A few of our stories and columns are now in front of the paywall. We at The Chief-Leader remain committed to independent reporting on labor and civil service. It's been our mission since 1897. You can have a hand in ensuring that our reporting remains relevant in the decades to come. Consider supporting The Chief, which you can do for as little as $3.20 a month.
To the editor:
A recent letter (“Voter’s Remorse,” The Chief, June 27) noted that a prior letter (“Affinities,” The Chief, May 30) in support of Donald Trump contained a significant misstatement of fact — that Theodore Roosevelt served a third term in office. Online, the author referred to this glaring error as a typo.
I submit that the entire letter was a typo. “Affinities” posited that Donald Trump shares leadership traits with other great American presidents, specifically George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt. That, of course, is the author’s opinion.
Every few years, the Presidential Greatest Project polls renowned presidential historians and political scientists to settle that very question. In 2024, the PGP asked these professionals to rank America’s presidents from Washington through Biden and more than 150 responded. Unsurprisingly, Washington, Lincoln and TR ranked third, first and fourth greatest, respectively (with FDR ranked second). How did Trump fare? Dead last! Forty-fifth out of 45.
The PGP did note some partisanship in the rankings, particularly with Reagan (16th); conservatives thought his ranking should be higher, while liberals thought it should be lower. However, there was no disagreement regarding Trump. His first term (45) was universally regarded as America’s worst presidency by all 150 scholars. I see nothing at this point in his second term that promises to improve on that standing.
“Affinities” versus PGP rankings underscores America’s political divide. For one-half of Americans, Trump is the second coming of Teddy Roosevelt. To the other half, Trump bears no resemblance to Roosevelt; not Teddy or Franklin, and not even Eleanor for that matter.
Joseph Cannisi
4 comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
krell1349
And Trump 47 will be the worst yet!!!!
Wednesday, July 2 Report this
0000
Time will reveal the outcome! So far, Trump has been performing exceptionally well as the President of the United States…
Wednesday, July 2 Report this
krell1349
You're joking, right? Exceptionally well, I think not.
Thursday, July 3 Report this
reenjoe
And... MAGA Republicans like Quad-Zero call the rest of us deranged!
Thursday, July 3 Report this