American History

» Brian Tubbs - Compare King To Bush II

In response to Compare King To Bush II posted by pink101:

Good grief. That's a loaded question. It seems you're asking it as just one more way to showcase all that you find distasteful about Pres Bush. It's obvious that MLK is one of the most influential figures in American history (positively so), eclipsing most of our Presidents. Yet THIS thread is about "Best President." So, let's stick to the Presidents, shall we?

» Brian Tubbs - "today's judicial activism"

In response to "today's judicial activism" posted by pink101:

Let me answer this by starting a new thread.

» pink101 - J.F.K.

In response to "today's judicial activism" posted by BrianTubbs:
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I think John F. Kennedy has to be ranked close to the top as the president having the most impact on American history.
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I remember--vividly--the day he was assassinated.
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I remember how blasted my plans were. I had been having lunch in a little out of the way place. And I turned on the radio in my car as I pulled away from the restaurant. Immediately the news hit me like a hammer along side the head. I drove toward my scheduled appointment on the other side of town when I suddenly turned into a drive way, backed up and returned to my office where the manager was directing three office clerks in doing some filing. I was amazed the office hadn't been closed.
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I went home. The entire nation left work except for those who had to continue for some emergency reasons--fire fighters, police officers, health care workers and a handfull of others.
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American Changed Overnight and we lost our innocence then and there on the streets of Dallas, Texas.
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I wonder has any other president had such an impact on our society?
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The ensuing events have irrevocably changed the course of my life. Our entire society seems filled to the brim with people that can say the same thing. We will never go back to those previous times again. Things have changed drastically for the entire world.
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-- posted by pink101

» Brian Tubbs - J.F.K.

In response to J.F.K. posted by pink101:

Your arguments have proven that JFK's assassination was one of the most influential events in US history. I offer no argument, except that I think Lincoln's was a bit more significant. Otherwise, I agree with you.

As for whether JFK's presidency should be ranked "close to the top," well, I'm afraid I'd have to disagree. What did President Kennedy accomplish - while SERVING AS PRESIDENT - that ranks him up with George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Franklin D. Roosevelt? Or for that matter with Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, etc.?

» pink101 - J.F.K.

In response to J.F.K. posted by BrianTubbs:

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"What did President Kennedy accomplish - while SERVING AS PRESIDENT ..."
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Quite a bit compared to all the rest. It's not so much that he accomplished more or equal to them; but, quite a bit.
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There was a long time swing toward liberal programs that caused long deaD conservatives to rise from their graves in a certain sense. It lasted several years and got several great programs through the grinder. Maybe you have noticed?
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-- posted by pink101

» Brian Tubbs - J.F.K.

In response to J.F.K. posted by pink101:

If that's your criteria, then LBJ is your hero - not JFK.

» pink101 - J.F.K.

In response to J.F.K. posted by BrianTubbs:

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Naw.
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JFK set the standards.
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LBJ messed things up.
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JFK had this to say about the war in Viet Nam. "It's their war." He said that in September of 1963.
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LBJ set the standards for Bush--in his attempt to turn the villages of Viet Nam into a new nation. Bush is trying to improve on Johnson.
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Like I say, Brian. It's all a matter of perspectives. By now, you should be well aware of that.
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-- posted by pink101

» pink101 - J.F.K.

In response to J.F.K. posted by pink101:
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I remember both of them and I didn't vote for either one.
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Shortly after Kennedy was elected, I changed my mind about him.
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He dug into what America was all about and he was able to transfer that to the people in his speeches.
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We learned a lot through our experiences in those days that changed our society for ever.
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-- posted by pink101

» Brian Tubbs - J.F.K.

In response to J.F.K. posted by pink101:

I agree that JFK tapped into the spirit of America as well as any presidential orator of the 20th century. Others that did the same were Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan. In the 19th century, only two Presidents really accomplished this - Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson.

But JFK did it at the time of the rise of television. That made a HUGE difference. And it made both him and his presidency larger than life.

» LadyOnyx - J.F.K.

In response to J.F.K. posted by BrianTubbs:

I'm new to suite101, but I found this discussion particularly interesting.
I think one of the biggest reasons that presidents like FDR, Kennedy, and Teddy Roosevelt were able to gain popularity among the American people was their ability to manipulate the bully pulpit. A leader with good communication skills is highly valued in the US and these presidents utilized their eloquence and speaking skills to connect with the American people. FDR's fireside chats are a great example of this.
In the case of JFK, media development played a huge role in his popularization.
Another point to keep in mind when determining who is the best president is citizen's expectations of the presidency, which are constantly metamorphosing. In general, most Americans prefer an activist president...one who is willing to take chances and accomplish things while in office. Oftentimes, citizens would rather have a president who is change-oriented (even if they don't necessarily agree with the changes being made)rather than one who stresses continuity and passivism. All of the presidents from Washington onward who have been ranked as being "great" leaders have been considered activist presidents by political scientists and historians.

-- posted by LadyOnyx