Which President had the most challenging term of office?

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 13:11:13 -0400

Take a look back at the short history of the U.S. Out of all of our nations leaders, who do you think had to deal with the most challenging set of issues and how did they do? What challenges did they deal with and why do they stand out to you? I left the question intentionally broad to see what everyone considers the most relevant issues directly effected by federal policy.

Note: The question is about any President... not just the ones in the photo.

Response by 1SG David Niles made Jun 14 at 2014 1:19 PM

1SG David Niles — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 13:19:47 -0400

Washington and Lincoln. Washington, becouse he had to continue to form this nation. Lincoln, because he had to keep this nation, one nation, under God, indivisable, with liberty and justice for all.

Response by PO2 Rocky Kleeger made Jun 14 at 2014 2:06 PM

PO2 Rocky Kleeger — Sat, 14 Jun 2014 14:06:26 -0400

I don't know why anyone would want the job. Every president we've had this last half century has been in trouble. Kennedy had the Bay of Pigs, Johnson had Viet Nam, Nixon had Watergate, Ford had trouble standing, Carter had the hostages, Reagan had the Iran/Contra Affair, Bush #1 had Desert Storm, Clinton had trouble keeping it his his pants, Bush #2 had more than I can type here without getting Carpal Tunnel, and the same goes for the current brain surgeon we have....

That being said, in no particular order: FDR, Lincoln, Hoover (but he made things worse - look up Hoovervilles), Washington (only because he had to set the tone for how presidents do), Reagan, Truman

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 16 at 2014 9:25 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 21:25:16 -0400

I think that every president has had his struggles that he has had to overcome. That is part of being the president. Most of these problems most people don't even know about. That being said, I believe that Lincoln was our Commander in Chief during the most challenging time in our nation's history. Keeping the United States as ONE nation during a time in which we were at war with ourselves must have been difficult and to overcome that strife is an impressive feat.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 16 at 2014 10:10 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 22:10:38 -0400

Lincoln.......hands down. Second would be FDR...pulling this country out of a depression...then sending it into War.

Response by TSgt Scott Hurley made Jun 16 at 2014 10:54 PM

TSgt Scott Hurley — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 22:54:23 -0400

Many of our Presidents had many challenges. To pick just one or a few can be challenging. So here are my picks:

1. George Washington: Making sure we became a country and was put to his first test with the Whiskey Rebellion.

2. Abraham Lincoln: Keeping this country together during the Civil War

3. Herbert Hoover: Dealing with the aftermath of the Stock Market crash and the onset of the Great Depression. Some have said if he was elected president after the crash we might have seen better results.

4. FDR: Even though he did not get us our the Depression, his policies exasperated it, by prolonging it until we entered WWII. And overseeing our involvement in WWII.

5. Harry Trueman: Making the decision to us the A-Bomb. And the very first trial of the the United Nations with the War in Korea.

6. JFK: Bay of Pigs fiasco, and the Cuban Missile Crisis

7. LBJ: Vietnam! Enough said

8. Jimmy Carter: The Iran Hostages

9. Ronald Reagan: Iran Contra

10. Elder Bush: The first Gulf War

11. Bill Clinton: Somalia, Kosovo, and a few other things that we probably forgot except him not keeping it in his pants

12. Junior Bush: 9/11, Afghanistan, Iraq

13. Obama: Well, lets just say there is enough with him to right a book.

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Jun 17 at 2014 8:55 AM

SGT Ben Keen — Tue, 17 Jun 2014 08:55:13 -0400

I don't really think you can pin point just one President having "the most challenging term". They each faced issues based on the time in which they served.

Think about it, George Washington served when this country was just a baby; trying to find it's place and figure things out. Lincoln served when this country was torn in two by the question of individual freedoms. Franklin D Roosevelt took this country in the second World War. John F Kennedy led us through the Cuban Missile Crisis. Lyndon B Johnson was behind the desk during the Vietnam War. Ronald Regan was there during the transition from our long standing Cold War with Russia. George W Bush of course was in command of the country when we suffered our largest attack by terrorist on our own soil and Barack Obama took office while we were in the deepest recession our country has seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Each of these men faced numerous challenges. There is no way to say which one of them would have handled any of the other's situations differently. Putting aside your political views, all you can do is just look at the person currently in the office and hope they are capable of handling whatever might come their way.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 8 at 2014 9:03 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 21:03:34 -0400

He/She hasn't been elected yet.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 2 at 2014 1:58 AM

PO1 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 01:58:18 -0400

Lincoln because we could very well be two different, and two weaker countries right now. Also Kennedy. I don't think people realize just how close we came to nuclear war with Khrushchev's Soviet Union.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Aug 16 at 2014 6:58 AM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 06:58:12 -0400

George Washington, because he set the standard for what a US President should be.

Lincoln, because he literally had to save our nation.

Ford - how do you follow an act like Nixon and restore trust in the office again?

Whoever gets elected next - "How do you solve a problem like Obama"

Response by CW2 Jonathan Kantor made Aug 16 at 2014 8:18 AM

CW2 Jonathan Kantor — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 08:18:37 -0400

Abraham Lincoln. The country tore itself apart. Given the span of American history, no President had a tougher time in office than him. There really is no other contender who comes close.

Response by Sgt Packy Flickinger made Aug 24 at 2014 7:00 AM

Sgt Packy Flickinger — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 07:00:51 -0400

Obama, most definately. I mean Bush left him with EVERYTHING in the whole world screwed up (and still IS). He has to find out everything from the media because nobody tells him anything. The darned racist conservatives won't let him do anything he wants. And lets not forget all those lonely golf courses that keep beckoning.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 21 at 2014 9:12 PM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 21:12:19 -0500

It's hard to say. I think we can definitely narrow it down to a few. I would have to say Lincoln, FDR, and Kennedy stand out for me.
Lincoln I would say because having your nation split in half from the moment you step into office would be quite stressful to say the least. Never-mind the Civil War during the entirety of your Presidency (granted he couldn't have predicted his assassination)
FDR because of the extremity of the situations he had to deal with during his Presidency. Both a Great Depression and a World War would be incredibly hard to deal with which would explain why he died of a stroke during his fourth term in office.
Kennedy I had to say because I feel that there was a lot that he had to deal with that we may never know of. Then throw in the Cuban Missile Crisis, Vietnam, the Civil Rights Movement. I maybe forgetting a few things but overall I think you get the idea. Not saying that the other presidents had an easy time but those three men stand out for me.

Response by SPC Kaylee Johnson made Dec 21 at 2014 9:14 PM

SPC Kaylee Johnson — Sun, 21 Dec 2014 21:14:28 -0500

I only can judge since Clinton. As far as I can tell Obama. I don't support everything he does but people suck and aren't supporting him. He's our president and whether we like it or not he needs support.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 17 at 2015 9:53 AM

1SG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 09:53:56 -0500

Abraham Lincoln, without question.
First runner up: Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Second runner up: Barrack Obama
Third runner up: Herbert Hoover

Not all of them rose to the challenge. That is why we need to be vigilant when choosing a President. When we get it wrong, we in the military pay a terrible price.

Response by SPC Christopher Morehouse made Jan 17 at 2015 1:10 PM

SPC Christopher Morehouse — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 13:10:11 -0500

In this picture, or ever? In this Picture I'd say Bush2.0 for sure. Every? I think that honor would of to either Washington or Lincoln.

It is easy to overlook the challenges Washington faced in his 8 years as President, because they are overshadowed by the challenges he faced during the revolution. And Lincoln, well I mean is an explanation even necessary? He had to turn Washington into a fortress. He had to not only deal with a fractured nation and a war on a scale which we had not yet known, but he also had to deal with a series of incompetent military leaders and civilian advisers, and challenges to his strategy and policy from just about everywhere. Then he had to deal with legal challenges to actions he had taken during the war, and questions to the legitimacy of some of his most famous policies (Emancipation for one).

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 17 at 2015 1:52 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 13:52:27 -0500

If it is based on this picture, Carter, the media was not helping him and things in the world that started decades before his time were falling apart. He meant well and wasn't willing to go against his ideals. I do not agree with his ideals but respect his position and the difficult circumstances he had to lead our nation through.

Response by CSM William Payne made Jan 17 at 2015 2:30 PM

CSM William Payne — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 14:30:25 -0500

One only has to look at the progression of Lincoln photographs from 1860 - 1865 and you can see the answer to this question. A man from blue collar beginnings and relatively meager education compared to his fellow presidents, Lincoln led this nation through a war that could have ended up with a divided nation. Despite his education he wrote some of the greatest speeches of any president to include a two minute speech, the Gettysburg Address which may be one of the greatest speeches of all time. He was both the most loved and hated president by the constituents that he served and broke many of our nation's laws in order the save it. It may have cost him a child, the sanity of his wife and ultimately his life. No president sacrificed more before or since.

Response by CPT Zachary Brooks made Jan 17 at 2015 3:30 PM

CPT Zachary Brooks — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 15:30:28 -0500

Lincoln or Truman. Being handed a war without knowing all the details right away would be awful.

Response by Capt Al Parker made Jan 17 at 2015 4:10 PM

Capt Al Parker — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 16:10:42 -0500

Presidents Bush, they had to clean up the mess the Democrats made. By the way the Democratic Party is now the Demonizing American Party.

Response by SPC Richard White made Jan 17 at 2015 6:50 PM

SPC Richard White — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 18:50:11 -0500

Wow, what a question.I would have to say Roosevelt.World War 2 was no walk in the park.

Response by LTC David S. Chang, ChFC®, CLU® made Jan 17 at 2015 7:51 PM

LTC David S. Chang, ChFC®, CLU® — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 19:51:22 -0500

They all had difficult components of their administration. Talking about only those in the picture: Carter had to deal with the aftermath of Watergate, the shah of Iran being overthrown, high gas prices, and huge staglation (inflation with recession).

H. Bush had the Persian Gulf War, the fall of the Soviet Union and Berlin Wall, recession, the exxon valdez (the after effects changed a lot), Tianmen Square, and Panama Invasion.

Clinton had the Waco incident, the Battle of Mogadishu, NAFTA, GOP takes Congress, Oklahoma bombing, gov't shutdown, impeached and investigated for the Lewinsky and improper fundraising, and had embassies bombed.

Bush W. had controversial election, 9-11, Iraq and Afghanistan (the scandals that came with it), the huge financial crisis, patriot act, CIA issues, and Katrina.

Obama has had Obamacare, the financial crisis, mid-term losses, Hurricane Sandy, govt shutdown, debt doubles in term, tax problems, ISIS, Afghanistant and Iraq, Syra, terrorists, still facing more.

I think that all had tough things they had to deal with. Would be difficult to say who had the hardest.

If I had to say one of the ones listed, I would say Bush W. I got to spend a couple of days with him. He said that he wanted to become an education president, but unfortunately was forced to deal with Iraq and Afghanistan instead. Given the information he was given, he made the best possible decision he could, and having to deal with a two front war plus the financial crisis and also huge natural disasters is tough.

Response by CW5 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 17 at 2015 8:59 PM

CW5 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 20:59:46 -0500

Of those pictured, President George W. Bush had to deal with 9/11, which I believe was the toughest national challenge since 1976.

Response by SMSgt Ottis West made Jan 17 at 2015 9:14 PM

SMSgt Ottis West — Sat, 17 Jan 2015 21:14:51 -0500

I believe everyone has made their case for why they believe a certain president faced the most difficult challenges. Personally, President George W. Bush faced the biggest challenge. Getting a nation to feel safe again is a monumental task. 911 shook our perceived invincibility to the core and for the first time I believe as a nation we were scared. One only has to look at the Patriot Act and several other pieces of legislation that stripped us of some our most basic constitutional rights. While personally I believe those actions were necessary and vital to the security of our nation. We have come full circle proving that we feel secure again to the point we are going after those who helped provide that security and the tactics they used. Disgraceful absolutely disgraceful. Absolutely amazing how many members of congress have amnesia when it comes to their briefing about waterboarding.

Response by PO3 Anthony Farhner made Jan 18 at 2015 11:27 AM

PO3 Anthony Farhner — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 11:27:33 -0500

President Carter

Response by CPL Robert Tyler made Jan 18 at 2015 2:23 PM

CPL Robert Tyler — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 14:23:04 -0500

Washington, Lincoln, then GW. Bush!!!

Response by SFC John Rivera made Jan 18 at 2015 7:50 PM

SFC John Rivera — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 19:50:08 -0500

Definitely George Washington. Not n only was his role being established, everything he did was setting a precedent and it was not a given that the nation would endure though his term in office. Every president since has had his example to draw on.

Response by SPC Steven Depuy made Jan 19 at 2015 7:23 AM

SPC Steven Depuy — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 07:23:34 -0500

As an adult, I had Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush H, Clinton, Bush W, and Obama. Over all, I think President Lincoln had the most to deal with as the country was at war and torn apart, in my lifetime, it would be President Kennedy, and in my adult life, President Bush W. Apart from the war of 1812, and the civil war, we were attacked on our own soil. I did not care for some of the things President Bush did, but he faced a lot of very difficult situations as well. He seemed to have a heart for the troops he sent into harms way more than most, that Thanksgiving trip to Iraq was top notch in my book.

Response by SPC James Mcneil made Jan 19 at 2015 2:11 PM

SPC James Mcneil — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 14:11:09 -0500

Each president faces unique challenges. Lincoln faced the secession of many states in the union and the war that ultimately led to our reunification. FDR faced the Great Depression as well as WWII. Bush 2 faced an attack on our soil that could have crippled us.

The president that faced the greatest challenge IMHO was Washington. The birth of a new nation with nobody to follow would have to be the greatest challenge anyone would face.

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 19 at 2015 10:06 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 22:06:22 -0500

SFC(P) Private RallyPoint Member I would argue that they all have challenging terms of office....partly because they inherit what the previous POTUS left for them, partly because they have to handle the unique circumstances of their time, and partly because of all the behind the scenes issues we never hear about. It's a tough job, and the media doesn't make it any easier.

Response by LT Mike Folker made Jan 31 at 2015 10:49 AM

LT Mike Folker — Sat, 31 Jan 2015 10:49:52 -0500

I don't think it's fair to rank Presidents based on "most challenging" term in office. All the Presidents had to deal w/ crises in one form or another: Pres. Cleveland dealt w/ a genuine Depression. The Civil War remains our greatest national calamity, & poor old Pres. Lincoln aged 20 yr in the 4+ he was in office.

The sad tale of LBJ & Vietnam was that we went in, according to those nasty Pentagon Papers, to increase Am. prestige in the face of the Soviets, & that so many WWII admirals & generals, including MacArthur, cautioned from Korea on about engaging in a land war anywhere in Asia.

Response by SFC Francisco Roman made Feb 17 at 2015 10:26 PM

SFC Francisco Roman — Tue, 17 Feb 2015 22:26:49 -0500

Commander in chief:William Clinton

Response by TSgt Thomas Monaghan made Feb 26 at 2015 3:13 PM

TSgt Thomas Monaghan — Thu, 26 Feb 2015 15:13:06 -0500

FDR he had the great depression and WWII

Response by SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. made Apr 1 at 2015 11:47 AM

SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. — Wed, 01 Apr 2015 11:47:04 -0400

Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Took on the Great Depression and WW2!

Response by SSG Mike Angelo made Apr 4 at 2015 9:30 PM

SSG Mike Angelo — Sat, 04 Apr 2015 21:30:57 -0400

President Carter had to deal with European gangs, PLO, Islamic groups, and Israel diplomatic challenges... the 444 day event with Iran and the Western Hostage crisis in 1979 has set the stage for our present global interests and endeavors; global war on terrorism; GWOT
I was stationed in Schweinfurt, Germany at the time and military units were constantly on alert. Many Service members living off the kaserne were moved to the barracks and their dependents were sent home.
Carter did not committ major US military action, although an elite force did attempt a rescue effort.

Response by CW3 Kevin Storm made Sep 24 at 2015 1:14 PM

CW3 Kevin Storm — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 13:14:57 -0400

Lincoln did

Response by SFC Jim Ruether made Mar 16 at 2017 5:12 PM

SFC Jim Ruether — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 17:12:47 -0400

Three way tie in my mind. Presidents Obama (Everything), Clinton (Affairs and Sexual Laisons) and Carter (Arms Trading , Panama Canal, Botched Rescue in the Desert)

Response by SCPO Private RallyPoint Member made Mar 26 at 2017 10:09 PM

SCPO Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 22:09:50 -0400

Of all 44 (prior to our current one) presidents to date, President Lincoln's tenure could not have been more tested and trying. Given more modern times, I suggest that Harry Truman is a worthy candidate. He was a totally nobody when picked by FDR to be his VP in 1944. When FDR died in the waning days of WWII, Truman ascended to the White House with no support from either side of the aisle. And what was his first serious dilemma? To use or not to use the Atomic Bomb. In 1951, he fired MacArthur. Serious oops! Talk about stab yourself in the back! But Harry wrote the book on If You Can't Stand The Heat, Get Out Of The Kitchen.

Response by PO1 Barbara Matthews made Jan 17 at 2018 6:30 AM

PO1 Barbara Matthews — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 06:30:22 -0500

Had to be Lincoln. He was trying to keep the nation intact.