# Who is/was the best Ex-President? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 3, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046 "2018-08-03T15:55:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/1 "2018-08-03T15:55:43Z")
I was having a discussion recently, and a question came up, that I would like to hear Dope’s opinion on. Who was the greatest ex-President? No matter how you feel a person was as “President”, who do you think has had the best ex-president years? I though of Jimmy Carter, who was also mentioned by others. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/2 "2018-08-03T16:23:59Z")
Carter certainly. None of the others comes close. But not many Presidents have lasted in good health for all that long after their terms. Herbert Hoover was instrumental in rebuilding occupied Germany after WW2, and in helping Truman improve the efficiency of the Executive Branch. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/3 "2018-08-03T16:32:59Z")
Taft was, by all accounts, a quite decent Chief Justice - a post he held for twice as long as he held the Presidency. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2018, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/4 "2018-08-03T16:36:23Z")
William Henry Harrison-no mistakes, no embarrassing quotes and no misdeeds as an ex-President. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/5 "2018-08-03T16:38:28Z")
John Quincy Adams was a leading voice of abolitionism, and the leader of the founding of the Smithsonian, in his long post-Presidency career in the House. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/6 "2018-08-03T18:49:01Z")
> [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](#): > > I was having a discussion recently, and a question came up, that I would like to hear Dope’s opinion on. > > Who was the greatest ex-President? No matter how you feel a person was as “President”, who do you think has had the best ex-president years? > > I though of Jimmy Carter, who was also mentioned by others. Jimmy Carter is certainly the best Ex-Prez in recent memory. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/7 "2018-08-03T18:51:31Z")
In recent times, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter were both pretty good. Both do a lot of charity work (although Clinton’s charity work is more flashy and Carters is more low key). Didn’t LBJ basically say he wanted to drink himself to death after leaving office? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2018, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/8 "2018-08-03T19:43:38Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > In recent times, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter were both pretty good. “[Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama attempted to join the group after leaving office but were hindered by their lack of superpowers.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_X-Presidents)” ---
**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:** [August 3, 2018, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/9 "2018-08-03T20:27:34Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > William Henry Harrison-no mistakes, no embarrassing quotes and no misdeeds as an ex-President. He smelled pretty bad though. ---
**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:** [August 3, 2018, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/10 "2018-08-03T20:31:45Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > He smelled pretty bad though. But that was because he was heavily into recycling and composting. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/11 "2018-08-04T13:40:15Z")
Our best Presidents in my lifetime were Kennedy and Clinton. ---
**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:** [August 4, 2018, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/12 "2018-08-04T13:55:15Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Our best Presidents in my lifetime were Kennedy and Clinton. Kennedy was a good Ex-President? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Shine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr_shine/32/464_2.png) [@Mr\_Shine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Shine)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/13 "2018-08-04T13:55:52Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Our best Presidents in my lifetime were Kennedy and Clinton. Yeah, beacause Kennedy did a lot of great stuff as an ex-president :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/14 "2018-08-04T14:04:43Z")
I misread the thread title, and was thinking of who was the best President no longer in office. Jimmy Carter did the best after leaving the office. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/15 "2018-08-04T14:07:32Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Carter certainly. Yes, it’s not even close. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/16 "2018-08-04T14:24:46Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Our best Presidents in my lifetime were Kennedy and Clinton. But Kennedy never had the opportunity to be an ex-president.☹ ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/17 "2018-08-04T15:36:27Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Kennedy was a good Ex-President? Fyck yeah! [Dead Kennedy totally rocked!](https://youtu.be/Qr6NOsluHYg) ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/18 "2018-08-04T16:32:08Z")
Definitely Ronald Reagan and Dwight Eisenhower. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/19 "2018-08-04T17:08:20Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > I misread the thread title, and was thinking of who was the best President no longer in office. > > Jimmy Carter did the best after leaving the office. There seems to be a fairly large group who think Carter has done very well as an ex-president. At the same time, there seems to be pretty solid agreement that he did a poor job of BEING president. Why the contrast? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2018, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046/20 "2018-08-04T17:17:13Z")
> [@DavidwithanR](#): > > There seems to be a fairly large group who think Carter has done very well as an ex-president. At the same time, there seems to be pretty solid agreement that he did a poor job of BEING president. Why the contrast? Short answer, which others more knowledgeable than I are welcome to elaborate on: (1) IMHO he’s somewhat underrated as a President, partly due to the fact that the years 1977-1980 kind of sucked for reasons that weren’t his fault; and (2) Being a good president and being a good ex-president require different skill sets. His good qualities are/were not, for the most part, the ideal virtues for an effective POTUS, at least as things were during the time he actually held office. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-was-the-best-ex-president/819046.md?page=2)