Beyond FDR

Franklin Delano Roosevelt is widely considered the best US President in history for his handling of the Great Depression and WWII. He is ranked up with Washington, Jefferson, and Madison as the “great presidents” of history. Today, we are almost on the edge of our seats because of the suspenseful buildup of our current economic crisis. Our only hope, we say, is another FDR, another “great president.”

But we must ask the question: Is there such thing as a great president anymore? To answer this we must also ask: What makes a president great? 

Let’s tackle the second question first. In American history, the presidents who are remembered most are the strong ones—Washington, Teddy Roosevelt, FDR, Lincoln, and Kennedy. All of these presidents were highly influential and powerful people who believed in a strong Presidential role. No one remembers Grant, Taft, or Pierce because they were passive and did little to change history. Today, a strong president might be worse off than a weak one—George Bush Jr. favored a strong presidential role, but his approval rating will probably never reach 30% again.

Also, remember that the media often determines how people view a leader. All of the presidents we consider great had the media on their side—in fact, a group of reporters mugged and destroyed the film of a photographer who took a picture of FDR in his wheelchair. Today, though, our media has become very politically charged. No president could possibly please both the Democratic and Republican parties, so either the liberal or conservative media will slander them. This will mean that when looking back, future generations will find negative opinions on any president and therefore be less likely to regard that person as “great.”

However, there is still some hope for greatness. If our next president—regardless of whether he is Barack Obama or John McCain—can resolve the economic crisis and improve America’s image abroad, he will be highly regarded and praised for saving the country. Beyond that, though, there is little a president can do to achieve immortal greatness. In today’s uncertain and controversial times, you can’t please everyone.