There is a thread in GD here about the ten biggest political blunderrs. Very interesting reading (once I get past the back and forth about Clinton et al). But I was wondering if there is much too much focus on the negative. Well, if there is what better way to combat then a thread like this.
What are the most successful actions taken by Presidents in the past?
Now I am no historian, not even close, so I am sure any list I come up with would be woefully inadequate. yet I will try to come up with some off the top of my head, hopefully others can add to the debate:
In no particular order:
George Washington’s decision NOT to run for a third term
Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase
Lincoln signing the Emancipation Proclomation, essentially keeping Eurpoe out of the war.
The Monroe Doctrine (?). In my limited understanding, this is what basically announced that the US was to be a legitimate country to be dealt with.
Nixon normalizing relations with China
Carter and the Camp David Accord
The Marshall Plan under Truman
The peaceful transition from Adams to Jefferson. Maybe not such a big deal now, but at the time, the transiiotn from one political party to another in such a disciplined and peaceful manner was somewhat of a novelty.
Oh well, I am sure this can be improved upon immensely (and fairly criticized).
I am no historian either, but Theodore Roosevelt’s actions in preserving so much land for national parks and monuments should be mentioned as a very successful move, as was his negotiaton of the 1905 war settlement between Russia and Japan for which he was awarded the Nobel peace prize.
Franklin Roosevelt’s numerous “first 100 days New Deal” actions certainly helped calm the country during the Great Depression, and his World War II strategy brought victory as well. Those were pretty successful.
Nixon not only went to China, but on his watch the EPA was created.
Eisenhower’s success in getting an Interstate Highway system built as one gigantic and seemlessly interconnected project has had tremendous impact on the development of this country over the last 50 years. It was bold and visionary. Some estimates say that it has returned at least 6 dollars for every dollar spent on the project. Grand logistical planning something that is often overlooked but it is among the most important parts of any plan and it is something a General/President could bring. The nation couldn’t have developed like it has if we didn’t have these high-speed, high capacity roads connecting every state and most cities.
T.R.'s decision to pursue the Northern Securities case
FDR’s vigorous support of the Allies (Lend-lease and others) prior to Pearl Harbor
Truman’s decision to defend South Korea
Nixon’s normalizing relations with China
Truman’s decision to enter into NATO
George H.W. Bush’s rallying to world against Saddam Hussein
Reagan’s Reaganomics**
*So many accomplishments here Lincoln would have 10 entires on this list if I were to separate them out. His refusal to accept the division of the Union, his refusal to accept anything other than unconditional surrender, his appointment of Grant, the Emancipation Proclamation, list goes on.
**I’m primarily referring to two aspects of “Reaganomics.” First would be his support of Volcker’s raising the interest rates. Reagan made a hard decision that he knew would have negative consequences because he rightly felt it had to be done to get disastrous inflation under control.
Second would be Reagan’s across the board tax cuts, the United States was practically moving towards socialism with the level of taxation to which both the wealthy and middle class were being subjected (well, we were approaching socialist tax rates without socialist services.) And that certainly includes his cuts for the wealthies Americans and for these reasons:
I want to second Johnson and Civil Rights Act. It was absolutely the right thing to do, and Johnson did it, and President’s don’t always do the right thing.
The tax cuts were a vicious strike back at the insane tax burden on American families that had been increasing since the 1960s. It’s because of Reagan in large part today no American family will probably ever have to worry about paying much more than 30% or so in income taxes.
The mistake was obviously in excessive spending, not the tax cuts.
Although if any President could justify the need for decifict spending, Reagan could and did imo.
Who (at least among Americans) would consider any of these “very bad things”?
I could imagine mabye some diehard lefties linking the Monroe Doctrine to future US heavy-handed and colonialist policies in the Western hemisphere - particularly with Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and the Domincan Republic. Even that seems like a bit of a stretch though, since the idea that the Western hemisphere was the US’s sphere of control was what gave birth to the Monroe Doctrine and not the other way around.
I just can’t take seriously a list in which Washington’s success at establishing the Presidency as strong but not dictatorial doesn’t even crack the Top Ten.
Having lived through this time of history, I have to ask for more detail. I’m not asking for a free history lesson, but I do have to ask what exactly you mean by this.
I read your link… actually, I glossed it over since I don’t consider and “angelfire” page considered proof. It mostly told me what Y2K was… well, duh. Like I said, I didn’t read it due to the content provider… did it even mention Clinton in it?
Actually, I don’t really need a cite, I’d rather have your take on why you think it should be on the list.
I’d lump some of the previous listings for FDR – social security, the GI Bill, etc., under FDR’s New Deal as a top ten accomplishment. It very nicely provided a social safety net to help protect people against the excesses of unrestrained capitalism.
Because many, many people were predicting massive catastrophe occurring on 1/1/2000, with planes falling out of the sky and electrical systems crashing, etc. As I am sure you will recall, nothing remotely of the sort happened, because the federal government took incredible steps to fix the Y2K problem ahead of time.
