Analyzing POTUS: Polk - Garfield

James K. Polk (1845-1849)
Polk gets a mixed review from me. Historians rate him high because he
expanded the country, and that fact gets no argument from this blog.
Texas, the Pacific Northwest and Southwest became part of the U.S.
due to Polk's efforts. Yet, the way in which we 'acquired' these places
was smarmy, and I have difficulty giving praise to Polk when he basically
attacked the impoverished, unorganized Mexico just because they
wouldn't play ball. Polk, like his successors, also did little to avoid the
upcoming Civil War. Still, I cannot argue that Polk didn't accomplish
what he had been elected to do. Also, his move to place the treasury in
a central location was the right one. The guy literally kept all of his
campaign promises. Who the hell does that anymore??
Grade: B+ (ruthless? yes. effective? yes.)

Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)
General Taylor didn't last a year and a half in office, so I'm grading on a
curve here. Taylor really wasn't qualified to be president. He had never
voted prior to his own election, and didn't seem to have much of a platform.
His popularity on the battlefield caused his wide victory. I give "Old Rough
and Ready" marks for getting the ball rolling on the Department of the
Interior. And while he was vocally against secession, it seems that his
policies and actions were mostly handled by--well, his handlers. Although
his tenure is linked with the Compromise of 1850, his part in it was more
divisive than productive.
Grade: D+ (Could've been worse.)

Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)
Although Fillmore generally gets hell from historians, I give him credit.
He started his Administration knee-deep in the mess of the Compromise
of 1850, and even though others were key players in the debates,
Fillmore signed it into law and avoided the Civil War for a decade. The
included passage of the Fugitive Slave Act was repulsive. His handling
of Japanese trade exploration was beneficial to the U.S., as were his pro
-active relations with other countries. Fillmore's decisions were often
unpopular, but he avoided domestic and foreign battles and presided
over a strong economy.
Grade: C- (Hindsight is 20/20.)

Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)
I have to agree with the terrible rankings that the Pierce Administration
has received throughout the years. Pierce's support and signage of the
Kansas-Nebraska Act repealed the Compromise of 1850 and set the
stage for War. Although the War would not begin for four years following
Pierce's departure (he was declined re-nomination), people started to
rebel and Pierce wasn't strong and assertive enough to get his agenda in
order. The Gadsden Purchase, which helped shape the Southwest, was
his only real achievement. Chaos stared him in the face and he did nothing.
Grade: D (handsome guys aren't perfect.)

James Buchanan (1857-1861)
Chaos only stared at Pierce. It went for James Buchanan's jugular. The
elderly Buchanan got the prize of the presidency after decades of devoted
public service. Unfortunately, his best years were behind him. Buchanan's
inability to work with an angry Congress plagued him for his only term.
Military action in Utah against Mormons was a farce and the economic
panic of 1857 developed a huge deficit. Buchanan's lasting legacy is the
fact that he sat idly by while states left the Union at the onset of the Civil
War. Stating that there was nothing he could do to stop them, Buchanan
allowed seceding states from taking over federal property, thus enabling
the Confederacy.
Grade: D- (inaction=indifference)

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)
The national friction that existed for decades preceding Lincoln's election
arrived in full force and consumed his entire presidency. A few presidents
had been war-time administrators, but none faced the gravity of a "nation
turned against itself." Lincoln was one of our best. His involved control of
the Union effort was displayed in everything from top-general management
to his presence on the battlefield. Lincoln's stance against slavery is
romanticized, but the Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address
brought finality to the inhumane institution that the U.S. had tolerated far
too long. Lincoln's Reconstruction policies were just what the country
needed following the South's surrender. He never lived to see them through.
Grade: A+ (everything he was cracked up to be)

Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)
The tailor from Tennessee had impossible shoes to fill following Lincoln's
murder, facing a vindictive Union in no mood for peaceful reconciliation.
Upon Johnson's inauguration, he said that he wanted to continue Lincoln's
moderate Reconstruction ideas. Unfortunately, his stubborn and public
battle with Congress suggested otherwise and made none of this possible.
Exercising his veto power against the Freedman's Bureau and the Civil
Rights Act, Johnson soon made more enemies than friends. The remainder
of Johnson's presidency was spent narrowly avoiding impeachment.
Grade: D (a wasted four years)

Ulysses Grant (1869-1877)
Grant was another extremely popular general who did not belong in the
White House. Still, I do not grade Grant as harshly as others. His advocacy
for civil rights and promotion of peace was needed at a time when freed
slaves were experiencing cruel treatment, though his actions had limited
effect. The Panic of 1873 showed Grant as a weak leader. Grant's legacy
is the patronage and widespread corruption that existed in his Administration.
Grant named buddies and family members to high office; not experienced
statesmen and politicians. Grant gets points for his racial equality efforts.
Grade: C- (barely)

Rutherford Hayes (1877-1881)
Due to a nasty, close election that he shouldn't have won, Hayes began his
term with bitterness from the opposing party--who happened to control
Congress. Any thoughts of progressive post-Civil War reconstruction ended
as Hayes struggled against the powerful Democrats. Seeking to bring an
end to the patronage corruption of the Grant years, Hayes immediately
brought himself at odds with a large faction of his own party. His exclusion
of Chinese immigrants into the U.S. and allowing U.S. military to pursue
bandits into Mexico were horrible foreign policies. His best achievement
was perhaps his swift handling of an 1877 national railroad strike.
Grade: C (good intentions, bad crowd)

James Garfield (1881)
Although Garfield had some notable achievements, he was only president
for six months (two of which he spent bed-ridden from his gunshot wound.)
Grade: I (surprisingly NOT Garfield the Cat's namesake)




NEXT: Analyzing POTUS: Arthur - Coolidge

Analyzing POTUS: Washington - Tyler

George Washington (1789-1797)
Okay, so you've heard about the fake cherry tree, the wooden
dentures and all that. But have you really heard anything bad
about our first president?! The guy initially declined his salary
(he didn't need it), couldn't stand political parties (he left that
to his Cabinet members), and started rebuilding the U.S.'
relationship with Great Britain (someone had to.) His handling
of the Whiskey Rebellion was masterful and Washington left the
Presidency absolutely beloved. Washington's only real issue was
that he spent entirely too much time playing referee in the fights
within his cabinet (namely Hamilton vs. Jefferson).
Grade: A+ (how could I not?)


John Adams (1797-1801)
Three words: short.man.syndrome. Quick-tempered and more
than a little arrogant (he wanted to be called "His Majesty, the
President), John Adams didn't walk away without enemies. Yet,
he was brilliant. In my opinion, Adams did his best public service
prior to the Presidency as a European diplomat and also as a
crusader for the Declaration of Independence. The guy screwed
up his presidency by signing the Alien and Sedition Acts, which
basically stated that no one could criticize the government.
Adams was something of an enigma in the sense that he
advocated for American independence and then wanted to be
treated almost king-like. Although he successfully avoided war
with France (a war that the U.S. would've lost) John Adams was
defeated for a second term, and his petty judicial appointments
during his final days in office did little for his legacy.
Grade: B- (not bad, not bad.)


Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
One brilliant mind followed by another, I feel that Jefferson, like
Adams, did his best work prior to his Presidency. From drafting
the Declaration of Independence to his service in France,
Jefferson was a skilled writer and diplomat. Although he worked
in harmony with Congress, Jefferson weakened the U.S. military
at a time when the country needed it (but he did establish the
U.S. Naval Academy.) His ban on the international slave trade
took great political courage at that time. Jefferson's Embargo Act,
which temporarily ended trade with Great Britain and France,
was a total disaster and helped to create the mood for a war that
Jefferson would leave to his successor. At the end of the day,
however, Jefferson belongs with the "greats"; the Louisiana
Purchase and Lewis & Clark's subsequent Expedition are
testimony to the man's vision for a young country.
Grade: B+ (keep him on Mt. Rushmore)


James Madison (1809-1817)
It probably sounds like that I don't care for any of our first few
presidents, but I feel that they were all exemplary men. To me,
some of them just did their finest work in another position.
Madison belongs in this group. His creation of the Constitution
and Federalist Papers were remarkable. His handling of the
country as President is another story. Madison declared war
on Great Britain, having done very little to avoid the catastrophe
that followed: a poorly-mobilized army and little unified support
resulting in the burning of Washington D.C. The events leading
up to the War of 1812 and the fighting took up most of his two
terms, without Madison showing much leadership.
Grade: C (should've stuck with writing)


James Monroe (1817-1825)
Monroe was the Eisenhower of the 1800's. The country had
just been through a long, rough war. It was over and people felt
great. So, James Monroe felt no need to rock the boat. The man
believed, like Washington, that political parties were overrated,
and appointed people from opposing parties. As a result, many
were in power. Monroe was re-elected easily, even as the
country experienced its first financial disaster in the Panic of
1819. Monroe's lasting legacy? The Monroe Doctrine, which
basically told Great Britain that if you screw with us or with
anything around us, we'll pulverize ya. It also acknowledged
the independence of Latin American countries.
Grade: B- (right man, right time)


John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)
Okay. If you thought his father was crabby, trust me--he's
got nothing on his son, J.Q. Arguably one of the best diplomats
that the U.S. ever had, John Quincy also had one of its worst
presidencies. He lacked public support because of the giant
chip on his shoulder and a rather shady election, which later
caused his defeat. The whole term was sad really, as he had a
lot of good ideas that didn't make it because of his refusal to
play with Congress (or anyone, really.) His greatest
accomplishments were the building of the National Road and
several canals.
Grade: C- (should've played nicer)


Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)
Although it is tempting to believe the term "people's
president" for Andrew Jackson due to his humble origins
compared to those who proceeded him, I really have a hard
time accepting this. Jackson's actions regarding the destruction
of a National Bank created an economic depression worse than
in 1819. However, he challenged Southern states' notions that
they could pick and choose federal laws that they wanted to
obey and that was good. Jackson legalized discrimination
against Native Americans through the "Trail of Tears", which I
believe to be a continuation of his earlier wars on various tribes.
He allowed the scandalous social drama involving Peggy Eaton
to take center-stage in his administration, and lost most of his
Cabinet as a result.
Grade: C (great general, not-so-great president)


Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)
If Monroe was the Eisenhower of the 1800's, Martin Van Buren
was the Herbert Hoover of that area. The poor guy just couldn't
escape conflict. The Jackson policy which led to the then-worst
depression in U.S. history fell square on Van Buren's shoulders--
who apparently did little to change things. He had a penchant for
luxurious living which didn't go over well with those suffering
economically. Masterful politicians (of which he was one) don't
always make good Presidents.
Grade: D+ (Better VP than Prez)


William Henry Harrison (1841)
The guy was dead within 30 days of taking office. I'll cut him
some slack if you will.
Grade: N/A (Incomplete)


John Tyler (1841-1845)
I couldn't have handled what this guy went through. Harrison's
death made John Tyler the first Vice-President to take office
without an election. As a result, Tyler spent much of his
presidency ineffectively dealing with a Congress who really didn't
think he was the president. He was kicked out of his own party
and lost most of his Cabinet, who didn't think that Tyler toed the
party line (Tyler's self-righteousness didn't exactly help.) Tyler's
greatest achievement was his efforts to annex Texas. A Virginia
plantation owner, Tyler later served in the Confederate Congress.
Grade: C- (ineffective but doomed from the start)



NEXT: Analyzing POTUS: Polk - Garfield

Intro: Analyzing POTUS

I posted a random question the other day on Facebook, asking my

friends to identify their favorite and least-favorite U.S. presidents and
why they felt that way. The comments that followed were enlightening
and prompted me to think about this subject which has fascinated me
for about as long as I can remember.

If I had a dime for every time someone in elementary, middle and high

school asked me to name all of the Presidents, I would have zero credit
card debt. The question became so embarrassing that I would usually
tell the person asking that I had forgotten most of them. That was just a

lie, though; my experiences taught me that exposing my brainiac self in

this way sometimes led to bullying by...well...stupid children. As stupid
children usually turn into stupid adults who become well aware of their
own mediocrity, I no longer get called out in a negative way, so I feel

completely free to 'toot my own horn', if you will (or if you wont, I don't
care.)

For much of my pre-teen days right up into the present, I have been
obsessed with the personal lives of the Presidents. No detail was too
minor for my interest, as I delighted finding reading material on Luci
Johnson's 1966 White House wedding, the amount of debt that Mary
Todd Lincoln got herself into with her luxurious dresses, and the real
reason why James Buchanan was our only unmarried Chief Executive.
Although presidential history sounds nerdy, those who read People
magazine or watch E! Hollywood really can't throw stones. If you think
that the spicy gossip of today doesn't compare to oh, say, Warren

Harding having sex in an Oval Office closet in 1921 with the mother of
his illegitimate daughter and nearly getting caught by the First Lady,
you're quite mistaken.

Sometime during the latter part of high school, I became equally
interested in presidential administrations. Connecting what I knew about

the Presidents personally made it interesting for me to read about their
decisions, leadership quirks, successes and failures while in office. And
that is what I'll be blogging about in this series.

Welcome to "Analyzing Presidents Of The United States." If you've read

this far along without closing the tab, I hope that you'll enjoy reading my
irreverent yet mostly-substantiated evaluations. Critiquing our Leaders (or
most anything, for that matter) is subjective, and I fully expect that my
readers' opinions will differ from my own. This analysis comes from my
years of research and interest in the topic--from multiple sources--which
has given me my own interpretation of the Presidents and their
administrations. Individual analysis will be blogged in chronological order,
followed by a letter (A-F) grade.

Feel free to comment on the series, and remember that in this country,

just like our Commanders-in-Chief, you have the fundamental, god-given,
Constitutional right...to be absolutely wrong.

(and yes, I can still name them all. In order. With birth and death dates.)

Don't judge me. :)