Like most people in my midst, I'm finding it a baffling task to even attempt to process the absolute circus surrounding the pending inauguration of the incoming 45th President of the United States.
Outgoing (please don't go . . . ) and oh so eloquent President Obama reminds us that history makes a tendency of taking two steps forward and one back. This is something to keep in mind as we wonder at the sheer lunacy and downright frightening prospects of our very present state of affairs.
Come to our senses, nation and let it be soon.
Perspective is important. So let's take a quick look at some of the worst ranked past presidents of this great country:
We'll start with the 18th President of the U.S, Republican Ulysses S. Grant (pictured above). President Grant served as head of state from 1869 to 1877. He had been a general in the military and had played a significant role in the Union army’s victory over the Confederacy’s forces during the American Civil War.
"President Grant’s accomplishments during his two terms in office include overseeing Reconstruction in the southern states, dismantling the Confederacy, as well as supporting civil rights for black citizens," says World Atlas in its 10 Worst Presidents in U.S. History account. "Perhaps the most significant cause of Grant’s downfall and reputation as a poor leader are due to the many allegations of corruption and financial misconduct which plagued his administration. Another major failure of Grant’s career occurred during the 1876 Battle of Little Bighorn when US General Custer was killed by warriors from the Sioux tribe."
Poker playing Warren G. Harding was the 29th President of the U.S, holding office from 1921 to 1923. World Atlas says: "Harding is regarded by a great many historians to be one of America’s worst presidents. After his death stories of corruption and scandal became rampant. Aside from his actual political policies Hardy’s personal life was marred by tawdry revelations of his extramarital affairs with numerous women including Nan Britton who even wrote a book which claimed that Hardy had fathered a daughter with her."
"In terms of issues related to governing the country President Harding ran into trouble with his mishandling of the Teapot Dome oil reserves which also proved quite scandal-worthy for his administration. The political affair began when, under the President’s authority, oil reserves in Wyoming destined to be used by the Navy were transferred to the Department of the Interior."
U.S. News & World Report averaged the results of five major presidential polls to make its list of America's worst presidents. Tying for #10 worst was 43rd President George W. Bush, author of the Iraq War, who had the misfortune of guiding America through the 9/11 attacks and 37th President Richard Nixon, who resigned after the Watergate Scandal.
Also on the U.S. News list — 31st President Herbert Hoover, was a poor communicator who fueled trade wars and exacerbated the Depression.
Tenth President John Tyler abandoned his party's platform as soon as he became President.
Civil Liberties experts rank crazy haired 15th President James Buchanan (pictured below) up there amongst the worst. Buchanan made pro-slavery policy a central tenet of his administration, boasting in advance of the ruling that the issue of slavery expansion was about to be resolved "speedily and finally" by his chum Chief Justice Roger Taney's decision, which defined African Americans as subhuman non-citizens.
Politico Magazine's Robert Strauss reported shortly before the 2016 Presidential Election that Buchanan takes the cake as worst ranking, though George W. Bush is not far behind. Strauss leaves room in his report for the worst. president. ever potentially still to come.
"Twenty-eighth President, Woodrow Wilson (pictured below), former president of Princeton University, was no thug" according to Civillibertary.about.com "but his contempt for those first-generation immigrants he deemed "[h]yphenated Americans" and threatened to have "crushed out" played into the nativist and anti-communist sentiments of his era, bringing the United States closer to fascism than it had ever come before or since."
Wilson ordered the arrest and attempted illegal deportation of over 10,000 people in the Palmer Raids.
Only two presidents in U.S history have been disgraced sufficiently by impeachment hearings — Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton and neither was convicted. Nixon dodged impeachment by resigning.
I looked to the Washington Post for some sensible reporting on any potential removal from office. Richard Cohen, opinion writer, aims for the jugular in exacting prose in his January 9th column and yet concludes: "We’ll (likely) just muddle through a Trump presidency, as we have some others."
Truth is stranger than fiction and there is, indeed, a first time for everything. As the 44th President says: "Tie your shoe laces and get out there".
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