Politics

Steven F. Hayward’s presidential report card

Jamie Weinstein Senior Writer
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In his new book “The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents: From Wilson to Obama,” Steven F. Hayward grades the presidents from Woodrow Wilson forward.

Hayward, the F.K. Weyerhaeuser Fellow in Law and Economics at the American Enterprise Institute, recently discussed his book and justified his rankings in an interview with The Daily Caller.

Below is what we could call the Hayward ranking of modern presidents, according to his gradings:

1.) Calvin Coolidge (1923–1929) — A+

2.) Ronald Reagan (1981–1989) — A-

3.) Warren G. Harding (1921–1923) — B+

3.) George W. Bush (2001–2009) — B+

5.) George H.W. Bush (1989–1993) — B

6.) Harry Truman (1945–1953) — C+

6.) Dwight D. Eisenhower (1953–1961) — C+

6.) Richard M. Nixon (1969–1974) — C+

6.) Gerald Ford (1974–1977) — C+

10.) Herbert Hoover (1929–1933) — C-

10.) John F. Kennedy (1961–1963) — C-

12.) Woodrow Wilson (1913–1921) — F

12.) Franklin D. Roosevelt (1933–1945) — F

12.) Lyndon B. Johnson (1963–1969) — F

12.) Jimmy Carter (1977–1981) — F

12.) Bill Clinton (1993–2001) — F

12.) Barack Obama (2009–present) — provisional F

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Jamie Weinstein