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His death did kick off the civil rights movement in earnest though.
How so? That is a new one, I have not heard that claim before.
Kennedy made it no secret he advocated civil rights legislation and wanted to be the president that got it done. He never got the chance to do what he wanted and so LBJ took up the cause knowing it was what Kennedy wanted. Had Kennedy lived, he might not have been very effective in getting his civil rights legislation pushed through because many in Congress were still afraid to make the first move. JFK's death changed the atmosphere and MLK's death put it over the top.
Not to mention his affair with Marilyn Monroe.
Funny you say that. Just tonight I was reading about a new book that will be coming out by one of the secret servicemen who guarded JFK and LBJ. He stated that the JFK and Marilyn Monroe thing was false.Ex-Secret Service officer: I almost shot LBJ
After further research I realize you are correct. Kennedy proposed a Civil Rights Bill in 1963 and it was not passed before his death and LBJ pressed for it after his assassination. The funny thing about the bill is that a northern Democrat sponsored it while a block of southern Democrats filibustered the bill. There was plenty of Republican support all along. Researching this was eye opening, I have never really delved too deep into the history of the Civil Rights movement and it is interesting to see who the movers and shakers were and more importantly that where a person was from had much more to do with determining their support for civil rights than party affiliation.
After further research I realize you are correct. Kennedy proposed a Civil Rights Bill in 1963 and it was not passed before his death and LBJ pressed for it after his assassination. The funny thing about the bill is that a northern Democrat sponsored it while a block of southern Democrats filibustered the bill. There was plenty of Republican support all along. Researching this was eye opening, I have never really delved too deep into the history of the Civil Rights movement and it is interesting to see who the movers and shakers were and more importantly that where a person was from had much more to do with dtermining their support for civil rights than party affiliation.
I could have "abused" you on this like I got "abused" on Genghis Khan. LOL 🙂
My favorites, despite a lot of bad things done during their presidencies, are definitely Jefferson and probably Andrew Jackson. As for the 'best' I don't think it's an exact science.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in the top 3 if not 1
I told you so 😉"Franklin D Roosevelt has topped the first ever UK academic poll rating the performance of 40 US presidents since George Washington." "Barack Obama was not included in the survey, but interim assessments indicate that he would have made the top 10 of the rankings. George W Bush was in 31st place, putting him in the bottom 10.""Of the five presidents from 1977 to 2009, only Reagan makes the top 10 and none of the others is in the top 15."Dam...http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12195111
What is interesting is that the poll which placed FDR so high was British in nature:
US polls habitually place Lincoln first because of his achievements as Civil War leader in restoring the Union and ending slavery. In addition, they often put Washington second because of his significance in establishing the authority of the presidency.Lyndon Johnson and John F Kennedy The UK poll puts Lyndon Johnson 11th and JFK 15th out of 40UK scholars, by contrast, elevated FDR in recognition of the breadth of the challenges he faced as president during the Great Depression and World War II, his confident and inspirational leadership in both of these crises, and the significance of his New Deal legacy.
I wonder if British academics rate FDR higher because they don't have to live with the aftereffects of FDR's policies.
I wonder if British academics rate FDR higher because they don't have to live with the aftereffects of FDR's policies.
The full version is available here : http://americas.sas.ac.uk/research/survey/ According to the article, these experts were asked to rate the performance of every president in five categories: * vision/agenda-setting * domestic leadership * foreign policy leadership * moral authority * positive historical significance of their legacyAfter FDR, you got 6 GOP presidents. Would you agree to tell me more about "aftereffects" ?
Would you agree to tell me more about "aftereffects" ?
I think at least some of the negative sentiments about FDR in the United States is rooted in the fact that he helped usher in the age which some think of as an over-reaching federal government. One key issue in American politics over the decades is the degree to which the welfare state helps or hurts the country, and I think FDR is viewed as one of the major players in the rise of this kind of system here.
I see that Teddy Roosevelt, my pick, made the Top 5. ;DI agree with Phid, that FDR's negative view among conservatives at least, is due to his pivotal role in the establishment of the nanny-state. It was the New Deal that ushered in the idea that the government is there to solve everyone's problems.
After the best, the worst one ? According to this BBC article, "Doughface" James Buchanan seems to be the winner in that category.Do you agree?http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22946672Interesting as well, the perception of what makes a good and bad president can be very different outside the US:
"Here's the problem with presidential rating - are you rating leadership or what they did?"
Well lets let some sparks fly i guess. 1) R.Nixon…Equal Right to Work act, (a huge step for civil rights) Actually got us on the moon(if you believe it wasnt filmed in Hollywood ;)) Ended the Vietnam Conflict and also began a relationship with China that eventually led to the end of the Soviet Union. Watergate was no worse than any other criminal act any other President has done, he would have won the election anyway.2)D.D.Eisenhower...Interstate Highway system and the integration of southern colleges. 2 worst1)W.Wilson...firmly planted America on an international stage, interventionist policy.2) W.Mckinley...started American intervention policy in the Spanish American war.We still have the after affects of these two gents right now.but thats my opinion, and wrong.
The Worst 3 Presidents1) Andrew Johnson - There could not have been a worse person to try and lead the country through Reconstruction. He was impeached for good reason.2) Nixon - Watergate has forever tainted the presidency and took away much of the luster of the office. I don't think people have really trusted a president since.3) FDR - The New Deal and his attempt to stay in office forever, if he had not died he would have ran again. Let's face it, the Constitution was amended because of him and to stop another populist from turning the Presidency into a lifetime appointment.
