While I voted for Lincoln, for obvious reasons, I have to defend FDR here, as best I can.

First of all, my logic is, you cannot create a recession when there already is one. By definition, and in this particular context, a recession is 'An extended decline in general business activity, typically three consecutive quarters of falling real gross national product' So for there to be another recession, one would have to assume the original has stopped. Anyways, just my logic.

Also, it wasn't just a recession. It was the greatest economic downfall in US history. Yes, already by then, the US had a huge and resilient economy. But that was threatened by the fact that there were so many poor, they erected Hoovervilles to house the dispossessed and destitute.

And, IMO, you missed the point that UtahTex was trying to make. FDR's policies didn't end the depression. FDR came into the Presidency, and sure, he didn't fix anything right away. But what he did do was say 'hey, we're going to find a cure', and that inspired the nation to work together to get through the hard times. He inspired America, directly, himself, to fight and win WWII. The US was strategically trying to help the war without taking direct damage, but Pearl Harbor changed that. FDR may not have dealt with the economy that well, but he provided hope, and that's what America needed most during WWII, and WWII ended the depression. FDR just provided hope and inspiration for the citizens of this great nation, so that Uncle Sam could roll up his sleeves and kick some Axis butt.

And on to your last paragraph. He made life in America manifestly worse? There's no one in the history of humanity that could have made life better. Not during WWII. Over 400,000 Americans died to preserve freedom for the world. (this next part is decidedly sarcastic, do not get overly offended by it) Or are you suggesting that life would have been better under the Master Plan economic policy?

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"Actually, he forgot Poland!" - the most brilliant words ever spoken by the most idiotic President the United States has ever had.

"How about the Reagan policy of arming Afgans to the teeth "

I think thats kind of a loaded argument ready to backfire. Washington's cool and all...but there was more than little argument over different political beleifs during his presidency. although he advocated having one party...his ideal about one unified party never made it to an election and feds and anti-feds began to (*)(*)(*)(*)(*) about states rights for the next 100 years. Plus, its not such a great idea. In a balanced equation...there are always two sides.

but since georgy wasnt bad at all really i could see someone giving him a vote...for me, itd have to be L.J. although he got us into the vietnam war (not smoothly), he got stuff done...and realized what a political utopia really was: the great society. Lj had some serious efficiency skills when it came to moving our country along.

Just out of curiosity: When we voted for worst president, we were given all 42 choices but in voting for the best president we get 9 choices plus other not listed. What gives?

Abraham Lincoln

It wasn't, until FDR came along and mucked it up. In 1932, the recession was no worse than the 1893 panic. No matter how you measure it -- economic slowdown, bank closures, unemployment -- the 1893 depression was just as bad, possibly worse. Yet, after a few years, in 1895, expansion took off again.

There is no reason to believe that, absent social engineering from first Hoover, then FDR, the 1929 crash would not have followed a similar pattern. In that case, economic expansion would have resumed in the 1932-1934 timeframe. Roosevelt, in his wisdom, managed to keep expansion at bay until 1939.

Perhaps FDR gave people hope, but I do believe that keeping the economy depressed and the population in poverty is making them manifestly worse off, no matter how much hope he gave them.

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None love freedom heartily, but good men; others love not freedom, but license.
- John Milton

OH YES
and it says a LOT: heres why Kennedy was assasinated: because he wanted to end secresy. what does that mean? for a normal person who can add 2 and 2 together can figure out that it is proof that a secret society controls US government http://www.libertyforum.org/showflat...#Post294884286

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“You can’t keep saying you’re a peace candidate and keep voting to fund the war” – Dennis Kucinich http://kucinich.us/

Forget trickle down economics,lets go with socialism in the U.S.A.,that way the shiftless and slovenly can sit around waiting for their weekly welfare steaks.I like it.Better yet let's tax the middle class to death,yea they can pay for it all!!to hell with what they want!For all you people not willing to let karl marx die,i salute you!

abraham lincoln i think was one of the greatest because he ended slavery and other things.Great leaders like him were assasinated likemartin luther king jr,john f kennedy,and so on.

the greatest president was William Henry Harrison, for having the decency to die after only one month in office.

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Theodore Lamar Heiks
BA, History/Political Science, Western State College of Colorado, 1984
MBA, Entrepreneurship/Marketing, City University of Seattle, 1993