Favourite President?

[Welton Toffee]

Yes, all that is true. Good points well made. In the first volume of his biography,"Lone Star Rising" by Robert Dallek, he notes that when LBJ,as a young man, was teaching young kids from mexican immigrant families, it affected him deeply, knowing the lives that probably lay ahead for those innocent yet earnest faces. That would have helped inspire his "Great Society" programme.
The War destroyed him, as it would have destroyed better Presidents than him. Perhaps a little surprisingly, Nixon liked and respected him a lot, probably a recognition of his own rise from poverty to leadership in the service of the people. To coin a modern idiom, their "moral compasses" were very similar.

Yeah I guess the whole Vietnam thing probably destroyed his reputation for a lot of people. But speaking as someone who studied Civil Rights last year LBJ really stands out for me as a great President.

I'm surprised so few have picked FDR here, allegedly America's 3rd most popular president after Lincoln and Washington and certainly one of the best-known. (Or perhaps I'm just showing my age.)

I studied FDR at A level as well (we really had a diverse course didn't we.....) and he would certainly be up there as well. Although I hold a slight grudge due to the fact that I learnt every bloody one of his 'alphabet agencies' and what they did then didn't sodding well need them in the exam. What a waste of time that was

 

[toffeestillidie]

I'm surprised so few have picked FDR here, allegedly America's 3rd most popular president after Lincoln and Washington and certainly one of the best-known. (Or perhaps I'm just showing my age.)

he would be my favourite hands down, but japanese internment just can't be ignored. its arguably one of the worst acts of persecution the US has taken part in (apart from the genocide of native americans, slavery and segregation, and not giving women the right to vote till wayyy too late).