I Like Ike, but Apparently Not Everybody Does

Earlier this week, I shared my personal ranking of the best and worst presidents in my lifetime on social media. Since I was born in September1959, that means the list potentially includes everyone from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Donald J. Trump.

Coincidentally, both Eisenhower and Trump made my list of the best presidents at #2 and #3 respectively. I reserved the top spot for my all-time favorite chief executive, Ronald Wilson Reagan, my political hero.

Not surprisingly, my list of worst presidents featured four Democrats: Joe Biden, Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama, and Lyndon Johnson. Simply put, liberal policies and personal incompetence are a lethal combination.

Most people agreed with my selections, although some folks offered a “tweak or two” to the list. And then there was the fellow on Substack whom I have since blocked.

“Eisenhower… you’re an idiot!” he wrote in the comment section.

Geez, fella, tell me how you really feel!

I responded by saying that virtually every poll of historians and academicians ranks Eisenhower in the top tier of U.S. presidents, usually in the Top 10. I even cited three different polls – one by C-Span in 2021, one by Siena College in 2022, and one by the American Political Science Association in 2015 – that ranked Eisenhower in 5th, 6th, and 7th place. Not too shabby.

In my response, I also chastised the gentleman for his lack of civility. “It is OK to disagree with someone without resorting to childish name calling”, I scolded him.

As you may have guessed, he ignored my rebuke and instead, doubled down on his original position, telling me that my opinion and my sources were all wrong… and that he was right.

Looking back at the Eisenhower administration, which lasted from January 1953 to January 1960, there was a lot for “Ike” to be proud of. Not only did he fulfill his promise to end the Korean War, but he also presided over a period of economic growth and relative stability at home. Eisenhower is also credited with two major infrastructure projects that revolutionized transportation in the United States: the Interstate Highway System and the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Yes, Eisenhower could have more aggressively supported the burgeoning Civil Rights Movement but, to his credit, he did send federal troops to Little Rock, Arkansas to enforce desegregation and signed two historic pieces of legislation, the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1960.

Overall, a very successful two-term presidency, no matter what my childish critic had to say.