What would a future president need to accomplish in order to be seen as the best president?

47 comments

  1. Being the president is a very complex job and there’s no such thing as being “the best” or “the worst” when it comes to the role.

    Every president in history has succeeded and failed in some regards.

  2. Considering the US’s slow bit ineluctable slide onto soft fascism (Hungary-style), I’m not sure this is an answerable question any more.

  3. There is no way to define this because none of us can predict the future and what we would “need” from a president.

  5. Legalizing prostitution and cocaine would put em at the top of the list for me.

    /s

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    … only kinda /s tho.

  8. 40% of the country on either side will call them the best president as long as they agree to shit on the other 40% they hate. 20% will say they don’t care or both parties are equally bad but really they just don’t have any convictions and are vapid people.

  9. Generally people in the USA think of Lincoln as the best US president.

    For a future president to compete in our current political situation… they could start by legalizing marijuana, and commuting the sentences of non-violent inmates. Then they could do it for all drugs. We have people serving life sentences for non-violent crimes and nearly half of the inmates are in there for non-violent crimes.

    Lincoln only freed 4 million people, a president nowadays could free millions more. Being a leader that frees a people is generally remembered positively.

    They also could institute a national healthcare plan, and again save millions of lives.

    Or possibly lead the world into a period of nuclear disarmament and world peace.

    They could also do another Apollo like program. Perhaps putting a trillion dollars to cure a disease or some other amazing moonshot idea that changes humanity like solving the world’s energy needs.

  11. Solve the wealth gap, reform the bureaucracy, reform the tax code, heal lepers with a touch of their hand. You know, the little things.

  12. Be less polarizing politically and racially, and use the Office to bring Americans back together. Tall order at the moment.

    The last few presidents have governed too much through vilification of “the Other”.

  13. I think there would have to be a major negative event that is solved over the course of the president’s term.

  14. Competently lead the nation against some truly devastating, existential threat. I am thinking something along the lines of a president dealing with an actual war on American soil.

    As outlandish as that may seem, I can’t imagine any other scenario that would make someone “the best president.”

    Any internal policy, no matter how well received, is simply going to have too many critics to be universally loved.

  15. At this point, I feel like a person who could smooth over our disagreements and bring unity to the country would be seen as pretty damn great.

  19. It would be to address the changing needs of the Future. These needs might not be something we are aware of right now but will be a big deal in the future and future generations.

    Usually the “best” presidents are remembered with how they deal with a crises, or a time right after a crises. The last major major crises era was the great depression to WW2. FDR is looked at as one of the best presidents. Before that it was the Civil War, which was Lincoln, again, regarded as one of the best. Before that was The Revolutionary War and establishing the Republic. Typically of the ‘best’ presidents were hugely important because of their involvement with these crises era events.

    I do want to distinguish the difference between “major problems” and “crises”. Every generation has had problems that needed solutions, but these absolute major crises events are far less frequent and can involve basically rebuilding society for new era. People talk about “the great reset” not realizing that we have already had 3 of them, and they seem to be spaced out every 80-100 years, and the last one was in the 1940s, and the next one is probably now and has little to do with COVID and more to do with demographics, inequality and extreme technological disrution. Look into the Fourth Turning. Societies are rarely ever super super stable for hundreds of years and for various reasons we have a big “reset” every so often.

    Lincoln is considered one of the best presidents, for what he dealt with at his time. But what is his stance on energy policy? Or gay marriage? Or healthcare? Or being a world power? Or the housing crises? Or Climate change? Or automation. My guess. A future president, and not like, any time soon future president, will be dealing with huge problems that are not something we are dealing with today. It would almost be like asking Lincoln what he thinks about regulating the internet when he hasn’t experienced electricity yet.

  20. I think there are 3 presidents that come to mind if you were to start a “greatest ever” conversation:

    Washington: Established essentially all presidential precedent and is essentially our national figurehead

    Lincoln: Kept the nation together under during the worst period of our history

    FDR (the most controversial of the 3): Established the role of the federal government (for better or for worse) as we know it and led us through both the recession and WW2.

    All three had ridiculously difficult circumstances and rose to the occasion. In order to be put in the conversation of greatest, not only do you have to be a superb leader, you need trying circumstances.

  21. Top 3 presidents ranked are usually Lincoln FDR and Washington

    Lincoln ended legal slavery and saved the union from a civil war.

    FDR saved us from the great depression, won world war two and set up the modern social and regulatory state.

    Washington won the war of independence and then had a quite presidency which he retired from after two terms(setting precedent)

    To rank ahead a president would probably have to at least save us from war and probably save the world from nukes or something. Very difficult.

    The best chance to shoot upto #4 was probably during early Covid but that was wasted

  22. It depends on the times and what is and is not ignored through history.

    In the past racism, misogyny, and other acts seem as heinous now, were acceptable. Its why so many presidents deeds are glossed over, but brought up when greatness is referenced.

    What candidates do today, to appease or pander, may end up being heinous decades later.

    People can apply buzz topics, but political and social winds change fast. 20 years ago a cop shooting an unarmed black male got no press, now a hint of impropriety becomes front page coverage.

    Just as fast as we can APPEAR to be a better society, we can regress based on the actions of others. So what may be appealing today, when considering the next few presidents, can be appealing several presidents later.

  23. If someone can find out how to unite us and bring us back to a civil state, I think they’ll be the greatest president we’ve had in a VERY long time.

    I don’t think it’ll happen. I think a Civil War is more likely to happen quite honestly. But we’ll see.

  25. For me to consider a president truly great, they would have to give me one billion dollars or more. I would definitely view that person as history’s greatest president.

  26. Revive or at least stabilize the economy, provide aid to Ukraine, help social issues such as riots and poverty, prevent wildfires and murder hornets (Looking at you, west coast) increase education spending, (especially in the South and Southwest) enforce masks, and promote vaccines.

  27. Defend Earth against aliens.

    But seriously, we only have the best in the worst times. Washington, Lincoln and FDR all were president in times of deep deep crisis.

  30. Fix some MASSIVE issues while doing so constitutionally and setting the US up for long term prosperity while also being generally likeable and being able to work with both sides. While also promoting domestic and international harmony. Accomplishing all their goals and objectives, achieving more than them. Also not overstaying their welcome politically.

    Basically to be THE BEST they would need to do things we view as basically impossible in practice currently.

    We would basically need something like, a president who through diplomacy somehow gives the US actual, literal magic and an edge on it. With it only being usable for peaceful means. Solving all energy and food problems in the nation FOREVER.

  31. To crush our enemies, see them driven before us, and to hear the lamentations of their women.

  32. There aren’t exactly concrete metrics to judge a president by. Each person will have their own bias when it comes to presidential rankings. The only things most people can agree on is Washington and Lincoln were our best to ever serve.

    The issue with your question is in what world would we be in if a president eclipsed the two I mentioned earlier? A second Civil War? A monumental World War far eclipsing the magnitude of WWII? An economic calamity that makes the Great Depression look like a run of the mill recession?

    Point is, unless some unspeakable event occurs, I don’t foresee a situation where a future president will ever be considered our best president. This is not to say we won’t have great future presidents, just that they won’t be the best.

  33. I’m going to add a wishlist of things that’ll probably be improbable. Hitting 2 of these would probably put you in the running.

    Balance the budget/deficit – I think Clinton managed to balance the budget for a single term.

    National healthcare

    Fix income inequality

    Fix climate change/pollution/environment

  34. Win a major defensive war, cut poverty and unemployment in half, and provide socialized healthcare without raising taxes on anyone making less than $1 million a year.

  35. Universal, single payer healthcare provided as a government service and not tied to employment.

  36. Usually, you have to carefully and successfully guide the nation through a huge crisis. Washington commanded the army during the Revolution and set precedents for the Presidency, Lincoln kept the nation together and took steps to free the slaves, FDR was around a long time and guided us through the Depression and then WWII.

  38. One that can form a sentence, not bumble words, not shake hands with no one. Not look lost? Not asking for much

  45. I’m gonna say almost nothing, but the only possible thing would be something like a combined effort of having the US win a WW3, regulating climate control, and appeasing both sides. They also would have to be both a really good person and speaker, and personally I think the country is so divided that appeasing both sides enough is impossible

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