Nixon Survivors: At this point, who is worse?

[BlueIris]

For those who lived during the Nixon years, at this point in our history, which president is worse in your eyes? No criteria for what constitutes worse, just--if someone asked you on the street right now, whom would you pick?

[longship]

1. Chimpster, definitely

With the exception of Viet Nam, Nixon made the world better by initiating detante with China and the Soviet Union. I would like to think that he would have been capable of handling something like Katrina. Nixon was a scoundrel, but he wasn't worthless.

Chimpster is utterly worthless in any measure of the man. He's a coward, a bully, ignorant, and uneducated. Another DU poster has said that he exhibits four of the seven deadly sins: pride, greed, sloth, and wrath. I'll leave it to the reader to decide whether he also exhibits the other three traits: lust, gluttony, and envy.

There is no comparison between Nixon and Chimp. I can talk about Nixon accomplishments; I cannot do the same for Chimpy.

[DemoTex]

2. Bu$h. Far worse.

Far more dangerous.

[union_maid]

3. I'd take Nixon back at this point

Nixon's looking better and better all the time.

[ribrepin]

23. Nixon's been looking good for quite some time.

And I voted for McGovern.

[NYC]

4. Bush is worse, and there's another poll like this.

At the time I saw it 31 out of 31 votes said Bush was worse.

[BlueIris]

5. I believe that's my poll--the focus of the question is different.

It asks about the Nixon administration vs. the Bush administration. A separate issue, to my mind.

[Totally Committed]

6. It's not even a contest. Bush is worst POTUS in history. (imo) n/t

TC

[RebelOne]

7. As much as I didn't like Nixon,

I believe he would be a 100% improvement over Bush.

[Marymarg]

8. Bush is the

worst. (excuse for) President. ever!!!

[opihimoimoi]

9. Lest we remember, he was installed by dufusses

Groups of Dufusses gives Dufusses Decisions....in this gang, for nefarious gain

[genius]

10. Nixon was greedy, not pure evil.

[Vinca]

11. I've lived through presidents from Eisenhower until now and Bush #2

is far and away the worst of the lot by a huge margin. The runner-up is Lyndon Johnson so it's not a partisan thing.

[NoFederales]

12. *

NoFederales

[klook]

13. Not even close

Nixon imposed price controls when the economy was running amok, he approved the National Environmental Policy Act (giving birth to the EPA), and he opened the door to China. (Can't give him credit for ending the war on Vietnam, because the U.S. was forced into that position.) During the Nixon years we got affirmative action, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Has Bush achieved anything remotely close to even one of these accomplishments?

Nixon was horrible in many ways, don't get me wrong. But even a ruthless bastard like him took the presidency seriously enough to get a couple of worthwhile things done.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

14. Nixon was a sneaky, power-mad bastard, BUT...

he understood that being president was not ONLY a license to set up sweetheart deals for your friends on the public dime.

(Bush is our very own Ferdinand Marcos in that respect.)

He might have named his fundraiser's college roommate Ambassador to Monaco or some other title that would involve a cushy salary and little responsibility, but he never would have put such a doofus into a position of vital national interest.

Nixon was presentable in public, could get along with world leaders, and actually did some good things, such as setting up the EPA and expanding the food stamp program.

In more ways than one, 1968-1974 seem like the "good old days."

[barb162]

32. I hate to get flamed here, but I still think Nixon. The Secret Plan to

end the Vietnam war, which he never had and he ended up having many thousands of Americans and Vietnamese killed and injured pretending for years he had a plan. Bush may surpass that jerk but he's now only 5 years into his two terms whereas I am judging Nixon on 7 or so years. In any case, they are both absolutely beyond HORRIBLE presidents and I believe both are sociopaths.

[demzilla]

15. It's a close call

but Nixon did some good (EPA, China, lowering voting age, replacing draft with a lottery) along with the very, very bad that he did (Watergate, prologing the Vietnam war and killing thousands to achieve a sham "peace with honor.")

Nixon was slimy but smart. Bush is slimy and ignorant and has accomplished very little. I think Nixon leads in the body count so far, but it's not for Bush's lack of trying.

In my considered opinion, George W. Bush is probably the worst president in American history; he belongs with the likes of James Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, and, yes, Nixon.

[barb162]

34. yeah bodycount, that's what I am looking at and Nixon wins "worse"

[MissMarple]

16. Absolutely no doubt...George W. Bush.

Nixon even supported some progressive legislation. :shrug:

[calimary]

17. Without question - bush is worse. Without question.

For many reasons. Nixon had his faults - TONS of them. But we weren't ashamed of ourselves and publicly humiliated like bush has done to America. Everything we're supposed to stand for has been completely up-ended by this lying, cheating, scamming, lazy, spoiled, arrogant, indifferent, petty, vindictive piece of shit. Never thought I'd find myself regarding Nixon in a positive light, but I'd sure rather have Nixon back in office than bush, if I were forced to choose between them. Nixon, at least, cared about our standing with the rest of the world. He was seriously into foreign policy, and not for lip-service or bullying, either.

[bemildred]

18. Nixon would have done something about the Hurricane.

Nixon was smart enough to know that you have to govern to rule.

[TalkingDog]

19. Bush Hands Down.

I mean both created a constitutional crisis in our country, but * has nearly destroyed it compared to Nixon. Nixon may have been an utter asshole, but he was, by far more intelligent than * could ever hope to be and (I can't believe I'm about to say this) much less manipulative of the public. He didn't have the media savvy that the current crop has.

[Beetwasher]

20. My Dad, Self-Professed World's #1 Nixon Hater Says It's Not Even Close

Bushco. makes Nixon look like a gentleman and patriot.

[trof]

21. Your pop is right. I was in my 30s during Watergate.

I think Nixon was a paranoid schizophrenic.
I did not like him.
He was as harshly vindictive to his perceived enemies as any politician I had ever seen.
Hell, he had an "Enemies List".
Sicced the IRS on them.

But compared to Bush, he was Little Mary Sunshine.

[BlueIris]

39. Great post. About Nixon being "harshly vindictive," though--

worse than Bush? I couldn't tell from the context of your comment. It's hard for me to believe that anyone could be more vindictive than Bush, whose vindictiveness--as we are currently witnessing--also extends to domestic (and arguably foreign) policy. Yes, of course, I still say Bush is much worse, but in terms of this one quality--was Nixon more vindictive than Bush has shown himself to be?

[candice]

22. Nothing approaches the corruption and horror of this administration

[tom_paine]

24. Nixon is Jesus H. Christ compared to Herr Bushler

n/t

[sallyseven]

25. I hated Nixon but he was a saint compared to bush

[newscott]

26. I like to look at it this way

Fool them once, shame on you. Nixon.
Fool them twice, shame on them. Bush.

[Stinky The Clown]

27. Nixon was ... well ... Nixon ..... but this asswipe? WAY worse.

Not even in the same league ... hell, not even on the same planet!

[Lugnut]

28. No contest

The pRes wins the booby prize.

[Eurobabe]

29. definitely dumbfuckistan Bu$h

[Laelth]

30. No question.

Nixon proposed socialized medicine in 1972. Nixon signed a host of the environmental laws upon which we now rely. Nixon was no saint, clearly, but I think it's hard for younger people to imagine just how much more conservative this whole country has become in the past 30 years. Bush is much, much closer to Hitler than Nixon could have dreamed of being.

It makes me sad to think about it.

-Laelth

[fortyfeetunder]

31. Bush, no question

Nixon was despicable. However, he got caught in his shenanigans.

[struggle4progress]

33. Nixon was one nasty mutha -- but the Dems provided opposition then

[cmd]

35. Bush is ten-fold worse

Nixon was a crook. Bush is evil.

[ISUGRADIA]

36. Nixon was amoral and crooked but not a apocalyptic religious

moronic nut like Bush.

Bush has done more harm to the country than Nixon ever did.

[SeattleGirl]

37. Nixon was a saint compared to Chimpy!

And that's sayin' something!

[T Town Jake]

38. I lived through Nixon (I was just "coming of age" at the time)...

...and I recall the night Nixon announced his resignation. I remember the consensus among the folks I was watching it with was that never again were we likely to see such a corrupt, dishonest, venal, and scandalous administration in our lifetimes.

But we were wrong.

I never thought the day would come when I could honestly say this with a straight face, but it has: I miss Tricky Dick.