Which US President was the most significant? (Semi final 3)

This poll is closed

Which US President was the most significant? (Semi final 2)

George W Bush7%

Abraham Lincoln 64%

Lyndon B Johnson7%

Thomas Jefferson21%

Total votes: 14

JMR2021_

Debate & Current Affairs Helper

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 the semi-finals of the tournament of which this is the second one.
In order to immerse yourself in the results of the previous rounds please refer to the hub thread here if you're interested in reading more. :smile:

In Semi Final 2 are:

George W Bush (2001-2009)

The former governor of Texas, and son of 41st President George HW Bush, George Bush Jr was a well known Republican figure before assuming the highest office in the land. During his presidency, America was shaken by the September 11th terrorist attacks and the 'War on Terror' that followed. Controversially, Bush pursued war in Iraq in order to depose Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 on the later disproven grounds that he was actively developing weapons of mass destruction.

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)
The eighteenth president is most well known for his leadership of the union during the Civil War, including the emancipation proclamation which proclaimed slaves in the rebelling Southern states as free. Many of Lincoln's words stood the test of time, and stand testament to his wisdom. Most significantly, his Gettysburg Address helped provide moral significance to the death and destruction of the Civil War.

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). LBJ assumed the presidency in the unfortunate circumstances following the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963. In 1964, Johnson won the presidential 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.

Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)
The third president of the United States was a key founding father and significant figure in the eventual independence of the United States. He helped to coin the Declaration of Independence which included the renowned words that 'all men are created equal'. Likewise, as President, he helped significantly expand the size of the United States through the purchase of the Louisiana Territories.

Once you have decided, please vote in the poll attached to the thread. This poll will close on Friday 18th February at 12 noon. The top two Presidents will move through to the final.

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 semi finals here:
Semi-Final 1
Semi-Final 2
Semi-Final 3
Semi-Final 4

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 1

Saracen's Fez

20

Three real titans here...and Dubya. I've gone for LBJ but really it was a toss-up.

Reply 2

AngryJellyfish

Chat Forum Helper, Entertainment Forum Helper

18

Lincoln for me. As much as I tried to highlight Bush's significance in earlier rounds, we don't know whether people will be talking about him as much in 50-200 years as we do now about the others. :p:

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 3

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

22

I've given Jefferson his first vote.

Honestly, for me this is a two horse race. I would argue that Johnson is more a product of his era and while of course a very astute politician and experienced congressman, I'm not sure there is much in his presidency that is personal to him. Many of the policies are intertwined with JFK's legacy and others just occurred during a time of great social change for the USA.

Lincoln and Jefferson, for me, are the bigger heavyweights (though it's hard to disagree with the view that Bush is inferior to all here). Lincoln had received 5 votes already at the time of writing this, so I'm thrusting Jefferson forward into the competition.

Reply 4

CatusStarbright

22

I'm going to stick with Lincoln.

Reply 5

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

22

Lincoln really is breezing through the rounds!

Reply 6

04MR17

Volunteer Section Leader

22

The Results of Semi-Final 3 are...
Abraham Lincoln (9)
Thomas Jefferson (3)
Lyndon B Johnson (1)
George W Bush (1)

Lincoln and Jefferson proceed to the final.