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Survey Tops Lincoln 1st. In Presidential Rankings

It is President's Day, and what better day to hold a presidential ranking survey? This is C-SPAN's second "Historians Presidential Leadership Survey," first done in 2000.

The presidential rankings are done using the following individual leadership categories:

  • Public Persuasion
  • Crisis Leadership
  • Economic Management
  • Moral Authority
  • International Relations
  • Administrative Skills
  • Relations with Congress
  • Vision/Setting An Agenda
  • Pursued Equal Justice For All
  • Performance Within Context of Times

Abraham Lincoln finished first in the 2000 presidential ranking, and finished first again. George Washington and FDR swapped places; FDR dropped to #3 while Washington rose to #2.

George W. Bush falls in at #36, so amazingly to some, there are several Presidentials with rankings less than his. They are: Millard Fillmore, Warren G. Harding, William Henry Harrison (because of pneumonia, he had only about a month in office), Franklin Pierce, Andrew Johnson, and James Buchanan.

Readers, what would your presidential ranking be? Feel free to comment.

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