Which US Presidents Do You Wish Were In Charge Right Now?
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?
- Dec. at 56 (1809-1865)
- Birthplace: Hodgenville, Kentucky, United States of America
- Presidency: 16
- V.P.: Andrew Johnson, Hannibal Hamlin
- Dec. at 60 (1858-1919)
- Birthplace: Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America
- Presidency: 26
- V.P.: Charles W. Fairbanks
- Dec. at 46 (1917-1963)
- Birthplace: USA, Massachussetts, Brookline
- Presidency: 35
- V.P.: Lyndon B. Johnson
- Dec. at 63 (1882-1945)
- Birthplace: Hyde Park, New York, United States of America
- Presidency: 32
- V.P.: John Nance Garner, Henry A. Wallace, Harry S. Truman
- Dec. at 93 (1911-2004)
- Birthplace: Tampico, Illinois, USA
- Presidency: 40
- V.P.: George H. W. Bush
- Dec. at 67 (1732-1799)
- Birthplace: Virginia, United States of America
- Presidency: 1
- V.P.: John Adams
- Dec. at 78 (1890-1969)
- Birthplace: Denison, Texas, United States of America
- Presidency: 34
- V.P.: Richard Nixon
- Age: 60
- Birthplace: Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
- Presidency: 44
- V.P.: Joe Biden
- Dec. at 83 (1743-1826)
- Birthplace: Shadwell, Virginia, United States of America
- Presidency: 3
- V.P.: Aaron Burr, George Clinton
- Dec. at 88 (1884-1972)
- Birthplace: Lamar, Missouri, USA
- Presidency: 33
- V.P.: Alben W. Barkley
- Dec. at 63 (1822-1885)
- Birthplace: Point Pleasant, Ohio, United States of America
- Presidency: 18
- V.P.: Schuyler Colfax, Henry Wilson
- Age: 75
- Birthplace: New York, New York, USA
- Presidency: 45
- V.P.: Mike Pence
- Age: 97
- Birthplace: Plains, Georgia, United States of America
- Presidency: 39
- V.P.: Walter Mondale
- Dec. at 90 (1735-1826)
- Birthplace: Braintree, Massachusetts, USA
- Presidency: 2
- V.P.: Thomas Jefferson
- Age: 75
- Birthplace: Hope, Arkansas, USA
- Presidency: 42
- V.P.: Al Gore
- Age: 97
- Birthplace: Milton, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Presidency: 41
- V.P.: Dan Quayle
- Age: 75
- Birthplace: New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Presidency: 43
- V.P.: Dick Cheney
- Dec. at 85 (1751-1836)
- Birthplace: Port Conway, Virginia, USA
- Presidency: 4
- V.P.: Elbridge Gerry, George Clinton
- Dec. at 78 (1767-1845)
- Birthplace: Waxhaws
- Presidency: 7
- V.P.: Martin Van Buren, John C. Calhoun
- Dec. at 73 (1758-1831)
- Birthplace: Monroe Hall, Virginia, United States of America
- Presidency: 5
- V.P.: Daniel D. Tompkins
- Dec. at 80 (1767-1848)
- Birthplace: Braintree, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Presidency: 6
- V.P.: John C. Calhoun
- Dec. at 64 (1908-1973)
- Birthplace: Stonewall, Texas, United States of America
- Presidency: 36
- V.P.: Hubert Humphrey
- Dec. at 93 (1913-2006)
- Birthplace: Omaha, Nebraska, USA
- Presidency: 38
- V.P.: Nelson Rockefeller
- Dec. at 60 (1872-1933)
- Birthplace: Plymouth Notch, Vermont, Vermont, USA
- Presidency: 30
- V.P.: Charles G. Dawes
- Dec. at 67 (1856-1924)
- Birthplace: Virginia, United States of America
- Presidency: 28
- V.P.: Thomas R. Marshall