Obama, even though I voted for him only the first time. The reason he's my favorite is that he handled the financial crisis well and prevented our nation from a full force depression era. He also managed to get a healthcare bill passed that will cover me since I have a pre-existing condition. I don't love the bill, but he did something other Presidents only talked about. He handled himself with dignity and was scandal-free for 8 years. It was nice.
And if it was embarrassing to say I am old enough to remember Nixon... its even more embarrassing to say the same about JFK. And despite being really young during his presidency, easily my favorite. I think he shared Reagan's ability to connect. Simply reading or hearing recordings of his speeches show a brilliance in communicating important ideas (eg his speech at Rice). Yet he also had a wicked sense of humor, often at his own expense (e.g. being known as the guy that accompanied Mrs. Kennedy). It was a different time (think the Vietnam War and LBJ changed things) but the idea of Camelot and the Kennedy aura seems so far away now. LBJ was a louse but he did get many of the things JFK tried to do accomplished. Carter was at his very core a good man that carried through his post presidency. Clinton had a gift for communication and effective at getting things done but many personal failings. Obama seemed to have Kennedy's brilliance in speech and an ability to connect at a personal level too (helped in part by his youth and family).
As much as i want to say Obama times were just good under Clinton. Great economy with budget surplus. Nuff said I will say im more disappointed about Lewinsky since ive gotten older. Old guys shouldn't be sleeping with young girls in the office. Its really taking advantage even if she is the aggressor but its not a deal breaker. I think Carter is
I only get to pick between Carter, Clinton, and Obama. I don't remember Carter the president, but I really like him as an ex-president. Really classy guy. But, I say the same about Obama -- really classy guy. Enjoyed him as a president and an ex-president. Clinton was an effective president, the most effective of the 3, but I've never really liked him. Seemed to be corrupted by the power.
Kennedy, he was still trying to accomplish big things, but did not expand the Vietnam War like Johnson, who was otherwise better on actually accomplishing big things for ordinary American people. Obama was a big disappointment as he had a good chance to be more than a placeholder and his main accomplishment is the ACA, whose main cheerleaders seem to be corporate Dem pundits who for the most part have never used it but would have the requisite cash to actually pay all the copays ,if needed. I guess I could argue for Clinton as worst as all of his "accomplishments" led to media monopolies, Glass Seagal repeal, the Crash of 2008, an increased drug war and mass incarceration to show he could lock up as many or more folks as the Repubs.
If I get to count time in the womb, I can go with Kennedy.....so I did. The only non train wreck Dem President listed.
