Monday February 19 12:01 AM ET Poll Names America's Best Presidents

By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - Americans mentioned Ronald Reagan (news - web sites), John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln most often when asked in a poll whom they regarded as the greatest president of the United States.

Those three former presidents were followed by Bill Clinton, Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman, George Washington and Jimmy Carter, grouped together slightly behind the top three in the Gallup Poll. Others mentioned were George H.W. Bush, father of the current president, Theodore Roosevelt, Richard Nixon and Dwight Eisenhower. Others were mentioned by a combined 5 percent.

Reagan was mentioned by 18 percent, Kennedy by 16 percent and Lincoln by 14 percent in the poll of 529 adults taken Feb. 9-11. The poll had an error margin of 5 percentage points.

A year ago, Kennedy and Lincoln were mentioned most often, and Reagan and Franklin Roosevelt were slightly behind them. Two years ago, Lincoln was first, and Reagan, Kennedy, Clinton and Washington were grouped right behind him.

When people were asked whether they would prefer to see George Washington or Abraham Lincoln as president today, six in 10 said Lincoln and just under three in 10 said Washington.

Gallup released the poll data for President's Day, which is celebrated Monday. The holiday was originally celebrated on Feb. 22 each year on the birthday of Washington, the nation's first president.

But, in 1968, Congress decided to make it a three-day weekend, setting the holiday marking the first president's birthday as the third Monday in February.

In 1971 President Nixon issued a proclamation declaring the holiday Presidents Day in order to also honor Abraham Lincoln, who was born Feb. 12.

Poll: Reagan greatest U.S. president - Gipper edges JFK, Lincoln in survey of Americans (But what about Slick Willey..Sob, Sob, sniff, sniff)

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001

Answers

"But what about Slick Willey.."

Still have difficulty reading dumbshit??...

"Those three former presidents were followed by Bill Clinton"

4th place ain't bad out of 42 presidents. Of course everyone knows the Reagan thing is out of sympathy because he is on his death bed. In reality, he was responsible for jeopardizing our security in the Iran Contra scandal, catering to huge corporations by stealing from the poor to give to the rich, and basically creating a recession.

Clinton had the kind of superb success as president that we only get to see once in our lifetimes. The fact that you Repugs spend so much time trying to destroy his excellent legacy is just proof that you know this. Repugs should just admit it, they know that he was an excellent president, the thing that they are really jealous of is that he was popular among the ladies too, quite a stud, and this is something that Repugs will never enjoy.

-- (Ain't is @ dickless. dimwit), February 19, 2001.

...stealing from the poor to give to the rich

Um, if there already poor then what do they have that the rich would want?

-- That doesn't make sense (no@way.no.how), February 19, 2001.

they're not there

-- That doesn't make sense (no@way.no.how), February 19, 2001.

"That"

How about stealing taxpayer money from educational assistance programs for the middle and lower class, while giving more taxpayer dollars to tax breaks for large corporations? Duuuh, you're not too smart are you?

-- that (ia a fool @ probably. ain't), February 19, 2001.

Clinton had the kind of superb success as president that we only get to see once in our lifetimes.

If he was so sucessfull, why isn't he #1?

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001.

Let's see here. We have Washington, Lincoln, and *everybody* within living memory. Well, the first two we were all taught were great, so they probably did something or other, where's my history book?

The rest score according to how well we remember them at all, and how well we remember their flaws (which tend to be forgotton over time). Reagan is just right -- he's in the news because he's dying, he wasn't president so long ago too many of those polled are too young to remember him, yet long enough ago for his drawbacks to have faded into insignificance.

You read that we had two great presidents in 160 years, and *every single one* since has been great? Uh, are these the same people who claim that 90% are above average drivers?

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), February 19, 2001.

I bet Reagan dies within a week. I think it is very suspicious that he is in the media as #1, when he really was not a good president at all. Probably paid for by Nancy Reagan to make him happy because she senses he will croak very soon.

-- (watch@and.see), February 19, 2001.

...when he really was not a good president at all.

Ummm that must be why he served eight years in the White House as Prez and his Vice Prez won a landslide election on his coat tails.

Something Clintons V.P., ummm, Al Bore couldn't muster.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001.

Before someone else points it out, Clinton's VP DID win the election by over 500,000 votes. He lost the electoral college by less than a thousand.

I didn't vote for either of them, but I do so love the way you Bushies try to spin this inconvenient fact.

-- Tarzan the Ape Man (tarzan@swingingthroughthejunglewithouta.net), February 19, 2001.

I'll repost with emphases on the appropriate parts for you Ape Man...

Ummm that must be why he served eight years in the White House as Prez and his Vice Prez won a landslide election on his coat tails.

Err ummmm...I don't think Bore won any landslide. Did I miss something?

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001.

...Clinton's VP DID win the election

Ummm...one more thing. As Barry said recently...

Yadda, yadda, yadda, call the White House and ask for Al Gore. Have a nice day.

-- Barry (bchbear863@cs.com), February 14, 2001.

-- Ain't Gonna Happen (Not Here Not@ever.com), February 19, 2001.

Let me turn the underlining off for you, ain't. And thanks for calling me a "left winger"! My friends consider me a republican. I'm going to consider myself politically eclectic.

But please keep posting, it's crackpots like you that make this a fun place to visit.

-- Bemused (and_amazed@you.people), February 19, 2001.

What about Millard Fillmore?

-- David L (bumpkin@dnet.net), February 19, 2001.