Gallup: 19% of Americans are barely functioning idiots...

[Drunken Irishman]

http://www.gallup.com/poll/146183/Americans-Say-Reagan-Greatest-President.aspx



This list shows why Americans shouldn't be asked to select the greatest presidents in American history.

Bill Clinton 3rd? Yeah - no. Sorry, Billy. I like you and all, but noway do you rank ahead of Washington, FDR or Truman.

Obama ahead of Truman? Nope. Not yet, anyway.

Bush ahead of Eisenhower and Andrew Jackson? Uh uh.

smh

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. Gallup is a functioning idiot.

:think:

[MrModerate]

2. This is basically equivalent to a "most popular girl" in middle school . . .

Except that most of those who voted haven't heard of any of the candidates except the last five who walked through the door.

It's scary to think that the general public is ignorant of history, but it's hardly a surprise.

[arcane1]

3. "no opinion" beats Bush by 4?

Am I reading this right?

(on edit: Bush Sr, that is)

[bigwillq]

4. Who should be asked?

Canadians? :rofl:

It's all subjective. And a poll. People normally give their favorite choice, which isn't always the greatest choice.
Just a poll. Nothing for anyone to get all worked up over.

[Vattel]

5. My list.

Best ever: Lincoln, followed by Jefferson and then a tie between FDR and Carter.

Worst ever: Bush Jr., followed by Jackson and then a tie between Reagan and Truman.

[pulledpork]

6. Make that 22%

Add both Bushes to Reagan's total.

[DrToast]

7. The result of a massive marketing campaign.*

*

[Azathoth]

8. In other news, 50% of the country can only name 3 Presidents: "Reagan", "Clinton", and "Lincoln"

n/t

[polichick]

9. LOL - that's probably true. nt

[woo me with science]

13. Yeah, education's just fine. nt

[Enrique]

16. exactly

:thumbsup:

[Raine]

10. Eck they pick the ones whose names they heard the most

that's pretty obvious. :silly: Lincoln should certainly be above Raygun (most everyone should be) and FDR sure should be no less than 2nd or 3rd for God's sake! :argh: I don't know if they're exactly idiots but they sure are uneducated and uniformed. :-(

[DailyGrind51]

11. This is what happens when we let Texas revise our history textbooks!

[rasputin1952]

12. Gallup pulls things out of their collective asses...

The only viable way this could be "legitimate", is if it had Washington or Lincoln in the top spot, as virtually every American realizes that these two figure prominently in both the creation of the office and the maintaining of the nation as a functional society of states as opposed to fiefdoms.

Washington, Lincoln, FDR, TR and Jefferson usually round out the top 5. None of them would be considered conservatives in any form, and that's a very good thing. Even Eisenhower is seen with scorn these days by the GOP mobsters, as he fulfilled the obligation of the the government to ensure integration took place in the public school sector.

Reagan was an idiot. He was nothing more than an actor handed a script, and even then botched the whole thing. He was a lazy, ignorant, full of bombastic rhetoric and lived in a fantasy world long before Alzheimer's took him. Other than gw bush (worst), Buchanan (second worst...Reagan is right down there at the bottom. History will not be kind to the "Gipper", and should show the nation that hiring an actor, (or an MBA) to lead the country is as bad as it gets.

[Lucky Luciano]

14. Let's not forget truman's use of nukes on japan before givng him a high rank. nt

[hughee99]

15. Reagan, Clinton, Obama and * all before Jefferson? It A LOT more than 19%. n/t

[aaaaaa5a]

17. This really goes to show you just how ignorant the general public is when it comes to politics. NT

[craigmatic]

18. This is what happens when you emphasize science and math and take the emphasis off history.