Best president here

My favorite is Washington.

Lincoln, Wilson, Truman, and GW Bush got us into wars that would have been better avoided.  FDR got us into a huge war, and via diplomacy seems to have played a role in getting Europe to go to war in 1939, but that flaw is partly mitigated by the behavior of our enemies, which came as close to pure evil as we have seen in modern times.

Truman got us into a mess in Korea that persists to this day, with no exit strategy.  GW Bush did the same.  Those two hold the record for lowest approvals in Gallup polling, although GW Bush also holds the record for highest approvals.

Lincoln "saved the Union".  Is that truly a great achievement?  If Britain had prevailed in the American Revolution, we'd be praising King George for saving the union.  Saving a union only means a revolution was defeated.  If states strongly prefer to leave the union, so strongly that they would fight a war over it, why force them to stay?  Where in the Constitution does it say states that freely enter the union can never leave?  And yes, freeing the slaves was a very good thing, but it eventually would have happened anyway, and I am unsure that freeing them (into harsh poverty of the time) years earlier than a peaceful solution would have was worth hundreds of thousands of casualties.  Until I can decide that, I am unsure where to rank Lincoln.  And yes, I realize he did not actually start the war.

If I'm judging in terms of policies, legislation, and overall service legacy to The United States, I'd have to say FDR, Lincoln, and Kennedy.

If we're talking sheer personality, I admit I have a massive soft-spot for Teddy Roosevelt. I know he could be one obnoxious, attention-stealing sumbitch, but I don't think I've ever enjoyed learning about a president as much as I enjoyed learning about him. The only time I've ever had to pause for a moment while reading about a president, because I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. I found myself wishing ALL presidents could be that entertaining.

I also just love the fact he was told he couldn't possibly amount to much because of his life-threatening asthma and generally sickly health as a child, but he was like "IDGAF" about it. He didn't want that holding him back, so he pushed himself to his physical limits and beyond in order to beat it. Not because he was TOLD to push himself, but because he was JUST that stubborn and self-possessed. When his beloved first wife and beloved mother died on the same day, he took off for the West to work through his grief and again, pushed his physical limits to get down and dirty with real cowboys, more than willing to do the grunt work and make a fool out of himself until he was accepted by the real-deal ranchers and ropers (who thought he was a joke of a prissy, privileged Easterner, with his expensive knives and other ridiculously fancy-pants gear).

Most presidential narratives are so lofty-sounding and dry, putting these men up on huge pedestals all the time. With Teddy, the narrative was more like "This guy was basically a loudmouth jackass, but he did some great things". He got friggin' SHOT before he was supposed to give a speech, and yet again, DGAF. Made sure his lungs weren't punctured, and the obstinate windbag went right on ahead with his speech, totally milking that moment for all it was worth in his favor. He created the National Parks and Monuments, told his secret service protection to shove-off in the middle of a giant forest because he wanted to hang with John Muir on his own time. I think he has the best collection of quotes of any president:

"The Badlands [of North Dakota] look like Poe sounds"
"Speak softly, and carry a big stick; you will go far"
"[McKinley] has no more backbone than a chocolate eclair"

How can anyone NOT love that guy?