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Article: Ranking the presidents; A history of competency.(OPED)(POLITICAL BOOKS)(Column)
- Article from:
- The Washington Times (Washington, DC)
- Article date:
- August 19, 2008
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Copyright informationCOPYRIGHT 2008 The Washington Times LLC. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Peter Hannaford, SPECIAL TO THE WASHINGTON TIMES
In 1996, Arthur Schlesinger Jr. asked 30 fellow-historians and two politicians to rate U.S. presidents in the following categories: Great, near-great, average, below average, failure. The poll replicated two by his father, Arthur Schlesinger Sr. in 1948 and 1992.
An active liberal Democrat, Schlesinger Jr. had assembled a panel whose members, save one, shared a liberal worldview. Not surprisingly, the greats and near-greats were Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, Polk, Lincoln, Wilson, both Roosevelts and Truman. President Reagan received a below average ranking.
What most of those chosen for the top ranks had ...