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Which US Presidents Do You Wish Were In Charge Right Now?

April 9, 2020 454.9k votes 33.9k voters 133.4k views44 items

List RulesVote up the commanders in chief you think could provide the most competent and, yes, commanding leadership during a global pandemic.

The presidency involves plenty of responsibilities both practical and symbolic. That means anyone elected to this august office ends up praised for things they didn't actually do and condemned for things that aren't actually their responsibility. By all accounts, that's part of the job. Still, the sometimes-fickle, sometimes-accurate sentiments of the American public mean that popular presidents could wield Mjolnir like a superhero while unpopular presidents are subject to endless scrutiny and debate.

In the midst of a pandemic that has disrupted life around the world, it's worth asking just which former (or current) presidents the populace wishes could handle the crisis. If you could wave a magic wand, would you want someone to provide moral and spiritual comfort even if they come from a time before germ theory? Or would you hope for someone with the ability to mobilize a coherent and competent international effort in the tradition of a 20th or 21st century wartime president?

  • 1
    12,098
    4,348

    Theodore Roosevelt

    Dec. at 61 (1858-1919)

    Birthplace: New York City, Manhattan, USA, New York

    Birthplace: New York City, Manhattan, USA, New York

    Presidency: 26

    Presidency: 26

    V.P.: Charles W. Fairbanks

    V.P.: Charles W. Fairbanks

  • 2
    13,497
    4,863

    Abraham Lincoln

    Dec. at 56 (1809-1865)

    Birthplace: Hodgenville, Kentucky, United States of America

    Birthplace: Hodgenville, Kentucky, United States of America

    Presidency: 16

    Presidency: 16

    V.P.: Andrew Johnson, Hannibal Hamlin

    V.P.: Andrew Johnson, Hannibal Hamlin

  • 3
    13,945
    5,427

    John F. Kennedy

    Dec. at 46 (1917-1963)

    Birthplace: USA, Massachussetts, Brookline

    Birthplace: USA, Massachussetts, Brookline

    Presidency: 35

    Presidency: 35

    V.P.: Lyndon B. Johnson

    V.P.: Lyndon B. Johnson

  • 4
    14,220
    5,626

    Franklin D. Roosevelt

    Dec. at 63 (1882-1945)

    Birthplace: New York City, Hyde Park, New York, USA

    Birthplace: New York City, Hyde Park, New York, USA

    Presidency: 32

    Presidency: 32

    V.P.: John Nance Garner, Henry A. Wallace, Harry S. Truman

    V.P.: John Nance Garner, Henry A. Wallace, Harry S. Truman

  • 5
    9,475
    5,050

    George Washington

    Dec. at 67 (1732-1799)

    Birthplace: Virginia, United States of America

    Birthplace: Virginia, United States of America

    Presidency: 1

    Presidency: 1

    V.P.: John Adams

    V.P.: John Adams

  • 6
    7,909
    4,617

    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Dec. at 79 (1890-1969)

    Birthplace: Denison, Texas, United States of America

    Birthplace: Denison, Texas, United States of America

    Presidency: 34

    Presidency: 34

    V.P.: Richard Nixon

    V.P.: Richard Nixon

  • 7
    11,897
    7,410

    Ronald Reagan

    Dec. at 93 (1911-2004)

    Birthplace: Whiteside County, Illinois, United States of America, United States, with Territories

    Birthplace: Whiteside County, Illinois, United States of America, United States, with Territories

    Presidency: 40

    Presidency: 40

    V.P.: George H. W. Bush

    V.P.: George H. W. Bush

  • 8
    19,396
    12,775

    Barack Obama

    Age: 59

    Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

    Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

    Presidency: 44

    Presidency: 44

    V.P.: Joe Biden

    V.P.: Joe Biden

  • 9
    6,226
    5,287

    Thomas Jefferson

    Dec. at 83 (1743-1826)

    Birthplace: Shadwell, Virginia, United States of America

    Birthplace: Shadwell, Virginia, United States of America

    Presidency: 3

    Presidency: 3

    V.P.: Aaron Burr, George Clinton

    V.P.: Aaron Burr, George Clinton

  • 10
    4,839
    6,182

    Harry Truman

    Dec. at 88 (1884-1972)

    Birthplace: Lamar, Missouri, United States of America

    Birthplace: Lamar, Missouri, United States of America

    Presidency: 33

    Presidency: 33

    V.P.: Alben W. Barkley

    V.P.: Alben W. Barkley

  • 11
    4,191
    6,221

    Ulysses S. Grant

    Dec. at 63 (1822-1885)

    Birthplace: Point Pleasant, Ohio, United States of America

    Birthplace: Point Pleasant, Ohio, United States of America

    Presidency: 18

    Presidency: 18

    V.P.: Schuyler Colfax, Henry Wilson

    V.P.: Schuyler Colfax, Henry Wilson

  • 12
    5,801
    8,757

    Jimmy Carter

    Age: 96

    Birthplace: Plains, Georgia, United States of America

    Birthplace: Plains, Georgia, United States of America

    Presidency: 39

    Presidency: 39

    V.P.: Walter Mondale

    V.P.: Walter Mondale

  • 13
    6,321
    10,540

    Bill Clinton

    Age: 74

    Birthplace: Hope, Arkansas, USA

    Birthplace: Hope, Arkansas, USA

    Presidency: 42

    Presidency: 42

    V.P.: Al Gore

    V.P.: Al Gore

  • 14
    3,374
    5,832

    John Adams

    Dec. at 91 (1735-1826)

    Birthplace: Braintree, Massachusetts, United States of America

    Birthplace: Braintree, Massachusetts, United States of America

    Presidency: 2

    Presidency: 2

    V.P.: Thomas Jefferson

    V.P.: Thomas Jefferson

  • 15
    4,620
    8,371

    George H. W. Bush

    Age: 96

    Birthplace: Milton, Massachusetts, United States of America

    Birthplace: Milton, Massachusetts, United States of America

    Presidency: 41

    Presidency: 41

    V.P.: Dan Quayle

    V.P.: Dan Quayle

  • 16
    4,966
    9,341

    George W. Bush

    Age: 74

    Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America

    Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America

    Presidency: 43

    Presidency: 43

    V.P.: Dick Cheney

    V.P.: Dick Cheney

  • 17
    9,356
    18,427

    Donald Trump

  • 18
    2,679
    5,466

    James Madison

    Dec. at 85 (1751-1836)

    Birthplace: Port Conway, Virginia, United States of America

    Birthplace: Port Conway, Virginia, United States of America

    Presidency: 4

    Presidency: 4

    V.P.: Elbridge Gerry, George Clinton

    V.P.: Elbridge Gerry, George Clinton

  • 19
    2,796
    6,830

    Andrew Jackson

    Dec. at 78 (1767-1845)

    Birthplace: Waxhaws

    Birthplace: Waxhaws

    Presidency: 7

    Presidency: 7

    V.P.: Martin Van Buren, John C. Calhoun

    V.P.: Martin Van Buren, John C. Calhoun

  • 20
    2,158
    5,367

    John Quincy Adams

    Dec. at 81 (1767-1848)

    Birthplace: Braintree, Massachusetts, United States of America

    Birthplace: Braintree, Massachusetts, United States of America

    Presidency: 6

    Presidency: 6

    V.P.: John C. Calhoun

    V.P.: John C. Calhoun

  • 21
    1,950
    4,885

    James Monroe

    Dec. at 73 (1758-1831)

    Birthplace: Monroe Hall, Virginia, United States of America

    Birthplace: Monroe Hall, Virginia, United States of America

    Presidency: 5

    Presidency: 5

    V.P.: Daniel D. Tompkins

    V.P.: Daniel D. Tompkins

  • 22
    2,813
    7,085

    Lyndon Johnson

    Dec. at 65 (1908-1973)

    Birthplace: Stonewall, Texas, United States of America

    Birthplace: Stonewall, Texas, United States of America

    Presidency: 36

    Presidency: 36

    V.P.: Hubert Humphrey

    V.P.: Hubert Humphrey

  • 23
    2,356
    5,980

    Gerald Ford

    Dec. at 93 (1913-2006)

    Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA

    Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA

    Presidency: 38

    Presidency: 38

    V.P.: Nelson Rockefeller

    V.P.: Nelson Rockefeller

  • 24
    2,267
    6,011

    Woodrow Wilson

    Dec. at 68 (1856-1924)

    Birthplace: Virginia, United States of America

    Birthplace: Virginia, United States of America

    Presidency: 28

    Presidency: 28

    V.P.: Thomas R. Marshall

    V.P.: Thomas R. Marshall

  • 25
    1,877
    5,013

    Calvin Coolidge

    Dec. at 61 (1872-1933)

    Birthplace: Plymouth Notch, Vermont, Vermont, United States of America

    Birthplace: Plymouth Notch, Vermont, Vermont, United States of America

    Presidency: 30

    Presidency: 30

    V.P.: Charles G. Dawes

    V.P.: Charles G. Dawes

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