# Have we ever had a bigger braggart as President? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 29, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675 "2019-10-29T22:28:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/1 "2019-10-29T22:28:09Z")
I would have hoped to get a factual answer to this, but I figured it was going to end up in the Pit, so here it is. I can’t remember _any_ President _ever_ claiming that they were brilliant or a genius or had unmatched wisdom. For those of you who are history buffs, is our current braggart-in-chief unique? ---
**Author:** ![Unreconstructed\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/76d3ee/32.png) [@Unreconstructed\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unreconstructed_Man)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/2 "2019-10-29T22:29:21Z")
Not a history buff but…Yes. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/3 "2019-10-29T22:30:26Z")
He’s unique alright. Not in a good way. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/4 "2019-10-29T22:31:42Z")
Unique? He’s the best! There’s no one like him! People have tried to be like him, but they have been utter failures! The biggest failures! Look up “braggart” in the dictionary and it says, “See Donald Trump.” ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/5 "2019-10-29T22:33:57Z")
The office humbles most people ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/6 "2019-10-29T22:43:50Z")
If I were a big Andrew Jackson fan, I’d be pissed off that someone’s outdoing him… ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/7 "2019-10-29T22:45:34Z")
If we’ve ever had a bigger **whiner** as President, it had to be back in the 19th century sometime. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/8 "2019-10-29T22:57:26Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > The office humbles most people Does it? Really? Because what I’ve gathered is that about a third of the presidents had brass balls. (And Johnson would be happy to show them to you.) The shining difference between Trump and his predecessors was that whatever esteem they held themselves in, they weren’t bigmouth dumbfucks. It doesn’t take humility to avoid being an absurd braggart; it just takes a functioning mind that realizes that when you talk like Trump, you sound like the opposite of what you’re claiming to be. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/9 "2019-10-29T23:08:28Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > . . . it just takes a functioning mind that realizes that when you talk like Trump, you sound like the opposite of what you’re claiming to be. Except Trump is talking to people with the opposite of functioning minds. He is the anti-genius genius. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/10 "2019-10-29T23:48:40Z")
He’s that way because it works. In my opinion, a large number of people who respond to him positively precisely he is not what anyone else ever was in that office. I’m not trying to make a cheap shot here (irresistible as that prospect is most of the time). Lots of politicians have tried to appeal to the bottom end of society before with only limited success, because for the most part they were still educated and above-average in intelligence. So in a sense, what those politicians were displaying was a kind of hypocrisy. GWB, the guy you want to go and have a beer with, was more in their line, he didn’t make them feel stupid in comparison to themselves, so he got their support over better candidates, twice. 45 is just the next step (well, minus a few rungs) down from there. He really is as stupid and uneducated as his supporters. And look at him, he’s rich, he calls 'em as he sees 'em without regard to diplomacy or manners or (Og forbid) political correctness. He is THEIR CANDIDATE now and forever, proof positive that they are as good as anyone! ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/11 "2019-10-29T23:51:10Z")
There were a couple that had a haughty demeanor, Washington and Hoover come to mind, but no, Trump is in a class by himself here. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2019, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/12 "2019-10-29T23:52:12Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > 45 is just the next step (well, minus a few rungs) down from there. He really is as stupid and uneducated as his supporters. And look at him, he’s rich, he calls 'em as he sees 'em without regard to diplomacy or manners or (Og forbid) political correctness. He is THEIR CANDIDATE now and forever, proof positive that they are as good as anyone! And sadly, there’s a large chunk of the population that will probably never accept anything better again, because they now know that electing a stupid and uneducated idiot is possible, so they will never vote for the ‘elite’ again. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/13 "2019-10-30T00:03:17Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > And sadly, there’s a large chunk of the population that will probably never accept anything better again, because they now know that electing a stupid and uneducated idiot is possible, so they will never vote for the ‘elite’ again. This is where I see us going. Trump has lowered the bar. It’s a vicious cycle in which the bar is perpetually lowered again and again, and because it is, we get disastrous results, and we keep lowering the bar because “Hey, anyone idiot can do the job now, right?” ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/14 "2019-10-30T00:23:06Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > This is where I see us going. Trump has lowered the bar. It’s a vicious cycle in which the bar is perpetually lowered again and again, and because it is, we get disastrous results, and we keep lowering the bar because “Hey, anyone idiot can do the job now, right?” It may be a worse bouncing ball that we have had. Idiot. Fix it. Or at least get back on level ground. Idiot. Fix it. Idiot. Fix it. On and on and on. Like a wild fire burning down your house every four years. We need to make some changes to really fix it. We should never prevent morons from voting. We should vet whom they can vote for. Tax releases. Criminal records. All lawsuits and civil judgements should be available as well. That might be a start. But morons will probably continue to vote for morons and degenerates that they want to emulate. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/15 "2019-10-30T01:20:31Z")
> [@digs](#): > > If I were a big Andrew Jackson fan, I’d be pissed off that someone’s outdoing him… Not to mention Theodore Roosevelt. Though honestly if Teddy had had access to modern media it might have been a close competition. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/16 "2019-10-30T01:35:08Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > This is where I see us going. Trump has lowered the bar. It’s a vicious cycle in which the bar is perpetually lowered again and again, and because it is, we get disastrous results, and we keep lowering the bar because “Hey, anyone idiot can do the job now, right?” How in God’s name can the bar be moved any lower? At least on the idiot scale. You could not find anyone worse. Perhaps someone who actually shits his pants on camera consistently. Of course, the bar could be lower if we look at the evil scale. We could have someone who is not as fundamentally stupid, but very, very evil. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/17 "2019-10-30T02:56:06Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Not to mention Theodore Roosevelt. Though honestly if Teddy had had access to modern media it might have been a close competition. I was gonna say Teddy, as well. He was a hot mess. But more likeable than Trump. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/18 "2019-10-30T03:07:19Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > Not to mention Theodore Roosevelt. Though honestly if Teddy had had access to modern media it might have been a close competition. I agree that TR tended to brag; the difference was he had something to brag about. Rancher in the west, successful Governor, big game hunter (ok, not that cool today, but the early 1900’s saw things differently), military hero (San Juan Hill might have been blown out of proportion, but he did lead men and did go up that hill and he did face enemy fire). As President, Trust buster (not loved by big business), established a lot of National parks and forests, projected American power (sent the US Battleship fleet on an around-the-world cruise), schemed and plotted to get the Panama canal started…you know, he did stuff (and he also won a Nobel Peace Prize). And he talked (and wrote) about doing that stuff, perhaps to excess–but it was an age for excess, of America starting to stretch and find out powerful it really was. Sorry about that, guess I’m a fan. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/19 "2019-10-30T03:26:56Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > And sadly, there’s a large chunk of the population that will probably never accept anything better again, because they now know that electing a stupid and uneducated idiot is possible, so they will never vote for the ‘elite’ again. So the people who voted for Donald Trump may snub future elections and never vote again for the rest of their lives? Thank you. That’s my happy thought for the day. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2019, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675/20 "2019-10-30T03:31:45Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > Of course, the bar could be lower if we look at the evil scale. We could have someone who is not as fundamentally stupid, but very, very evil. Exactly. What happens when somebody like Dick Cheney sees Trump becoming President and decides to follow his example. Somebody smart enough to hide their crimes instead of post them on the internet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-ever-had-a-bigger-braggart-as-president/842675.md?page=2)