Junto Boys

THE BOTTOM HALF

42. James Buchanan 1857-61 (Democratic)

“Failed to prevent the near disintegration of the nation.”

41. Franklin Pierce 1853-57 (Democratic)

Pierce was one of the few presidents to be abandoned by his own party after a single term.

40. Martin Van Buren 1837-41 (Democratic)

"It is hard to place high up on the list those who sanctioned the slaughter of Native Americans."

39. William Harrison 1841 (Whig)

Harrison only lasted 32 days as President so our panel struggled to push him very far up the table.

37T Richard Nixon 1969-74 (Republican)

"Cynical manipulation, bringing the presidency into disrepute and changing the language to the extent that even a whiff of scandal merits the suffix '-gate'."

37T George W. Bush 2001-2009 (Republican)

"Bush Jr. invaded Iraq based on faulty intelligence and then catastrophically mismanaged the war, dragging America's name through the mud."

36 Herbert Hoover 1929-33 (Republican)

"Unwittingly turned the 1929 crash into a global depression which weakened democracies and prepared the ground for the Second World War."

34T Warren Harding 1921-23 (Republican)

"Headed one of the most corrupt administrations."

34T James Garfield 1881 (Republican)

The second shortest Presidency after William Harrison’s 32 days but the panel still prefers him to Nixon.

33. Millard Fillmore 1850-53 (Whig)

"Created a compromise on extending slavery that laid the ground for the US Civil War."

32. Jimmy Carter 1977-81 (Democratic)

"Carter got just about everything wrong."

31. John Tyler 1841-45 (Whig)

Tyler assumed the presidency after a brief constitutional crisis following the sudden death of William Harrison. He had been the Vice President and from this moment, all VPs were a heartbeat away from the White House. He struggled to assert his authority and his presidency was often referred to as “his accidency”.

29T William H. Taft 1909-13 (Republican)

Taft’s Presidency was overshadowed by the imposing figure of Theodore Roosevelt. Teddy had anointed his friend as his successor before changing his mind after Taft’s first term and making an acrimonious but failed challenge to his Republican nomination.

29T Benjamin Harrison 1889-93 (Republican)

For the first time outside of war, Congress was allowed to spend a billion dollars, which was not welcomed by the impoverished electorate.

28. Zachary Taylor 1849-50 (Whig)

Taylor is another man to languish in the rankings due, at least in part, to a brief presidency.

27. Rutherford B. Hayes 1877-81 (Republican)

Hayes’ election was the most controversial of all. He comfortably lost the popular vote but after months of bitter wrangling, he secured the electoral college by a single vote.

26. Calvin Coolidge 1923-29 (Republican)

"Probably the most modest man ever to hold the office. Disliked for his small-minded isolationist tendencies but on balance, it's a shame there were not more like him."

25. Gerald Ford 1974-77 (Republican)

His period in office coincided with a US recession and inflation rates of up to seven per cent, which left him with a large budgetary deficit and little room for maneuver.

24. Andrew Johnson 1865-69 (Democratic, National Union)

"Nearly blew Lincoln's success."

23. Bill Clinton 1993-2001 (Democratic)

"Promised so much, delivered so little and embarrassed everyone."

22. Chester Arthur 1881-85 (Republican)

"His four years in office saw him turn widespread cynicism into grudging respect - the opposite of the usual Presidential experience."