By Matt Rooney
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Here are the five worst presidents in U.S. history, Save Jerseyans, in my humble opinion and in no particular order:
OBAMA: No tangible accomplishments by any objective measure other than increasing partisanship ten-fold over the contentious Bush years and managing to make health care even worse than it already was. Also continued the process of devaluing the Oval Office by behaving more like a late night/social media celebrity than a legitimate world leader. Arab Spring, Fast and Furious, unconstitutional executive orders… the list of crimes of “commission” or omission is extensive.
BUCHANAN: Twiddled his thumbs like an idiot, and watched passively as his niece planned White House dinner parties, while the nation spiraled towards the Civil War… our country’s bloodiest catastrophe.
CARTER: A technocrat with no skill for governing who urged Americans to wear sweaters, and accept the “malaise,” rather than rally and inspire his countrymen to a higher destiny during some of our darker days.
CLINTON: Reagan/Bush won the Cold War, but Clinton lost the peacetime thaw. Squandered victory and unprecedented prosperity on small time issues (like school uniforms) and his own sexual misdeed with a young intern. Did nothing as Islamic extremists tested us with several smaller bombings in the 90s and decided that the U.S. was a paper tiger, laying the groundwork for 9/11/01. One of only two impeached presidents.
WILSON: The reason why academics should stay in their ivory towers. His naivety before, during and after Versailles set the stage for WW2. Wilson also erected large federal bureaucracies, sent dissenters to jail, and left a legacy of $25 billion of federal debt (which, adjusted for inflation… yikes). And, of course, he was a former N.J. governor. Don’t act so surprised! We’re terrible judges of character.
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