Image Courtesy of National Today
Ava Wahl
President’s Day was first pronounced a holiday in 1879 to honor the birthday of our nation’s founding leader, George Washington. For a century and a half, the holiday has represented the bravery and leadership not only of Washington, but of all our Presidents and the Executive Office itself.
As a tribute to the Presidents of America’s Past, and to the importance of the institution, I’d like to deconstruct a question that has captured the minds of historians and average voters alike: What makes a “great” president?
The qualities and leadership skills of politicians are purposefully subject to scrutiny and evaluation. That is the notion of a democracy, the power of the people to choose who is most fit for office. Since America’s founding, we’ve had our fair share of heroes and howlers who’ve upheld and undermined the nation. A 2022 survey conducted by the Siena College Research Institute ranked our 45 former Commanders in Chief from best to worst.The study was based on the views and research of political scientists, historians, and other experts. Here’s the top ten:
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Franklin Roosevelt
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Abraham Lincoln
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George Washington
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Theodore Roosevelt
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Thomas Jefferson
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Dwight Eisenhower
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Harry Truman
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Lyndon Johnson
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John Kennedy
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James Madison
As we continue to grapple with our nation’s history with oppression and discrimination, it’s important to note that many of our celebrated leaders were guilty of enslavement, violence, and corruption. Debates about the complexities and darker corners of our presidents’ lives are essential and ongoing. Yet in terms of leadership and patriotism, most of these fellas are decidedly uncontroversial in their contributions to the sanctity and strength of the United States. Consider that many of our most lauded presidents-Abraham Lincoln, FDR, George Washington-are remembered for their extreme bravery during hard times and unprecedented adversity, whether during the birth of the nation, the Civil War, or the Great Depression. Others, like JFK and Obama, are honored for their charismatic nature and adept public speaking ability, each possessing a strong minded, forthcoming personality that entranced and united the nation.
Our worst leaders- Donald Trump, James Buchanan, and Andrew Johnson, according to Siena’s list -did just the opposite. They divided the American public and failed to implement concrete solutions towards combating the nation’s most pressing issues of the day.
The rhetoric and resolutions of Presidents are always held to scrutiny and debate, especially in hindsight. Was Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bombs on Japan the right one? Did the threat of Communism justify LBJ’s and Nixon’s actions in Vietnam? What about Woodrow Wilson, who led us during World War One and fought for an idealistic future of international cooperation that was, ultimately, unattainable? Is he a good President for daring to dream, or a bad one for being unrealistic?
While a way with words and a strong personality undoubtedly have a profound effect on how we see our President, personality and public appearance does not in itself determine the effectiveness and legacy of a government leader. The office of the President is much more than the language used in a famous speech or the toothy smile and pleasant wave given to prospective voters. The ability to unify America in times of stress and hardship is an incredible accomplishment that should be celebrated, but wouldn’t we rather live in a country with little conflict or cause for alarm? While our most legendary presidents tend to be courageous, incredible men who led during hard times, what’s so wrong with an average President who leads during average times? In an increasingly globalized and complex world, it’s become quite hard to determine what “average” means. Given the fast-paced changes, technological advancements, and political divide that characterize our current era, we must ask ourselves what we truly want in a President, and perhaps more importantly, what we need. The President must strike a balance between down-to-earth and intellectually minded, approachable and authoritative, expressive and level-headed. We look for someone extraordinary, but genuine enough to understand and connect with on a patriotic level.
Next November, America will be participating in democracy once more as we cast our ballots for the next individual who will lead our country. In recent years, we’ve weathered a pandemic, dealt with the impact of social media, attempted to reckon with racial injustice and attacks against various minority groups, while foreign conflicts continue to pose important topics of debate for our leaders. We need someone who can catch us when we stumble, heal us when we fall, and stare us in the eye as we stand.
Debates about age, legitimacy, and democracy continue to complicate our decisions and the perception of the presidency in all its facets. It might help us to return to our most lauded leaders, to reevaluate their victories and misgivings, their most redeeming qualities and those biases we’d rather forget. Turning to the history of the presidency can help us to adapt the nature of the role to our present, and, of course, to our future. If this American experiment is to last for decades to come, the foundations of what it means to be a “great” President must be pondered and reckoned with.
If not, then there might come a day when we’ll have no President at all.
Source: https://scri.siena.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/PDF-Ranking-FINAL-REAL.pdf