vcczar Posted July 6, 2021 Share Posted July 6, 2021 The first number is how well I think a president performed, using a grading system similar to grades in a college class. The second number is their potential -- an estimate of both their expectations and generally unfulfilled potential. In very RARE cases, a president exceeded their potential number, which means they outperformed about everyone's expectations, probably even their own. In these cases, it's akin to Tom Brady being a late round draft pick and then going to almost a decade worth of Super Bowls. Lincoln and FDR are the only presidents to perform at a 100 grade. Teddy Roosevelt and Nixon are the only presidents to have a potential of 100. Lincoln and FDR had exceeded their potential. Roosevelt and Nixon never hit it. If you don't include WH Harrison and Garfield, the greatest underperformers from performance-to-potential are (tied): JQ Adams, Buchanan, Hoover, Nixon, Carter. In my analysis, we've had only 4 presidents perform at an A-grade level, although 10 had the potential to be A-grade. I have 9 presidents reaching their potential. I have 5 having exceeded their potential. This means all but 14 presidents have underperformed. If I have more time, I'll create a potential # for all the failed nominees to let you know if I think the failed nominees would have been potentially better presidents. *Note: This is for fun. Don't take it seriously. Washington 90/90 *0 J Adams 75/85 *-10 Jefferson 80/95 *-15 Madison 70/85 *-15 Monroe 75/75 *0 JQ Adams 65/90 *-25 Jackson 80/95 *-15 Van Buren 65/75 *-10 WH Harrison 50/70 *-20 Tyler 55/70 *-15 Polk 80/80 *0 Taylor 65/60 *+5 Fillmore 60/65 *-5 Pierce 50/65 *-15 Buchanan 45/70 *-25 Lincoln 100/85 *+15 A Johnson 50/60 *-10 US Grant 70/70 *0 Hayes 65/70 *-5 Garfield 55/85 *-30 Arthur 65/65 *0 Cleveland 70/85 *-15 B Harrison 65/75 *-10 McKinley 75/80 *-5 T Roosevelt 90/100 *-10 Taft 65/75 *-10 Wilson 80/95 *-15 Harding 55/55 *0 Coolidge 70/70 *0 Hoover 55/80 *-25 FDR 100/80 *+20 Truman 80/65 *+15 Eisenhower 85/85 *0 JFK 75/90 *-15 LBJ 80/90 *-10 Nixon 75/100 *-25 Ford 65/65 *0 Carter 60/85 *-25 Reagan 85/80 *+5 GHW Bush 70/75 *-5 Clinton 75/85 *-10 GW Bush 55/65 *-10 Obama 80/95 *-15 Trump 55/70 *-15 Biden 60/75* -15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcczar Posted July 6, 2021 Author Share Posted July 6, 2021 I used my same method above to create "presidential potential" for failed nominees. DeWitt Clinton, Henry Clay, Al Gore, Samuel J Tilden, James M Cox, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton were all nominees that never became president that would probably have been better presidents than the victor. By better president, I mean more naturally inclined and skillful at the job, rather than ideological. The 1852 and 1856 elections are truly awful matchups, and I think the Whig and Republican nominees in those elections would have likely "failed" as presidents too. H Clay 100 D Clinton 95 A Burr 90 JG Blaine 85 S A Douglas 80 CE Hughes 80 A Gore 80 R King 75 SJ Tilden 75 JM Cox 75 A Landon 75 TE Dewey 75 A Stevenson II 75 M Dukakis 75 J Kerry 75 J McCain 75 H Clinton 75 WH Crawford 70 J C Breckinridge 70 H Seymour 70 WJ Bryan 70 A Smith 70 W Wilkie 70 H Humphrey 70 G McGovern 70 W Mondale 70 B Dole 70 M Romney 70 L Cass 65 CC Pinckney 65 AB Parker 65 B Goldwater 65 GB McClellan 60 J Bell 60 W Scott 60 JC Fremont 60 WS Hancock 60 JW Davis 60 H Greeley 55 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timur Posted July 7, 2021 Share Posted July 7, 2021 10 hours ago, vcczar said: I used my same method above to create "presidential potential" for failed nominees. DeWitt Clinton, Henry Clay, Al Gore, Samuel J Tilden, James M Cox, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton were all nominees that never became president that would probably have been better presidents than the victor. By better president, I mean more naturally inclined and skillful at the job, rather than ideological. The 1852 and 1856 elections are truly awful matchups, and I think the Whig and Republican nominees in those elections would have likely "failed" as presidents too. H Clay 100 D Clinton 95 A Burr 90 JG Blaine 85 S A Douglas 80 CE Hughes 80 A Gore 80 R King 75 SJ Tilden 75 JM Cox 75 A Landon 75 TE Dewey 75 A Stevenson II 75 M Dukakis 75 J Kerry 75 J McCain 75 H Clinton 75 WH Crawford 70 J C Breckinridge 70 H Seymour 70 WJ Bryan 70 A Smith 70 W Wilkie 70 H Humphrey 70 G McGovern 70 W Mondale 70 B Dole 70 M Romney 70 L Cass 65 CC Pinckney 65 AB Parker 65 B Goldwater 65 GB McClellan 60 J Bell 60 W Scott 60 JC Fremont 60 WS Hancock 60 JW Davis 60 H Greeley 55 Clay is certainly an interesting what-if. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vcczar Posted July 7, 2021 Author Share Posted July 7, 2021 8 minutes ago, Patine said: Since we haven't used letter grades in Canadian schools since I was 12 (1988), what does a 70 mean in relativity, because that seems abnormally high for Breckinridge, especially given the election he would have won, and the circumstances around it. C- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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