Top Five: US Presidents I like the least

From a mix of personal experience and a reading of history. Look here for another, well-written list.

5. Andrew Johnson, 1865-1869. Elected as an afterthought to Lincoln, took over upon his assassination. Vetoed the first civil rights bill, saying "this is a country for white men, and by God, as long as I am President, it shall be a government for white men.” Nasty nature ensured that the deep wounds of the Civil War would stay open.

4. US Grant 1869-77 and Warren Harding 1921-23. Tied for this spot because they both draped the White House in corruption. They probably didn't personally benefit, but allowed their friends to in Black Friday, the Whiskey Ring, and Teapot Dome. Harding spoke for both of them when he wrote “I have no trouble with my enemies, but my . . . friends . . . keep me walking the floor nights!”

3. Richard Nixon, 1969-1974. I liked several things that Nixon did, including reopening contacts with China, and thought his climb back to the Presidency was, well, inspiring. But his paranoia and fierce devotion to himself turned a minor burglary into a national crisis and brought down his presidency, deservedly so.

2. Jimmy Carter, 1977-1981. Judged as a man, he's tops: earnest, honorable, committed. But he's the Eeyore of presidents. Economy in a slump, home interest rates over 15%? Oh no, we're in a national malaise, nothing really we can do. Competition with the USSR as hot as ever? Oh no, they're human too, we can't expect to win out, let's just hunker down. Iran takes our embassy staff hostage? Oh no, maybe we should launch a rescue effort, but I'm concerned about public opinion so I'll meddle with the logistics and ensure failure. Makes my blood boil, just thinking about those years again. Maybe I should have made Jimmy #1...

1. James Buchanan, 1857-1861. Yeah, the world disrespects him because he fiddled while America burned over slavery. Wishy washy to a fault about dealing with the slavery question and the right to secede, the nation was already torn in half by the time he turned over the reins to Lincoln. But with Buchanan it starts to get personal, since he listened to bad advice and sent that huge military expedition to bring those pesky Mormons into submission. Shot the fear factor through the roof, drove the paranoia that caused the Mountain Meadows Massacre, and poisoned Mormon/US Government relations for decades, maybe with after effects even today. Good job, Jimmy.

What's ironic is that James Buchanan is a relative. My sixth great-grandfather, John Buchanan, who emigrated from Ireland around 1800 and joined the Mormon church in 1835, is a first cousin to James (their fathers were brothers). Maybe that's what ticked him off enough to bring in the troops.