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Who did the most damage of the last 6 Republican Presidents?

  • Richard Nixon

    Votes: 90 2.3%
  • Gerald Ford

    Votes: 12 0.3%
  • Ronald Reagan

    Votes: 1,466 37.8%
  • George H.W. Bush

    Votes: 30 0.8%
  • George W. Bush

    Votes: 903 23.3%
  • Donald Trump

    Votes: 1,380 35.6%

  • Total voters
    3,881

bye

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
8,418
Phoenix, AZ
A lot of those problems with Trump are a culmination of 20 years of effort by Newt Gingrich, Fox News, Sarah Palin, the Tea Party, and social media propagandists. His malignant narcissism was just the missing piece of the puzzle.

"Sarah Palin?"

She was another "outsider" who took George W Bush's folksy charm, and injected it with an unhinged element that energized the lunatic fringe and drew them into the political mainstream, fermenting a perfect base to follow and worship Trump.

I'm not doubting that, but like I said I think saying Raegan is worse than Trump because he founded x, y, z discounts how much damage Trump has already done. And it's not a fair comparison because we have seen the 20+ years of Raegan's impact, we only know of the present how bad Trump has been. I think because of the times we are in like I said, that we will look back on Trump as probably one of the worst presidents of all time.
 

Lumination

Member
Oct 26, 2017
12,438
It's Reagan. Domestically, reagonomics and evangelicalism came about from him. What we are dealing with in Trump are simply the fruits he planted years ago. Internationally, 911 and the Iraq War may not have happened if not for the shit we fomented in his time. Literally every major evil we have committed and experienced as a country can probably be traced back to his administration.
 

Mcfrank

Member
Oct 28, 2017
15,195
Reagan fundamentally changed politics in America in a way no one has since. So him.
 

Trickster

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
6,533
Trump is by far the most dangerous president the US has had in a long ass time. He's behaviour is alienating all of the US's allies. It's threatening the foundations the country was built upon. And he basically turned half of the US into his cult
 

Pandora012

Moderator
Oct 25, 2017
5,495
Freakin Ronald Reagan

Within US -> Reagan
Effect on US + World -> GWB

Some of you all are just ignoring people outside the country, the ramifications of the choices he (GWB) and his cabinet made has altered the life of everyone in the world. IDK how he and Trump are tied in this poll.

Not really, there are direct links back to Reagan. Like someone else posted. Reagan paved the way for the republicans after him.
 

Swiggins

was promised a tag
Member
Apr 10, 2018
11,442
Compared to Trump, GWB and Regan, Nixon GHWB and Ford are practically progressives.
 

take_marsh

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,241
Reagonomics decimated the middle class and the American Dream. He gave power to Osama Bin Laden, and strengthened cartel power in Central and South America.

Basically, most of the bad things in our modern America were born during his presidency.

Yep. His damage will continue to be felt for decades. He was an effective piece of shit.
 

Deleted member 25600

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 29, 2017
5,701
War on drugs was started by Nixon. If we're comparing fucking up Latin America vs fucking up the MIddle East I'm going with the latter because W directly started two wars.
Nixon "started" the war on drugs but didn't really do anything different to previous administrations. Raegan really kicked it into high gear. Raegan established federal minimum sentences, and under his administration the CIA engaged in cocain smuggling into the US in order to fund the Nicaraguan right wing contra rebels. Under his administration the US sold weapons to Iran and Iraq while they were engaged in a war against eachother, again to fund the contra rebels. His administration also covertly intervened in the Iran/Iraq war several times to prolong the conflict.

Some of his other crimes include:

  • Giving military assistance to the Indonesian dictatorship as they brutalised East Timor.
  • Supporting the Marcos regime in the Philippines
  • Supporting a genocidal regime in Guatemala
  • Engaged in a right wing PSYOP campaign in New Zealand when NZ refused to allow nuclear capable US military ships into their ports
  • Laid the foundation for the Taliban in Afghanistan, and arguably Al-Qaeda
 

XMonkey

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,827
Reagan is a sound choice, but I went with Trump. Reagan had two terms so more time to fuck shit up. It's yet to be seen if Trump will, but I don't even want to think about how much more damage he'll do if gets another one. I think 8 years of him would end up doing much more long-term harm than Reagan.
 

Deleted member 23850

Oct 28, 2017
8,689
Reagan has fucked up families generations deep. Kendrick Lamar mentions this constantly.
 

Masoyama

Attempted to circumvent a ban with an alt account
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
5,648
Bush jr and Reagan are tied for me. They destroyed the us in an irrecuperable way.
 
Everyone listing off all the wrongs that Reagan installed in the US psyche is correct.
Definitely Reagan - no comparison.

He convinced most Americans that taxes are inherently bad. Surprise, here we are 30 some years later with crumbling infrastructure and massive inequality.
 

RumbleHumble

Member
Oct 27, 2017
7,128
Reagan is king. You don't understand the sickness that is the modern Republican Party without understanding Reagan.
 

lunarworks

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,079
Toronto
Everyone listing off all the wrongs that Reagan installed in the US psyche is correct.
Definitely Reagan - no comparison.

He convinced most Americans that taxes are inherently bad. Surprise, here we are 30 some years later with crumbling infrastructure and massive inequality.
Yup. Reagan oversaw "The Me Decade", which established greed and self-absorption as a virtue. The environment that Trump rose to be a superstar in.
 

NCR Ranger

Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,822
Reagan. It will be a while before we can truly get a good perspective on the damage Trump has done, so I won't even consider him. Even with that said it is probably still Reagan. He laid the groundwork for pretty much all GOP fuckery of the past decades.
 

Remmy2112

Member
Nov 5, 2017
1,139
Reagan wins the defecating on America and the world contest and his pile of shit is Jurassic Park dino-sized compared to others. Dubya's wars have had a very flashy body count, and I do not diminish those deaths at all, but those are big, obvious numbers. Reagan's actions on the local and international stage have haunted the world for almost forty years and likely has an equal or even greater body count as Dubya if you look at all causes of deaths and not just those in conflict, plus the human suffering.
 

Replicant

Attempted to circumvent a ban with an alt
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
9,380
MN
Reagan as he led to the rest, but Trump actually managed to shred all checks and balances and a bit of the constitution, so he's done the worst.
 

dhlt25

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,808
toss up between reagan and trump. Reagan started all this shit but Trump has ruined the reputation of the SC, Senate and Whitehouse all in 1 go
 

Avitus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,898
Trump has broken taboos that will be the end of the country if they aren't plugged up ASAP.
 

LGHT_TRSN

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,120
The full ramifications of Trumps presidency haven't even been felt yet but I think he will be the most damaging ultimately.
 

DrForester

Mod of the Year 2006
Member
Oct 25, 2017
21,628
Trump by far.

I know many will say Bush Jr., but getting into needless wars is kind of par for the course with America.
 

GenTask

Member
Nov 15, 2017
2,651
Wait... what, why wouldn't someone pick George Bush Sr.? He was anything but a kind, honest, or gentle soul and practically paved the way for Trumpism. His quote "I will never apologize for the USA. I don't care what the facts are" represents absolute Imperial hubris too.

I find it astonishing that a lot of his negative legacy is ignored: his Gulf War was started on a mountain of lies and propaganda and ended in war crimes and countless Iraqis dead (158 thousand) (deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure); obstruction of justice in the iran-contra cover-up including pardoning 6 of criminals of that; escalating the racist and disastrous war on drugs; he groped women; the estimated 3,000 Panamanians killed in his illegal invasion. It goes on.
 

Deleted member 25606

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 29, 2017
8,973
Oh and don't forget when voting for W or Trump on Iraq and Afghanistan, or Iran, all of those conflicts were pre-seeded in the Reagan years also and the plan was for war in H.W.'s presidency, which is again how he lost the Republican Party and isn't 100% hated even though he is a dirtbag too if we are being honest, just not in the same level as his former boss or son. But point is W just helped put in to motion plans that were already there. And I am not doing what some worry about, not absolving W, he knew what he was doing the final decision was his and he made it, he makes Pontus Pilate look clean.
 
Wait... what, why wouldn't someone pick George Bush Sr.? He was anything but a kind, honest, or gentle soul and practically paved the way for Trumpism. His quote "I will never apologize for the USA. I don't care what the facts are" represents absolute Imperial hubris too.

I find it astonishing that a lot of his negative legacy is ignored: his Gulf War was started on a mountain of lies and propaganda and ended in war crimes and countless Iraqis dead (158 thousand) (deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure); obstruction of justice in the iran-contra cover-up including pardoning 6 of criminals of that; escalating the racist and disastrous war on drugs; he groped women; the estimated 3,000 Panamanians killed in his illegal invasion. It goes on.
the fact that it's legitmately difficult to decide which modern Republican president is the biggest trashfire speaks volumes about why they shouldn't hold power
 

Deleted member 2317

User-requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
7,072
I'll go with the one with the highest confirmed body count, the charming mass murderer, the hostess with the mostest, The Decider himself, George Dubya.
 
Oct 28, 2017
1,969
Trump is awful but I have a hard time considering him worse than Reagan or GWB.

Voted Reagan as modern neoconservatism is his fault
 

TheXbox

Prophet of Truth
Member
Oct 29, 2017
6,548
Reagan's administration marks the irreversible decline of western civilization. I hate him and what he represents more than words can express.
 

DoubleTake

Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,522
Reagan is the grandfather who set the shitty standard. W is the idiot war monger son. Trump is the new age demagouge grandson, twisting the truth and bending the rules to his fitting.
 

Deleted member 31199

User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 5, 2017
1,288
Certainly a race to the bottom here, it's hard to pick. I'm leaning towards Reagan for a variety of reasons in that he basically solidified America as a heavily capitalist, bootstrap libertarian culture at a time when a stronger government and social safety net could have pushed us in a different direction. Reagan's influence is still being felt across both parties and the American electorate. He is responsible for countless abhorrent crimes, from the AIDS crisis to the War on Drugs to Iran-Contra and so on.

Unlike Trump, who is an obvious dumpster fire and vile creature, Reagan did a good job of disguising his nature to white moderate middle-class America, and that's why he was more dangerous. But hey, Donald, it's still early days, you can make a comeback!

Another strong contender is obviously Bush 43 and the massive loss of life caused by his illegal wars.

Yep... All of this and also there is more info in this book.

71ldkyCyW1L.jpg
 

dots

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,888
It's Ford.

He set the precedent that there is nothing a Republican president can do for which they will be held accountable. Reagan cheated to get elected. Bush 2 cheated to get elected. Trump cheated to get elected. All of them knew that they wouldn't be punished in any meaningful way for doing it, because of Ford.

If Ford had not pardoned Nixon and had allowed his justice department to prosecute, if Nixon had died alone in jail instead of living a life of luxury, the later crimes wouldn't have happened.
 

Sensei

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
6,490
i feel like we dont get dubya and trump without reagan. that man was the devil and its like he opened pandoras box
 

4CornersTHSA

Member
Jun 13, 2019
1,552
GWB, Trump, and Reagan, all are correct answers. But I'll throw in Nixon, simply because of the stratification of dem/rep, liberal/conservative started consolidating with his Southern Strategy. And due to the way our Constitution works, the Senate is almost always going to be out of reach, even in a blue wave.

The real answer is "yes"
 

Remmy2112

Member
Nov 5, 2017
1,139
How about a million+ dead Vietnamese and bombing Cambodia which helped the rise of the Khmer Rouge?

Nixon also rises above Dubya because he conspired to keep the Vietnam war going to help him get elected by going to the South Vietnamese government through back channels and telling them to hold firm on no peace talks until he got elected, telling them that they'd get a much better deal under his administration than with the then current Johnson or future democratic administrations. He actively kept a war in which Americans and Vietnamese were fighting and dying in going to get elected.