When Barack Obama announced he was running for president in 2008, the odds were not in his favor. As a two-term senator, he lacked experience. His first name rhymed with "Iraq," his middle name was "Hussein," and his last name was one letter away from "Osama." Also, he was black, and the previous 43 presidents were whiter than a Coldplay concert.
However, Obama won people over with his passionate speeches. As president, he accomplished a lot, despite being stuck with a childish, obstructionist Congress. He rescued the country from the Great Recession, signed the Affordable Health Care Act (aka "Obamacare"), ended the War in Iraq and ordered the killing of Osama Bin Laden. People liked his personality too. I mean, he invited Beyoncé and Jay-Z to the White House. How cool is that?
Maybe this explains why most Americans believe Barack Obama is the best or second best president of their lifetime. The Pew Research Center surveyed 2,000 adults, asking them which president during their lifetime did the best job. They also asked them to list a choice for second place. 44% of Americans said "yes we can," voting for kitesurfing hoper Barack Obama.
The following two spots were a dead heat between Monica Lewinsky dress ruiner Bill Clinton and Bedtime For Bonzo star Ronald Reagan. Clinton snagged the second spot, with 33% of the vote, while 32% of people believed Reagan was the most best president. Blathering blimp baby Donald Trump took the fourth spot, with 19% of the vote.
Expert shoe-dodger George W. Bush took the fifth spot, with 14% of the vote. Meanwhile 12% of people believed Marilyn Monroe enthusiast John F. Kennedy was the most successful prez. Man who vomited on the Prime Minister of Japan's lap, George H.W. Bush, received 10% of the vote, and "a thousand points of light."
In sad, single-digit world, 4% of Americans said immortal peanut farmer Jimmy Carter was their favorite. 2% of participants voted for "I like Ike" sloganeer Dwight Eisenhower. And rounding up 1% of the vote? Gerald Ford, Richard Nixon, Lyndon Johnson, Harry Truman, and FDR. That's right, there are still people alive who voted for FDR. Now get off their lawn!
Of course, youth plays a factor in the voting. Millennials, the generation between ages 22 and 37, overwhelmingly voted for Obama. 62% of them believe he is either number one or number two, and nearly half (49%) think he is the G.O.A.T. Meanwhile, older generations are much more likely to name Ronald Reagan, and have no idea what G.O.A.T. means.
The last time the Pew Research Center conducted this survey was 2011. If you compare this poll to the previous one, a couple things stand out. In the last seven years, Obama's popularity has doubled, while Clinton's popularity has fallen by 15%. Presumably that's because of negative publicity from Hillary's failed presidential campaign. Or maybe it's because in a post-#MeToo world, Bill's salacious scandals are hard to ignore.
Congrats, Barry! Now tweet this article to The Donald. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to know he came in fourth.