# Who is the Greatest Living U.S. President? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 13, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952 "2015-05-13T16:12:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/1 "2015-05-13T16:12:18Z")
Among the U.S. Presidents that are still alive, which one would you rank as the greatest? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/2 "2015-05-13T16:18:30Z")
This is gonna get ugly. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/3 "2015-05-13T16:37:21Z")
At least I wrote the names down in a poll. Apparently, when the current crop of Republican candidates were asked “Who is the greatest living U.S. President?” by a reporter, a few of them answered “Ronald Reagan!”. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/4 "2015-05-13T16:44:26Z")
I don’t think it’s gonna get ugly, but I don’t think it’s going to be too interesting. The left-leaning SDMB will choose Clinton, and \*maybe \*Obama will make a contest out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/5 "2015-05-13T16:57:29Z")
> [@bup](#): > > I don’t think it’s gonna get ugly, but I don’t think it’s going to be too interesting. > > The left-leaning SDMB will choose Clinton, and \*maybe \*Obama will make a contest out of it. Nice lawnchair you’ve got there. What’s _your_ vote? ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/6 "2015-05-13T17:00:51Z")
You forgot the options “They all kinda suck. Well, except Carter who sucks a bit more.” or “They all kinda suck. Well, except George W. Bush who sucks a bit more.\*” Slee - On the SDMB the ‘sucks a bit more’ actually would mean ‘Is the antichrist’ for Bush. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/7 "2015-05-13T17:00:54Z")
I voted Clinton. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/8 "2015-05-13T17:19:17Z")
> [@sleestak](#): > > You forgot the options > > “They all kinda suck. Well, except Carter who sucks a bit more.” > > or > > “They all kinda suck. Well, except George W. Bush who sucks a bit more.\*” > > Slee > > - On the SDMB the ‘sucks a bit more’ actually would mean ‘Is the antichrist’ for Bush. That option’s called “Go start your own poll if you don’t like this one.” ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/9 "2015-05-13T17:21:57Z")
I think Bush Sr. is one of the best Presidents to not win reelection. Clinton’s 1992 victory should still go down as a huge upset win. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/10 "2015-05-13T17:24:30Z")
I voted for Obama. Not to slight the accomplishments of any of the others, but I wonder how far they would have gotten if they had been saddled with the pure political and racial hatred, let alone the open congressional stonewalling, that he has had to endure. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/11 "2015-05-13T17:27:56Z")
People who think Dems are automatically bad Presidents have limited choices (2 Bushes, and one of those was the Worst President Ever), while us Dem-leaning types have three choices, two of whom are pretty good. That’s my theory as to why Bush Sr. is leading at the moment: he gets _all_ the GOP-leaning votes, while the Dem-leaners are divided. Jimmy Carter’s doing better than I expected. I voted for Obama. He got something approaching universal health care through Congress; Clinton didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/12 "2015-05-13T17:29:13Z")
In terms of who has accomplished the most in his post-Presidency, Bill Clinton pretty much has it in a walk. Through his _Clinton Global Initiative_ he has persuaded multiple billionaires to donate huge amounts to charity - when fully funded, it will amount to more than 73 billion dollars. As much as I admire Jimmy Carter, he’s never going to be able to build 73 billion dollars worth of houses. I think Obama has the potential to accomplish as much or more as an ex-President than as President. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/13 "2015-05-13T17:30:55Z")
I think people claiming Obama is the greatest or worst president are influenced by recency bias. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/14 "2015-05-13T17:35:29Z")
Tough choice. I picked Carter for the low level of offensiveness. I was tempted to go for Bush Sr. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/15 "2015-05-13T17:41:02Z")
Jimmy Carter for Camp David, human rights, returning the Panama Canal, and just general swellness. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/16 "2015-05-13T17:52:19Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > I think people claiming Obama is the greatest or worst president are influenced by recency bias. Given only five choices, 2/5 of us should say he’s either the greatest or worst of the five purely at random. (Remember Dilbert’s pointy-headed boss noticing that 40% of sick days were taken on Monday or Friday?) > [@BobLibDem](#): > > Jimmy Carter for Camp David, human rights, returning the Panama Canal, and just general swellness. Camp David? Freedom from fear of another invasion gave Israel effective _carte blanche_ to build West Bank settlements without fear of repercussions. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/17 "2015-05-13T18:14:09Z")
I was torn between Clinton and Obama. Faced with the intense animosity and obstruction from Congress . . . and nevertheless getting Obamacare passed . . . Obama got my vote. But none of them can come anywhere near Clinton, as an ex-President. Too bad there isn’t a way to cast a NEGATIVE vote for Bush Jr. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/18 "2015-05-13T18:26:42Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Camp David? Freedom from fear of another invasion gave Israel effective _carte blanche_ to build West Bank settlements without fear of repercussions. Seems to me that peace treaties are always a good thing. To be fair, Israel did have to vacate the Sinai and its oil. Had it not been for Carter, another Arab-Israeli war would have been more likely than not. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/19 "2015-05-13T18:33:34Z")
Definitely Cllinton. It’s too soon to assess Obama’s greatness or place in history, and both Bush Jr. and Carter were incompetent. Bush Sr. deserves a better rap than he generally gets, though. ETA: I’m assuming we’re judging them based only on their time in office. If we were basing the assessment on their post-presiidential careers, Carter clearly wins, and of course Obama is not eligible. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952/20 "2015-05-13T18:58:14Z")
Bill Clinton. Hands down. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-greatest-living-u-s-president/719952.md?page=2)