Will Obama Go Down As The Greatest US President Ever??

Cybercubed

So I was reading a set of bbc experts asking who the greatest US president is of all time, its nearly two years old but its quite interesting nonetheless

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12195111

Not suprisingly FDR is ranked as the greatest, but what suprises me is after just under two years Obama is already ranked inside the top 10:

Obama's score reflects his substantive legislative achievements and his symbolic importance as the first African American president. Nevertheless, it is well to note with regard to his ultimate (rather than interim) rating that no president in the UK survey top 10 failed to win re-election to a second term.

Obama would have been ranked 8th, ahead of Reagan thus already after two years is ranked as the greatest president since 1950! This is even before he killed Bin Laden!

I'm a bit perplexed by Obama's popularity tbh, at the moment he's possibly predicted to lose the popular vote, by as much as a 1 percentage point (ok I'm going on RCP but RCP got Obama to win by 7.6 last time and it was 7.2 so they were pretty close!).

But its hardly a ringing endorsement to lose the popular vote to someone like Mitt Romney if you're going to be one of the greatest presidents ever!

So is Obama set to overtake FDR by the end of his second term, even if unemployment remains high and economic problems persist. What do you think?

El Weirdo

Cybercubed wrote: »

...then why wont David Cameron be known as our greatest PM if he does the same?? ...

Because he isn't our PM.

Praetorian Saighdiuir

But he is Micky D's BFF

Cybercubed

El Weirdo wrote: »

Because he isn't our PM.

Sorry I wrote that on a UK forum, *edits out*.

eth0

No. Back in the day when the USA just started off with having presidents they had real presidents - men of honour and integrity. Not ould corporate pushover shills like they have now.

Lando Griffin

He is the best cos he is part Irish.

Da Shins Kelly

Historically important in terms of race relations in the US, but I don't think he's the greatest.

tommyboy2222

Lando Griffin wrote: »

He is the best cos he is part Irish.

Yes , he is actually the only US president to be able to claim that!

Son Of A Vidic

Cybercubed wrote: »

Will Obama Go Down As The Greatest US President Ever??

Not a chance.

keith16

Cybercubed wrote: »

Sorry I wrote that on a UK forum, *edits out*.

Oh I see....and tell me this now....what do the people of the "UK Forum" think?

T-K-O

I love this boards. This thread should become a sticky in EVERY sub forum

T-K-O

Urrgh UNFOLLOW

zef

Nothing but puppets in there since they shot Kennedy.

Run_to_da_hills

Obama will Go Down As The last US President Ever.

IvySlayer

Abraham Lincoln.

People seem to say he's the best just because he's black. Some people refuse to accept criticism of him too, and say you're racist!

oppenheimer1

Obamas legislative programme has largely been a failure, apart from a watered down healthcare bill. He may have been hamstrung by congress and was unable to realise his ambitions, but successful presidents are judged on results, not ambition.

In terms of Americas place in the world, It would be hard to argue the Country is as powerful as it was when he took office. It is an empire in the early stages of decline.

IvySlayer

oppenheimer1 wrote: »

Obamas legislative programme has largely been a failure, apart from a watered down healthcare bill. He may have been hamstrung by congress and was unable to realise his ambitions, but successful presidents are judged on results, not ambition.

Hamstrung by Congress? Congress at that time was mainly Democrats! The House and the Senate for the first year was a majority for the Democrats so Congress can't really be blamed for his first few years!

oppenheimer1

IvySlayer wrote: »

Hamstrung by Congress? Congress at that time was mainly Democrats! The House and the Senate for the first year was a majority for the Democrats so Congress can't really be blamed for his first few years!

For the first half of his term, Congress was controlled by Democrats as you correctly point out. And not just controlled - they had a filibuster proof super majority. And yes, Obama failed to make use of this golden opportunity.

GRMA

Cybercubed wrote: »

Sorry I wrote that on a UK forum, *edits out*.

Brits out!

Pherekydes

Cybercubed wrote: »

Obama would have been ranked 8th, ahead of Reagan thus already after two years is ranked as the greatest president since 1950! This is even before he killed Bin Laden!

Obama killed Bin Laden? Who knew? I bet he caused Hurricane Sandy, too, just to make himself look good.

Greatest? I'm not sure, but he's sure as hell the most important. Why? Because he's the current one.

zef

It's all a game. They are ALL on the same side, just different faces so people think there will be a change.
Don't forget Obama promised to close Guantanamo. Gross human rights abuse.

Conas

He inherited a terrible mess, and to be honest he's done a very good job, and deserves another four more years. He won't be regarded as the best, well not at the moment anyway.

GisforGrenade

He needs a second term before we can call it. I hope he really takes it to the Republicans in the second term, they are ripping the government to pieces for doing nothing when they themselves are the reason the president can't do anything.

Conas

GisforGrenade wrote: »

He needs a second term before we can call it. I hope he really takes it to the Republicans in the second term, they are ripping the government to pieces for doing nothing when they themselves are the reason the president can't do anything.

I agree with you on that totally. They have obstructed everything. It's politics at it's worst, when you put your party before the people. Seems like rotten eggs to me. Obama's weakness has been his timidness in dealing with these ignorant Republicans. He needs to be a lot more ruthless if he gets back in.

Where To

Emperor Showa of Japan was the best president the US ever had.

1ZRed

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Obama will Go Down As The last US President Ever.

Can't wait for the inevitable "article" which backs up yet another of your conspiracy theories, RTDH.

tdv123

Yes, because he murdered Osama Bin Laden with his bare hands.

And he also wrestles Crocodiles.

Chevolution

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Obama will Go Down As The last US President Ever.

What are you on about?

DEFTLEFTHAND

Irish people have a very black and white view to American politics.

Republicans = bad
Democrats = good.

Pherekydes

Republicans have a very black and white view of American politics.

Republicans = good
Democrats = bad.

Fishooks12

zef wrote: »

Nothing but puppets in there since they shot Kennedy.

Idiotic post

What of Bill Clinton? A brilliant economic mind and the first American president to balance the budget for decades

He also had the highest approval rating of any president leaving office since they began taking poll data

Chuck Stone

Certainly not.

His presidency has been a bit of a damp squid.
squib.

Herb Powell

Chuck Stone wrote: »

Certainly not.

His presidency has been a bit of a damp squid.
squib.

EXCELLENT

Chuck Stone

Herb Powell wrote: »

EXCELLENT

Or should I have said his 2nd term.

awec

Not even close. His presidency has been a major let down with a poor legislative agenda.

The greatest ever US President when there's a decent chance he'll not get a second term? Nuts.

geetar

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

Irish people have a very black and white view to American politics.

Republicans = bad
Democrats = good.

most of the western world is the same to be honest. irelands a relatively liberal country, and leans to the left politically so there's no surprises there.

also, Romney is one of, if not the worst republican candidate in history. i hope to christ the americans dont let the whole world down.


as for obama being the greatest? not a chance, thus far anyway. he regenerated a Kennedy style enthusiasm globally for sure, but he has not delivered the punch. Clinton will probably take that crown, but with another term, and a bit of time to reflect on what he's done, I'm sure Obama will go down as one of the greats.

Gbear

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Obama will Go Down As The last US President Ever.

Nonsense.

Sure in 2016 it'll be Lizard-Alien-New-World-Order McGee who'll sweep in in a blizzard of mandatory abortionplexs and gulags for political dissidents.

awec

If he wasn't guaranteed the black vote this would be a no-contest.

I personally know friends in the US who are registered democrats who will be voting Romney. The guy has been a failure.

geetar

awec wrote: »

If he wasn't guaranteed the black vote this would be a no-contest.

I personally know friends in the US who are registered democrats who will be voting Romney. The guy has been a failure.

if romney wasnt guaranteed the white conservative vote this would be a no contest. :rolleyes:

awec

geetar wrote: »

if romney wasnt guaranteed the white conservative vote this would be a no contest. :rolleyes:

You are missing the point.

positron

Obama's role in American history would be crucial and will be talked about for generations. This is not just because what he did in office, it's just the fact that he could get elected - not white, not rich, and even has a Muslim father. Ireland, as much as you would like to pretend otherwise, is a very pro-USA society, along with most of the Western World. However, rest of the world - which is majority by the way - Americans electing Obama to office has been received as a tremendously significant and supremely positive moment, and has had a massive impact on how they think of America. Most Irish people, Americans or Western world in general, naturally can not fully understand this perception shift because they are not a part of that non-Western society. This is why Obama is a great president, and this is exactly why he won the Nobel Prize weeks after starting on the job.

Just my 0.02 of some foreign currency coins worth.

awec

positron wrote: »

Obama's role in American history would be crucial and will be talked about for generations. This is not just because what he did in office, it's just the fact that he could get elected - not white, not rich, and even has a Muslim father. Ireland, as much as you would like to pretend otherwise, is a very pro-USA society, along with most of the Western World. However, rest of the world - which is majority by the way - Americans electing Obama to office has been received as a tremendously significant and supremely positive moment, and has had a massive impact on how they think of America. Most Irish people, Americans or Western world in general, naturally can not fully understand this perception shift because they are not a part of that non-Western society. This is why Obama is a great president, and this is exactly why he won the Nobel Prize weeks after starting on the job.

Just my 0.02 of some foreign currency coins worth.

Basically you are saying Obama is a great president and won the nobel peace prize because he is black and has a muslim dad.

I'm sure he'd be delighted to know that's why he got elected and won that award, and not on his own merit.

Run_to_da_hills

Fishooks12 wrote: »

Idiotic post

What of Bill Clinton? A brilliant economic mind and the first American president to balance the budget for decades

He also had the highest approval rating of any president leaving office since they began taking poll data

And his wife who has a sinister and evil mind made up for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UExUDUuQuro

positron

awec wrote: »

Basically you are saying Obama is a great president and won the nobel peace prize because he is black and has a muslim dad.

I'm sure he'd be delighted to know that's why he got elected and won that award, and not on his own merit.

That's a really bad way of looking at what I said - and a shame if that's how you comprehend things in general. I was stating why his Presidency is so significant in the current geo-political-mess, and that does not take away anything from him, in fact everything I said is just praise for Obama achieving what he did against the odds I listed.

Anywhoo, may be you were just winding me up - 'll leave it at that so.

CruelCoin

His only achievement: Healthcare, with a ****load of pork attached.

Ballooning unemployment, shrinking public revenue, ballooning public debt, etc.

He's terrible. Very good at the hopey-wishey stuff, but good for very little else.

awec

positron wrote: »

That's a really bad way of looking at what I said - and a shame if that's how you comprehend things in general. I was stating why his Presidency is so significant in the current geo-political-mess, and that does not take away anything from him, in fact everything I said is just praise for Obama achieving what he did against the odds I listed.

Anywhoo, may be you were just winding me up - 'll leave it at that so.

That IS what you said.

You said he is a great president not for what he has done but for the precedence that was set by his election. That is a nice way of saying that he is a good president because he is black and has muslim heritage.

Underpaid Mike

If he wasnt black he would be slated from all angles
Its affirmative action gone crazy if you ask me

geetar

CruelCoin wrote: »

His only achievement: Healthcare, with a ****load of pork attached.

Ballooning unemployment, shrinking public revenue, ballooning public debt, etc.

He's terrible. Very good at the hopey-wishey stuff, but good for very little else.

youre speaking gibberish.

unemployment has decreased steadily under him. its now at 7.9%, in 2008 he promised at least 8% in his term, and over 170,000 jobs were created in october, in comparison to the average loss of 750,000 jobs per month at the height of the recession.

dont be making the wishey washy statements that arent true.

he was given a plate of shíte and he made it edible, but people are still complaining about the taste.

Underpaid Mike

positron wrote: »

That's a really bad way of looking at what I said - and a shame if that's how you comprehend things in general. I was stating why his Presidency is so significant in the current geo-political-mess, and that does not take away anything from him, in fact everything I said is just praise for Obama achieving what he did against the odds I listed.

Anywhoo, may be you were just winding me up - 'll leave it at that so.

Your post is exactly why he is a joke of a president, the colour of his skin should be irrelevant, show me a single achievement he has had in 4 years?
Nobel prize after 4 weeks in office was simple pandering before you try and say it.

Underpaid Mike

geetar wrote: »

youre speaking gibberish.

unemployment has decreased steadily under him. its now at 7.9%, in 2008 he promised at least 8% in his term, and over 170,000 jobs were created in october, in comparison to the average loss of 750,000 jobs per month at the height of the recession.

dont be making the wishey washy statements that arent true.

he was given a plate of shíte and he made it edible, but people are still complaining about the taste.

14.7% of the US population are unemployed
Granted there is a global recession but the economy isnt exactly something he should be proud of now is it?
And dont say someone else would not have done better, thats conjecture.
Fact is 14.7% of the total country are out of work which is shocking

Teyla Emmagan

Only if he massively ups his game in the next 4 years. Which seems unlikely, even if he does get back in.

So far it's all a bit of a washout really.