tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401584991689197404.post10448844711458680..comments2024-03-02T09:41:35.809-08:00Comments on Donkeylicious - A Blog by Neil Sinhababu and Nicholas Beaudrot: Even Through Rose Colored Glasses, George W. Bush was TerribleNeil Sinhababuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03249327186653397250noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401584991689197404.post-35532351508712732172013-05-20T17:36:12.875-07:002013-05-20T17:36:12.875-07:00Correction: Adams's absences were of course no...Correction: Adams's absences were of course not from Washington, but from Philadelphia.Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14943136764424893492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401584991689197404.post-35834277373431576912013-05-20T17:33:27.952-07:002013-05-20T17:33:27.952-07:00Adams in contention for "worst"? Balderd...Adams in contention for "worst"? Balderdash! Enforcement of the Alien and Sedition Acts was much lighter than the enforcement of the internment of Japanese Americans or the harassments of radicals in the Red Scare, to name two other wartime repressions. People make too big a deal out of the Alien and Sedition Acts.<br /><br />Adams's biggest fault as president was probably his habit of taking long and frequent absences from Washington. Second would probably his inability to recognize Hamilton's merits and leave Treasury in his capable hands. On the other side of the ledger, Adams negotiated and accepted a sensible peace with France at a time when the public was hungry for war. I'd say that for this, he compares favorably to both Jefferson and Madison, whose incompetent diplomacy led to a completely unnecessary war. Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14943136764424893492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401584991689197404.post-19318298578315820172013-04-29T17:08:35.476-07:002013-04-29T17:08:35.476-07:00I really don't know about John Adams. A lot of...I really don't know about John Adams. A lot of people think the Alien & Sedition Acts were really awful, but I don't know (a) how bad they really were, or (b) how to weigh that against the rest of what Adams did. But I was just throwing it out there because of the Alien & Sedition Acts.<br /><br />I know Buchanan was terrible. It's certainly possible that a post-Civil War 19th century President did some terrible stuff but I'm not enough of a historian. Warren Harding sucked a lot too.<br /><br />But with my limited knowledge of history, I would guess Bush and Buchanan are almost certainly 1-2 or 2-1.Nick Beaudrothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02794690208464883973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3401584991689197404.post-52768707488185181002013-04-28T15:13:06.459-07:002013-04-28T15:13:06.459-07:00For decades, I assumed I'd never see a worse U...For decades, I assumed I'd never see a worse U.S. President than Nixon. Then sometime in early 2004, I realized that I was looking at one.<br /><br />The only President I've seen a good argument for being worse was Buchanan. I don't <i>remember</i> the argument, but it was strong enough that at the time, I didn't think either side of that argument had a really strong upper hand.<br /><br />And John Adams? No way.<br /><br />-ltcAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com