating Presidents? Jonathan Bernsteinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15931039630306253241noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-68983044463719021172013-09-17T01:22:11.066-05:002013-09-17T01:22:11.066-05:00JFK is on record about Democrats risking the Sout...JFK is on record about Democrats risking the South for a generation because of civil rights, though he didn't think it would happen immediately. Both in Congress and as President he was involved in all major attempts to end the racist injustice of quotas in immigration. He wrote a book, "A Nation of Immigrants" in 1958 in support of this, which was reissued in 1964. Every President was "dilatory" on civil rights until they added to accomplishments in that area, usually under pressure that would counter the strong pressure to go along with segregation etc., and JFK did more before and after that speech than just talk about it. More to my point, he set the terms of the changes that would come. Captain Futurehttp://dreamingup.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-27294186652173529482013-09-16T21:31:55.639-05:002013-09-16T21:31:55.639-05:00In a just world, it would be Joe Carter.
In the w...In a just world, it would be Joe Carter.<br /><br />In the world we have to live in...Dave Kingman? Jonathan Bernsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15931039630306253241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-3229763202914472932013-09-16T21:26:59.980-05:002013-09-16T21:26:59.980-05:00That's the nicest thing I've ever read abo...That's the nicest thing I've ever read about Harding. To combine this question with your baseball writing, who is the Warren Harding of baseball?Mon-sewer Paul Regrethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04918972562626522624noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-21589718145227612502013-09-16T19:57:45.314-05:002013-09-16T19:57:45.314-05:00On the flip side with JFK, he was embarrassingly d...On the flip side with JFK, he was embarrassingly dilatory on civil rights until June of 1963 when, basically, he was shamed into giving one great televised speech on the topic. I don't recall anything significant happening on immigration during JFK's administration. It wasn't until 1965 that immigration reform passed (his brother Ted's first great legislative accomplishment) and was signed by LBJ (who was the one who knew Democrats would lose the South).massappealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17883213166005005577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-25406112336676771232013-09-16T19:34:52.066-05:002013-09-16T19:34:52.066-05:00I don't know, a President who prevented nuclea...I don't know, a President who prevented nuclear apocalypse and questioned and slowed the nuclear arms race with the breakthrough test ban treaty, who advocated civil rights and immigration rights knowing that his party would lose the South, etc. sounds pretty great to me.<br /><br />Here's another criteria: what did they start? Even if they didn't live to finish it, or it wasn't accomplished in their terms? I think greatness also includes presidents who articulate and advocate for great changes that later transform society or geopolitics etc. in some important way. Obama's second term is turning out to be this.<br /><br />Of course presidents would rather enact the changes they advocate, but sometimes it isn't possible without time passing. Sometimes it is crucial that they do enact changes, which was the case with FDR both in the Depression and the runup to World War II. He boldly advocated when he had the votes in Congress, but when he was hemmed in by isolationists and knew if they won, the country was in mortal danger, he prevaricated, probably exceeded his constitutional power, etc. And even then it's not clear that if the Japanese hadn't been foolish enough to attack, that he would have prevailed. Still,he did, and that makes him to me the greatest President at least of the 20th century. But I would argue JFK is next. (I'm not a Truman fan. Like LBJ, his best accomplishments were derivatives of the previous president.) Captain Futurehttp://dreamingup.blogspot.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6926413038778731189.post-45810483185051308502013-09-16T19:10:00.857-05:002013-09-16T19:10:00.857-05:00Here's a thought, how would just considering t...Here's a thought, how would just considering their times in office impact evaluating Presidents from the "Founding Generation." I could see a strong argument for downgrading Washington for example from greatest third or fourth or something like that. longwalkdownlyndalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13173899547449318257noreply@blogger.com