Ranking presidents is like ranking restaurants: it depends on what you are looking for. It is easy to know who is the fastest runner, but much more difficult to judge presidents.
Andrew Jackson was the only one to leave office with a budget surplus, but he did this by illegally driving the Seven Civilized Tribes off their land and selling that land for $1.25 an acre, mostly for plantations.
Polk was the only one to deal with all the promises he made. He fulfilled them all, except for the border with British Columbia, which is not 54°40'. His slogan was "54°40' or Fight". He wisely chose not to fight England.
I am related by blood to Taylor, Tyler and Carter. My father was an usher at the Republican National Convention that chose Hoover. He felt betrayed by Hoover all his life. My favorites are FDR and LBJ. Juniorbush is by far the very, very worst. The WMD's they found were not in any deployable condition and were no threat. The stupid war he mongered will probably go on for the next 20 years, maybe more.
