39 – G.W. Bush
40 - Pierce
41 - Harding
42 - Buchanan
43 – A. Johnson[…]Over two hundred presidential scholars ranked the 43 U.S. Presidents on six personal attributes (background, imagination, integrity, intelligence, luck and willingness to take risks), five forms of ability (compromising, executive, leadership, communication and overall) and eight areas of accomplishment including economic, other domestic affairs, working with Congress and their party, appointing supreme court justices and members of the executive branch, avoiding mistakes and foreign policy.
It could have been worse for Bush I guess.
However, edging out Andrew Johnson for the worst President ever is going to be tough. With the state of the economic collapse and the bungled military interventions abroad, Bush may find his way to the bottom someday as events unfold. Let’s hope not however. Let’s hope that the consequences resulting from the disastrous reign of error of George the Younger have already reached the low water mark. As a matter of fact, let’s hope George moves up a couple of places in the future.
It is funny how these lists fluctuate over time as historians from different eras evaluate the legacies each the light of their times.
Grant, for instance, has seen a steady climb up charts like this one, as his presidency is evaluated in light of the civil rights struggle and the demise of the Lost Cause Ideology which painted the confederate states as victims of Northern Aggression. See Governor Bob McDonnell (R-VA) and Confederate History Month.
I think most folks realize the Slavery was at the heart of the Civil War now (Gov Bob excluded). Grant made significant contributions to its demise and key contributions in the struggle for a just Reconstruction. The failure of a just Reconstruction is one of the great tragedies in American History. You can see why the Lost Cause Narrative arouse after the civil war. It was a good way to shun the ghosts of the past.
His son makes him look pretty good.
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