Worst Politician Ever

smalien1

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Who's yours?
Answer based on politics not personal life (i.e. if you dislike Clinton because of something he did to the country OK but don't mention the BJ)

I say McCarthy

(try to keep it in America, other wise the choice is obvious)
 
[quote name='smalien1']Who's yours?
Answer based on politics not personal life (i.e. if you dislike Clinton because of something he did to the country OK but don't mention the BJ)

I say McCarthy

(try to keep it in America, other wise the choice is obvious)[/QUOTE]

Firstly, you could make a convincing argument the BJ and involvement with a White House intern did hurt the country and the office of the presidency, so it's not just personal life. I mean, he did this stuff on the job, not after he left office or before. Personally I don't see this as making him the "worst ever," but to say it can't be a factor is ridiculous.

Secondly, the answer is most certainly not obvious if you include politicians from other countries. Surely you mean Hitler and he's no doubt among the worst, but also surely you can make a good case for plenty of other people, like Stalin, Pol Pot, etc.

McCarthy is not too bad a choice. I'm not sure who I would say. Since you include all politicians, it's easy enough to pick someone who is very extreme and use them. But I would probably go with someone who was/is a pretty major leader because they have more of an effect than just words. For presidents in particular, I would say Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton were the two that brought the most disgrace to the office. Others have done probably lousier jobs, but those two brought disgrace upon the office itself. Maybe McCarthy for non-presidential major figure, although there are plenty to pick from who are less major, for example someone like James Traficant.
 
Hrm. Define "worst". Hitler could be argued as one of the best politicians of all time, if you look at the way he did things and not the actual things he did. If you look at the actual execution of the job, I would say that Gray Davis is amongst the worst.

In terms of "worst action", probably McCarthy. Although we're living in a whole new error of McCarthyism, if you know what I mean (and I think you could figure it out, or else you're a terrorist).

Edit: Hoover sucked too, Nixon as well.
 
[quote name='evilmax17']Hrm. Define "worst". Hitler could be argued as one of the best politicians of all time, if you look at the way he did things and not the actual things he did. If you look at the actual execution of the job, I would say that Gray Davis is amongst the worst.

In terms of "worst action", probably McCarthy. Although we're living in a whole new error of McCarthyism, if you know what I mean (and I think you could figure it out, or else you're a terrorist).

Edit: Hoover sucked too, Nixon as well.[/QUOTE]

When I said (try to keep it in America, other wise the choice is obvious) at the bottom of my post I meant Hitler
 
[quote name='elprincipe']Firstly, you could make a convincing argument the BJ and involvement with a White House intern did hurt the country and the office of the presidency, so it's not just personal life. I mean, he did this stuff on the job, not after he left office or before. Personally I don't see this as making him the "worst ever," but to say it can't be a factor is ridiculous.

Secondly, the answer is most certainly not obvious if you include politicians from other countries. Surely you mean Hitler and he's no doubt among the worst, but also surely you can make a good case for plenty of other people, like Stalin, Pol Pot, etc.

McCarthy is not too bad a choice. I'm not sure who I would say. Since you include all politicians, it's easy enough to pick someone who is very extreme and use them. But I would probably go with someone who was/is a pretty major leader because they have more of an effect than just words. For presidents in particular, I would say Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton were the two that brought the most disgrace to the office. Others have done probably lousier jobs, but those two brought disgrace upon the office itself. Maybe McCarthy for non-presidential major figure, although there are plenty to pick from who are less major, for example someone like James Traficant.[/QUOTE]

Stalin's Forced Famine (his way of outnumebering the deaths of the Holocaust) isn't very well known, I assumed people would put Hiitler
 
I think you need to clarify. Hitler was a master politician, Stalin wasn't so bad either. He killed millions, yet people were still in tears when he died. Mcarthy was a good politician, but he made a fatal error when he started attacking people with power. Clinton is another master politician, so is Reagan and karl rove. Hoover was a bad politician, most of the bad ones no one remembers, unless they get into real power, fail miserably, and have every know it.
 
[quote name='alonzomourning23']I think you need to clarify. Hitler was a master politician, Stalin wasn't so bad either. He killed millions, yet people were still in tears when he died. Mcarthy was a good politician, but he made a fatal error when he started attacking people with power. Clinton is another master politician, so is Reagan and karl rove. Hoover was a bad politician, most of the bad ones no one remembers, unless they get into real power, fail miserably, and have every know it.[/QUOTE]

I mean worst politician as in their actions NOT as in there politics skills. If someone wasn't a good politician (as in orator and spin doctor) they would never be in public office right?
 
I would have to say that the worst politican ever would have to be Andrew Jackson. Got impeached and really the only President ever to do so.
 
Stone Wall Jackson was impeached? i think you mean Andrew Johnson. i believe that clinton was also impeached.
 
[quote name='2poor']Stone Wall Jackson was impeached? i think you mean Andrew Johnson. i believe that clinton was also impeached.[/QUOTE]

No, Clinton wasn't officially impeached nor was our favorite face for impeachment Richard Nixon. There has only been one impeachment.
 
[quote name='cdeener']No, Clinton wasn't officially impeached nor was our favorite face for impeachment Richard Nixon. There has only been one impeachment.[/QUOTE]

he was not impeached. Impeachment proceedings were brought aganist him over some bill (forget the name) limiting his power to dismiss cabinet members. He did so, and impeachment proceedings were brought aganist him. Eventually reason prevailed and he was not impeached. At a later date, the bill was declared unconstitutional.

This was only done because Johnson eventually realized he should stay true to the vision of Lincoln in that the states were not officially out of the Union and should not be punished harshly like the radical Republicans had wished. Because he was impeached for following the wishes of probably the only president who would have won the war (since war weariness was huge during this period, and no one thought Lincoln would win re-election during 1864) he should not be considered the worst politician.
 
[quote name='elprincipe'] For presidents in particular, I would say Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton were the two that brought the most disgrace to the office. .[/QUOTE]

bah the disgrace was he was involved with an unattractive fatty. Too many presidents to mention have had affairs-in office, in the white house, etc.
 
Both Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached. However, both men were acquitted by the senate. Being impeached doesn't mean being removed from office.
 
[quote name='Ugamer_X']Both Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton were impeached. However, both men were acquitted by the senate. Being impeached doesn't mean being removed from office.[/QUOTE]

My bad. I misunderstood. Get what you are saying.
 
[quote name='usickenme']bah the disgrace was he was involved with an unattractive fatty. Too many presidents to mention have had affairs-in office, in the white house, etc.[/QUOTE]

Yes - I mean FDR was one of the best Presidents IMO and he had mistresses lined up around the block. And his wife - well she had mistresses lined up around the block too.
 
[quote name='2poor']so i guess no one hates bush or his son bush?[/QUOTE]

I do but he isn't the worst, he hasn't gotten anyone killed (oh, wait), or taken away constitutional rights (hmm), or used biased religious ideals to rule the country (uhhh) , well he hasn't held a genocide, I'll give him that much.
 
Warren G. Harding

"Upon winning the election, Harding placed many of his old allies and cronies in prominent political positions. Known as the "Ohio Gang" (a misleading term used by Charles Mee, Jr., for his book of the same name), some of the appointees used their new powers to rob the government. Corruption was rampant throughout Harding's administration, though it is uncertain how much Harding himself knew about his friends' illicit activities. The most infamous scandal of the time was the Teapot Dome affair, which shook the nation for years after Harding's death. The scandal involved Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall, who was eventually convicted of covertly leasing public oil fields to business associates in exchange for personal loans. In 1931 Fall became the first member of a Cabinet to be sent to prison."

Source - Wikipedia.org
 
[quote name='usickenme']bah the disgrace was he was involved with an unattractive fatty. Too many presidents to mention have had affairs-in office, in the white house, etc.[/QUOTE]

No, the disgrace was abuse of power to have an affair with someone under you at work, cover it up, and commit perjury. Kennedy may have had affairs, but to my knowledge they were not with White House interns that called him boss. That's not mentioning the pardons he handed out at the end of his term, most notoriously to Marc Rich, for money. And I'm not even including poor policy decisions, because if I would I might mention North Korea and terrorism among others.
 
More on David Duke...

"In 1976, he sought a seat in the Louisiana State Senate as a Democrat. In 1978 he left the Klan and two years later formed the National Association for the Advancement of White People. In 1988 he ran in the Democratic Party primary for candidate of the President of the United States. After a dismal showing in the Democratic primaries, he appeared on many state ballots as the nominee of the Populist Party receiving approximately 25,000 votes in the 1988 general election."


"In 1989, he ran as a Republican for a seat in the Louisiana State House of Representatives. He defeated fellow Republican John Treen, the brother of David Treen, the first post-Reconstruction Republican to be elected Governor of Louisiana, by a margin of 51-49 percent. Duke's victory came despite visits to the district in support of John Treen's candidancy by President George H.W. Bush, former President Ronald Reagan, and other GOP notables."
 
Duke is bad, but he doesn't have the market cornered on white supremacy in American politics. Furthermore, he's had a spectacularly dismal political career, so little damage has been done (since he's never been in a real position of power).

Too many politicians have done damage to themselves, their countries, and other countries to simply pick a "number one."

My *favorite* politician? Bud Dwyer; he set a precedent that the majority of Washington, D.C. would do well to emulate.

myke.
...google it, willya?
 
[quote name='GuilewasNK']Warren G. Harding

"Upon winning the election, Harding placed many of his old allies and cronies in prominent political positions. Known as the "Ohio Gang" (a misleading term used by Charles Mee, Jr., for his book of the same name), some of the appointees used their new powers to rob the government. Corruption was rampant throughout Harding's administration, though it is uncertain how much Harding himself knew about his friends' illicit activities. The most infamous scandal of the time was the Teapot Dome affair, which shook the nation for years after Harding's death. The scandal involved Secretary of the Interior Albert B. Fall, who was eventually convicted of covertly leasing public oil fields to business associates in exchange for personal loans. In 1931 Fall became the first member of a Cabinet to be sent to prison."

Source - Wikipedia.org[/QUOTE]

Speaking of Bush, this doesn't sound too different. Add in some religious zealotry, and voila!
 
[quote name='elprincipe']No, the disgrace was abuse of power to have an affair with someone under you at work, cover it up...[/QUOTE]


Hey Naive just called. They want you as their posterboy.
 
Nixon on local affairs, the man was awesome with foreign affairs but he was horrible with anything to do in the US. oh and grant was just a lackey.
 
[quote name='BigSpoonyBard']Speaking of Bush, this doesn't sound too different. Add in some religious zealotry, and voila![/QUOTE]

Actually it is more like the UN Oil/Food scandal. But that is a different discussion for a different time.
 
[quote name='elprincipe']You haven't been on this board long, have you? :lol:[/QUOTE]

no, but i do know the low down(down low?). i only wander into politics if something catches my eye, like those OTTs about titties and penis.
 
"I only wander into politics if something catches my eye, like those OTTs about titties and penis." - 2poor


Quotable!!

Someone needs to adopt that quote!
 
[quote name='usickenme']Bush is a great politiican but a terrible president.[/QUOTE]

I dunno, it always seems like rove is the great politician, and bush just surrounded himself with people who know how to win elections.
 
[quote name='alonzomourning23']I dunno, it always seems like rove is the great politician, and bush just surrounded himself with people who know how to win elections.[/QUOTE]

Ah, but isn't that what great politicians do, find ways to win elections? I don't think Bush is that great a politician, however. He was barely reelected as an incumbent, and that's after having sky-high approval ratings in the wake of 9/11. In fact, I would say that he was only reelected because the country didn't want to change leaders at this point in time.
 
[quote name='elprincipe']Ah, but isn't that what great politicians do, find ways to win elections? I don't think Bush is that great a politician, however. He was barely reelected as an incumbent, and that's after having sky-high approval ratings in the wake of 9/11. In fact, I would say that he was only reelected because the country didn't want to change leaders at this point in time.[/QUOTE]

Well, hitler was a great politician in and of himself, he had great politicians around him as well. Bush has them around him, doesn't mean he himself is great. Though I don't think he's overly concerned about how much of a majority of support he has, just as long as it was enough to be re-elected, and therefore he focused on certain groups.
 
[quote name='elprincipe']Ah, but isn't that what great politicians do, find ways to win elections? I don't think Bush is that great a politician, however. He was barely reelected as an incumbent, and that's after having sky-high approval ratings in the wake of 9/11. In fact, I would say that he was only reelected because the country didn't want to change leaders at this point in time.[/QUOTE]

Also, Kerry ran SUCH a weak campaign. Bush was an eminatelty beatable candidate, his "mandate" talk is laughable.
 
Nixon used to be my "favorite" worst politician, but Dubya has stolen the crown (in typical fashion).

After becoming the Supreme Court appointed President who lost the popular vote, he still acts like he has a mandate. He dropped the ball on terrorism preferring to ignore all advice from the previous administration. He stopped negotiations with North Korea and let that madman get a little crazier. He completely squandered the worldwide outpouring of sympathy we had after 9/11 by insisting we go after Iraq - a country with no ties to al Qaeda and no threat to us. At best he used faulty intelligence to persuade the public to support the war, at worst, he lied (and the Downing Street memo seems to back this up). We have invaded and destabilized a country and created a breeding ground for terrorists. This war will have far-reaching negative consequences for decades to come. We went into the Iraqi war with no exit strategy and gross underestimates for how long it would last or how much it would cost. The Patriot Act is a threat to Constitutional rights for all Americans. Bush has fought every investigation into the 9/11 attacks and his response and any attempts to hold anyone in his administration accountable. The most sensible person in his cabinet, Colin Powell, was forced out. He uses the Terrorist Alert Level as his own personal applause meter. Someone in his administration outed CIA operative Valerie Plame and he has yet to uncover the criminal who did it. It's been almost four years and we still can't find a 6 foot plus dialysis patient in the desert of Afghanistan. At least he got Saddam so he could prove something to his daddy.

I'll take a President who lies under oath about blowjobs every day over a piece of work like Bush.
 
It's laughable to even consider Clinton or either Bush as "the worst ever". In 50 years, their presidencies really won't be all that historically important for good or ill.

My vote for worst has to go to James Buchanan. I don't think you can say he started the Civil War, but he really didn't do anything with the chances he had to ease tensions between the north and south.

U.S. Grant was also a pretty terrible president. He's on money for his wartime leadership. His presidency was pretty awful.
 
[quote name='ElwoodCuse'] It's laughable to even consider Clinton or either Bush as "the worst ever".
[/QUOTE]

You are 100 percent right on that.
 
JFK did more to end comunism than Reagan, in fact Kennedy began the downfall of communism and Reagan just rode it while doing barely anything.
 
[quote name='Quackzilla']JFK did more to end comunism than Reagan, in fact Kennedy began the downfall of communism and Reagan just rode it while doing barely anything.[/QUOTE]

Now let's give Reagan credit where credit is due. He ran up the deficit quite nicely. :)
 
Richard Nixon

Despite his brilliance in opening trade relations with china, he perverted our system of democracy, with his watergate antics
 
[quote name='Quackzilla']JFK did more to end comunism than Reagan, in fact Kennedy began the downfall of communism and Reagan just rode it while doing barely anything.[/QUOTE]

China would disagree with that.
 
My pick would be James Carter. He is arguably one of the best non-presidents ever, but he wasn't hot in office.

His best accomplishment was uniting Egypt and Palestine, as I recall ( or one of the other middle east countries ). Every president since has wanted to accomplish something of that scale, I think.

Now, his domestic policy was shot to shit. He wanted everyhting done, and done now, and that's just how things work. The dependency on foreing energy sources led to the ever famous energy and gas crisis, and although not directly his fault, he still was too naive to do anything about it. Also, he alienated congress, which was a stupid move. Whatever he wanted passed would be killed in congress, meaning that any ideas he had would be heavily criticized/rejected. He was just not an experienced politician, and he could have had the greatest ideas since Jesus, but the way he acted politically meant his ideas meant jack shit.
 
[quote name='Quackzilla']Mao can kill my ass and die.[/QUOTE]

Perhaps, but at least 1/6 of the world's population lives under Communism, primarily in China, and China's significance on the world stage is only going to increase in the years to come. JFK and Reagan contributed to the downfall of Communism in Europe and Russia yes, but not in China.
 
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