Which US President was most significant? (Heat 4)

This poll is closed

Which US President was most significant? (Heat 4)

James Buchanan7%

Ulysses S. Grant14%

Willaim Howard Taft0%

Lyndon B. Johnson50%

Richard M. Nixon29%

Total votes: 14

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

22

TSR is asking the question: Which US President was the most significant?

We're holding a tournament of US Presidents and asking you to vote to determine which was the most significant in history. We are currently in Round Two of this tournament, and this is Heat 4.

All the other heats are linked at the bottom of this post, and there's a hub thread here if you're interested in reading more. :smile:

In Heat 4 are:

James Buchanan (1857-1861)
Buchanan was the 15th President of the United States (1857 - 1861). Buchanan served as president until the American civil war began. He was nominated by the Democratic Party - he had not been in the country whilst the Kansas-Nebraska debate on slavery was taking place so hadn’t taken or been on any ‘sides’. Buchanan himself was against slavery, and wanted to avoid a civil war at all costs, but believed strongly in the law. Buchanan also apparently wanted to purchase Cuba from Spain but was never successful in doing so. And intriguingly, he remained a lifelong bachelor!

Ulysses S. Grant (1869-1877)
A former American military officer and civil rights executive, Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. He was responsible for the creation of the Justice Department and protected African Americans during Reconstruction. He led the Union Army to victory in the American Civil War.

William Howard Taft (1908-1913)
Fun fact: a book was written about Taft being stuck in a bath tub!
This vital history aside, our rotund republican was The Secretary of War under Roosevelt and in 1908 became President. Good things only were to come right? Well not really, it all went rather downhill at the rapid speed of a jovial gent in a bathtub. Taft alienated many liberal Republicans who later formed the Progressive Party, by defending the Payne-Aldrich Act. This didn't lower taxes as expected and by 1913 Woodrow Wilson took over.

Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1969)
Johnson, aka Light-bulb/ Landslide/ Bull**** Johnson, had a buzzer system installed within the Oval Office so that the Secret Service could warn him when his wife was coming (you can guess why). In 1964, Johnson won the elections with 61% of the vote and the widest popular margin in American history. In 1965, he championed his Great Society program aimed at tackling poverty and discrimination. Despite this, his office days were still plagued by the crisis of the Vietnam War.

Richard M. Nixon (1969-1974)
Nixon, aka Tricky Dicky, was the first president to visit all 50 states and the first to visit China (and consequently his name became one of the top three best known Western names in China). He is also the only president in history to have resigned, following the Watergate scandal. One of the most significant events of his presidency occurred in his first term in 1969 with the moon landing of the American Astronauts.

So there we are folks, 5 lucky presidents for you to choose 1 as the most significant.

Once you have decided, please vote in the poll attached to the thread. This poll will close on Sunday 13th February. The top three Presidents will move through to the semi finals, with one extra spot for the most popular votes in the remaining presidents.

If you like this idea and want to see more from the History forum. Let us know by posting in this thread.

P.S. Don't forget to check out the other heats here:
Heat 1
Heat 2
Heat 3
Heat 4
Heat 5

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 1

AngryJellyfish

Chat Forum Helper, Entertainment Forum Helper

18

Nixon, because every scandal ever since has been Something-gate. If that isn't a legacy, I don't know what is!

Reply 2

04MR17

OP

Volunteer Section Leader

22

Voting Johnson on the grounds of Civil Rights domestic policies here. Though I can't predict a runaway favourite from this heat really. :beard:

Reply 3

Napp

22

Ah tricky dicky :colone:

Reply 4

Mesopotamian…

21

My men are in the lead :colone:

Reply 5

Saracen's Fez

20

Feels like a weaker heat tbh, but have gone for LBJ!

Reply 6

Starship Trooper

15

LBJ although Nixon is a good contender. They're both significant in that (for various reasons) LBJ was successful and Nixon wasn't.

Nixon was awesome, if it wasn't for the below could have been the greatest president ever rather than a tragic hero. RIP.