Trump's rank among the presidents

[PJL]

Every president pre-Civil War was leading a slave state, so there's that.

Well just about everyone everywhere before 1800 was leading a slave state, or at least a slave-trading state pretty much, so that's not saying much.

[Eddie Teach]

Every president pre-Civil War was leading a slave state, so there's that.

Posterity won't look kindly on some of your beliefs either.

[Valmy]

Every president pre-Civil War was leading a slave state, so there's that.

Posterity won't look kindly on some of your beliefs either.

Because there was nobody currently living pre-Civil War who was letting anybody know slavery was wrong?

[Threviel]

Every president pre-Civil War was leading a slave state, so there's that.

Well just about everyone everywhere before 1800 was leading a slave state, or at least a slave-trading state pretty much, so that's not saying much.

Yeah, but not everyone before 1860.

[jimmy olsen]

Voted 43.

Buchanan is obviously worse. Andrew Johnson was awful and is responsible for a lot of the mess we're still dealing with. 

[Eddie Teach]

Every president pre-Civil War was leading a slave state, so there's that.

Posterity won't look kindly on some of your beliefs either.

Because there was nobody currently living pre-Civil War who was letting anybody know slavery was wrong?

It was hardly universal, nor did the US President have the power to end slavery if he wanted to.

[Eddie Teach]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Hoover. By the metric of how poorly the country was doing at the end of his term, he is second to Buchanan.

[The Brain]

Every president pre-Civil War was leading a slave state, so there's that.

Posterity won't look kindly on some of your beliefs either.

I cannot tell a lie, I love big posterity.

[celedhring]

I don't know enough of American history, so I'll vote 35-39 on account that you had dudes presiding during the lead up to an actual Civil War and then Reconstruction, some inept dudes I won't know about, and Woodrow Wilson (sorry Valmy  )

[grumbler]

Yeah, but not everyone before 1860.

England/Britain practiced slavery in the new world for longer than the US did.  The Spanish and Portuguese for far longer.  The Dutch, Swedish, etc for a little less than the English/British.  Slavery in Europe and the Middle East, of course, goes way back.

[grumbler]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Hoover. By the metric of how poorly the country was doing at the end of his term, he is second to Buchanan.

Hoover fucked up, but he was hardly fucking up willfully like Trump (or, say Andrew Jackson, who is also in my top-five worst presidents).  Hoover tried, but was crippled by his belief that deficits were bad.

[Sheilbh]

Hoover also ended up unfortunately American First-y. But his career's really interesting because I can't think of a President who had achieved more before he entered office. And then things go sour.

[katmai]

He's down at bottom of the barrel territory

[Malthus]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Hoover. By the metric of how poorly the country was doing at the end of his term, he is second to Buchanan.

Hoover fucked up, but he was hardly fucking up willfully like Trump (or, say Andrew Jackson, who is also in my top-five worst presidents).  Hoover tried, but was crippled by his belief that deficits were bad.

Just out of curiosity, I'd be interested in seeing your list of the worst.

[grumbler]

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Hoover. By the metric of how poorly the country was doing at the end of his term, he is second to Buchanan.

Hoover fucked up, but he was hardly fucking up willfully like Trump (or, say Andrew Jackson, who is also in my top-five worst presidents).  Hoover tried, but was crippled by his belief that deficits were bad.

Just out of curiosity, I'd be interested in seeing your list of the worst.

Something like (worst to least-worst)
Buchanan
Trump
Pierce
Jackson
Harding

I am softer on Andrew Johnson than most, because he was dealing with the most assholish Congress of all time.  Depending on the day and what I'd recently read, I might put him fourth or fifth on that list.  He was pretty vile on his own merits.