RANKLED

A recent C-SPAN survey of 91 noted historians issued their opinions of the ranking of U.S. Presidents.

Their rankings:

1.   ABRAHAM LINCOLN
2.   GEORGE WASHINGTON
3.   FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT
4.   THEODORE ROOSEVELT
5.   DWIGHT EISENHOWER
6.   HARRY TRUMAN
7.   THOMAS JEFFERSON
8.   JOHN KENNEDY
9.   RONALD REAGAN
10.  LYNDON JOHNSON

I have long been a RANKER of Presidents since Mr. Baughan first challenged his seventh-graders to that exercise.  When that assignment was made, I recall the heated discussion in my own home because my mother adored FDR and my father detested him. These rankings have been the subject of many contentious conversations among family and friends throughout the years. 

I believe that I can put aside my personal feelings;  for example, as much as I detest the rapist slave-master Jefferson, I still think he should be ranked at Number 5, rather than being below Eisenhower and Truman.  As much as I love JFK, I am astounded that he is ranked here at Number 8.  I think it is absurd that Reagan is even in the Top 10! My niece detests Jackson, as do I, and she became upset because I once referred to him as "great".    I answered, "I hate him as much as you do, but can't deny his importance."  I was very pleased to see that the detestable Jackson and Wilson were both "demoted" and that Grant was "elevated"!

It is still interesting to see the changes from the "experts" from 2000, 2009, and 2017. Unchanged are the Top 4.  I notice that twentieth-century Presidents have gained in the estimations of these twentieth-century "experts" (some of whom have been used in all three of these rankings).

2000                           2009

1.   LINCOLN /LINCOLN                                               
2.   WASHINGTON/WASHINGTON                                          
3.   FDR/FDR                                                          
4.   TR/TR                                                                  
5.   TRUMAN/TRUMAN                                               
6.   JEFFERSON/JEFFERSON                                         
7.   WILSON/REAGAN                              
8.   JACKSON/EISENHOWER                                 
9.   EISENHOWER/JACKSON                                       
10.  POLK/WILSON                                      

For President Obama to be ranked at Number 12, after being out of office a month, is indeed gratifying but I think it is too early to judge him and also Bush 2.

For full listings you can go to C-SPAN.