The issue of Crisis Management is a crucial one in judging Presidential leadership, as what matters more than that in judging a President, or a governor of a state or a mayor of a city, all executive positions where the population depends on the abilities, skills, compassion, and empathy of such leaders.
So on that factor alone, Donald Trump is insured of being ranked the worst President ever, as he totally has failed in the present CoronaVirus Crisis, which may end up considered the greatest crisis since the Great Depression, World War II, and the Civil War!
Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan were unable to handle the issue of division between the North and the South over slavery in the 1850s, helping to lead to the Civil War.
Ulysses S. Grant and Warren G. Harding were totally incompetent in dealing with the issue of political corruption in the 1870s and the early 1920s.
Herbert Hoover was unable to resolve the crisis of the Great Depression in the early 1930s, as economic conditions worsened every month.
Andrew Johnson in the 1860s, Richard Nixon in the 1970s, and George W. Bush in the 2000s presided over governments that were highly inept and corrupt in so many ways.
But Donald Trump has been horrendous in all these way—inability to unite the nation in a crisis as with Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan; personally engaged in corruption in a wider way than Ulysses S. Grant, Warren G. Harding, and Richard Nixon; disastrous policies on so many issues as with George W. Bush; and total ineptitude in a difficult time in national life, as with Andrew Johnson and Herbert Hoover.
So Trump, without any debate possible, will rank as the absolute worst President we have ever seen in American history! Let us hope that the nation will overcome the CoronaVirus epidemic in decent shape, without too much loss of life, and that no foreign foe takes advantage of our weaknesses to present a threat on the scale of September 11. 2001 or December 7, 1941!
i am far less concerned about some “foreign foe taking advantage of our weakness with another Pearl Harbor or “Second Pearl Harbor” [as the boyz at PNAC called 9/11], than i am about a declaration of martial law and implementation of full police state power.
The common thing that stupid the Trumpies in our neck of the woods are saying is that it is over-hyped.
Absolutely right, Professor! Trump is horrendous!
Unlike the stupid Trumpanzees, I’d much rather be safe than sorry.
Trump declared a national emergency yet continues to downplay the coronavirus threat.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/3/13/21179068/trump-coronavirus-speech-covid-19-pandemic
Speaking of “martial law” and “police state power”, far right QAnon nuts see Tom Hanks’ coronavirus diagnosis as sure sign of looming mass arrests.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2020/3/13/1927113/-Far-right-QAnon-nutcases-see-Tom-Hanks-coronavirus-diagnosis-as-sure-sign-of-looming-mass-arrests
Right-Wing Media’s Coronavirus Response: Sycophancy, Racism And Misinformation
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/coronavirus-right-wing-media-trump_n_5e6bba7ac5b6dda30fc86d6c
Currently watching Rachel Maddow. She’s reporting about the many countries around the world, basically going on lockdown. Large crowds banned, schools closing, businesses closing. This is one of the worst things I’ve ever experience in my lifetime.
Southern Liberal, in the sense of effect on the masses, nothing in our history in modern times is equal to this tragedy! September 11 and various hurricanes are minor compared to this!
With this new pandemic, people have been renting outbreak movies.
https://www.vulture.com/2020/03/contagion-coronavirus-pandemic-fiction.html
Sorry, Doc; but i have a very hard time accepting that a Professor of History would declare that “nothing in our history in modern times is equal to this tragedy!”
i find it hard to believe that You have forgotten World War II, Cold War I, and , particularly, The Forever War. A mere 3000 were killed on 9/11; how many have been killed or wish they had been, since?.
i guess You could get away with that If You limit Yourself to comparing COVID-19 just to 9/11, Katrina, and so forth.
But isn’t that taking a somewhat constipated view of “History”?
Jeff, I meant in the lifetime of most Americans, which is since World War II, and I did mention the Great Depression. But to clarify the situation, I have amended the article to include World War II!
House has passed the coronavirus relief bill.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/13/politics/coronavirus-relief-congress/index.html
Trump Is Running a Pandemic Response Like a Business, With Disastrous Results
He thinks coronavirus is only a PR problem.
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2020/03/14/trump-is-trying-to-run-a-pandemic-response-like-a-business-with-disastrous-results/
One of our local meteorologists is posting about the coronavirus on his Facebook page. He’s appalled about the things people are posting on social media, showing they aren’t taking it seriously.
France to close all restaurants, cafes, cinemas and clubs due to coronavirus.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/14/world/france-coronavirus-measures/index.html
CDC is recommending school closures for 8 weeks or more. I guess these kids will be making up school on Saturdays or during the summer.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/14/us/school-closures-cdc-long-term-trnd/index.html
A new study shows that infected people without symptoms might be driving the spread of coronavirus more than we realized.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/14/health/coronavirus-asymptomatic-spread/index.html
Health experts are saying the peak may be between April and August.
https://www.wfmynews2.com/article/news/local/2-wants-to-know/worst-of-coronavirus-peak/83-b24f9aa2-73f6-4a59-a106-f0f4ab52e403
The European travel ban may be extended to Ireland and the UK. We may also have a domestic travel ban in our country.
Grocery store chains are changing hours so that they can work on sanitizing and restocking products.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/14/business/publix-giant-harris-teeter-hours-closing-early/index.html