Hard to say. Nixon is history for me, not someone I remember, even though I lived through his whole presidency. I remember Ford, but mainly only his campaign for re-election which was my first exposure, however slight, to national politics. (My school had the students vote for their preferred candidate, and a friend of mine talked about the election. I selected Carter, mainly because my friend did, a vote I'd reverse if I had to do it over again, but its not like it really meant anything)
Maybe Kennedy. If it wasn't for the wage and price controls and Watergate I would put Nixon in front of Kennedy, but they did happen, and can't be ignored.
Although since I was talking about presidents in my life time picking Kennedy is a bit of a cheat. Johnson was president when I was born.
I'd put Johnson and Carter at the bottom of presidents during my lifetime. Reagan at the top. Both Bushes ahead of Clinton, so then the only question remains, Clinton or Nixon?
How I answer that might depend on whether I was rating their presidencies, or considering who I would vote for and in which year. If Nixon, at the age he was at when he became president, was running for the office against Clinton, I'd probably vote for Nixon. I don't think he would have imposed the price controls in that situation. Certainly any likely economic advisors would have been strongly against them. But if you assume the wage and price controls would go in to effect if Nixon became president that I'd have to vote for Clinton. Clinton raised taxes, but as much as I'm against that policy it isn't as bad was price controls. The only possible thing to pull it out for Nixon would be foreign and security policy. Both of them strike me as not being the most honest of men, even for politicians.
All and all not a great group. They all had their flaws and other than Reagan I wouldn't rate any of them very highly, and its not like he was perfect. (His biggest flaw being his failure to reign in spending, and the resultant budget deficits) |
