Bring Back Which President ?

It's just my opinion but, I think that those of us (Missileer and I)who have lived during the time of John Kennedy have a different perspective than many who have nothing more than textbooks, second hand information, and heresy to go by. Personally, I had the good fortune of meeting John Kennedy and his wife.
 
Not many folks can make that claim Top, what was your impression of him? His wife? May I humbly inquire the reason for this event?
 
Actually I'd bet there are lots of people who met them on the campaign trails. My dad was into local politics and the first time I met them both was when they made a stop in our city on one of JFK's runs for Senator in MA. I still have a picture of Jaqueline during that visit, she posed with the local priest and other folks. They're standing in front of some US flags and posters with JFK on them and the saying "He has served ALL Massachusetts with Distinction!".
I was even so fortunate as to tag along on a visit to Hammersmith Farm in Newport, RI where they were married and which later became known as the Kennedy Summer White House. It had been the summer home of Jackie before they were married.
As for my impression of them, I think I was in awe of the whole thing including the Kennedys. I was a young kid at the time so it was all so awesome but I do remember thinking how beautiful and elegant Jackie was. I don't think that particular impression has ever changed.
 
I also very much admired President Kennedy and I guess you can say I "met" him. My parents, siblings and I were at a campaign parade and in the excitement of it all as his car passed by I impulsively ran after the car. I don't really know what I was thinking at the time. I just know I didn't want it to end. As I ran up to the car and the secret service man was giving me the eye, JFK turned around and saw me, flashed that trademark smile, and motioned me to approach closer to the slowly moving car, he reached out his hand and shook mine, told me how nice it was to see a young man so happy to see him and that was about it as I could no longer keep up with the car and my mother was getting frantic worrying about me and called me back. I was 12 then. I prefer that memory of him to the one I have when I was 15 and learned with the rest of America that he had been slain. Both come quickly to mind though when I think of him.
 
mmarsh

Kennedy was a good ole' Democrat he had a spine and while i disagreed with him on somethings he was the last Democratic president i could ever of imagined my self voteing for.

These are words of a Man not a beat around the bush modren day liberal

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any for to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

"The 1930s taught us a clear lesson. Aggressive conduct, if allowed to go unchecked and unchallenged, ultimetaly leads to war." - In refrence to the cuban missle crisis.
 
Well, I will go with the obvious three. (in no particular order)

1. George Washington.
He led our nation to independence and could have been the first King of America, but instead he turned it down and our democracy was established. "If he [George Washington] did that he would be the greatest person ever." ~ King George III when told by an aid that Washington intended to go back to Mount Vernon when the War of American Independence was over rather than be crowned the first King of America. (Something along those lines, I can't remember the exact quote and I am tired.)

2. Franklin D. Roosevelt.
FDR led our nation through two of our three most dangerous times, the Great Depression and World War II, unfortunately he died only months before the end of the war. He gave his life for his country and he did this while hiding the fact that he had been crippled by polio years before from the public. His administration built some of the first interstate system's in America and his public works projects gave people hope of a brighter tomorrow in our darkest economic times. During WWII he oversaw the best kept secret in American history (that we know of) the Manhattan Project, a secret race to build the Atomic Bomb before the Germans.

3. Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln led our nation through its darkest and most dangerous times. when the nation was falling apart around him Lincoln used some interesting and at times illegal tacrtics to hold the nation together. This included Imprisoning the members of the Maryland State Senate who were in favor of Secession to keep Maryland from joining the CSA. The Civil War brought an end to a long and shameful period in American history and helped unite the nation. The staggering loss of life ensured that America would never again suffer from another Civil War.

Honorable Mentions
Theodore Roosevelt, Gerald Ford, James Monroe, Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter and Thomas Jefferson.

Not So Honorable Mentions(Don't want to say failures)
Richard Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, Bill Clinton, Ulysses S. Grant, John F. Kennedy, Herbert Hoover and George H.W. Bush.

If you would like an explanation for anyone on either of my lists feel free to ask. I will say this about JFK though, he was killed one week before Congress was about to launch an investigation which probably would have led to an impeachment. If I am going to put Clinton on my list for the Monika incident I have to put JFK down for multiple affairs. There is a reason that he was been dropping in the presidential rankings every year since he died.

LeEnfield said:
Teddy Roosevalt.....was a fine President in the late 19th Century, but I can't help but wonder how he would have got on in todays world.

In today's media Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt (FDR) never would have made it into public office.

Washington had ivory teeth and the media today is a pack of jackals that would have shred him into pieces for it.

Lincoln was a candidate from a start-up party that would probably be the equivalent of today's Independent Party.

FDR was limited to a wheel chair, the media would have said shit like "How can he lead the country if he can't even walk?" and the nation likely would have gone along with it because everyone is split into two camps, liberal or conservative and the media has joined the liveral camp (obviously FOX hasn't but can anyone say CNN? or Dan Rather?).

With today's media I find it unlikely that the Monroe Doctrine would exist because the media would have attacked the President for being to "harsh" and not working together with our "allies." Well, IMO, sometimes it is necessary to get a little heavy handed with our allies just as a way to say "get off my back." No offence to our allies, but let's be honest, we all get into arguments and occasional fights with our friends and family, emotions between nations can at times be much the same, what really matters is that we stick together when the shit hits the fan.

But, with today's media it is far more likely that public opinion would have forced the allies to aknowledge what the German's were doing to the Jewish population of Europe. The Brits, Americans, Russians all knew what was happening but we did nothing to immediately stop it. Bombing the gas chambers would have killed anybody inside but given the weeks, months, etc. it would have taken to rebuild the chambers it is likely that hundreds of thousands or millions of jews could have been saved. But then when we look at the UN and genocides taking place in Africa one starts to wonder if that would have been the case. Of course there are other factors. (I will let you decide what you what about that.)

Now, I must admit that it seems like Washington would have won regardless of what the media said because he was the only president to ever receive a unanimous vote into office and he could have stayed for 20 years if he wanted too. But he stepped down after two terms, a pattern that would be followed until FDR in the 1930's-40's and would later become law.
 
Damien, the question is, which one pres wopuld you bring back. If you had to pick one, which would it be?
 
"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any for to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

"The 1930s taught us a clear lesson. Aggressive conduct, if allowed to go unchecked and unchallenged, ultimetaly leads to war." - In refrence to the cuban missle crisis.


I was a big fan of JFK while he was President, followed his election and career with interest and was shattered like everyone else at the nature of his demise.

Over the years, I have become disenchanted with the Kennedy family, and, of course, the flawed JFK, with its moral corruption.

However, for the above quote alone, I have to come back to him, it inspires me just as it did as a young man.
 
The situation today in America today is not unlike the situation FDR faced in the 1930s and 1940s. And FDR did a remarkably good job when he was in office...

So my choice is FDR.
 
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