Americans Rate Ronald Reagan as Best President since WWII, George W. Bush as Worst

Romney? Santorum? Gingrich? Republicans may be deeply divided over who should be their party’s presidential nominee, but there is little doubt who they rate as the best president since World War II.

One quarter of Americans (25%) rate Ronald Reagan as the best president in a new Harris Poll, with over half the Republicans surveyed (55%) also picking Reagan. George W. Bush was rated as the worst president by 27 percent, while 22 percent say Barack Obama is the worst.

Harris surveyed 2,106 adults online about their presidential preferences as the nation prepares to celebrate President’s Day.

Who was the best president since World War Two?

25% Ronald Reagan
19% Franklin Roosevelt
15% John Kennedy
12% Bill Clinton
4% Dwight Eisenhower

Who was the worst president since World War Two?

27% George W. Bush
22% Barack Obama
12% Richard Nixon
5% Bill Clinton
5% Jimmy Carter

Americans remain divided over the presidency of Bill Clinton, who made the top 5 in both the best and worst. But Clinton can take comfort in the fact that his reputation is improving. In 2008, 17 percent of Americans rated Clinton as the worst president. Only 5% feel that way now. Clinton also made the top 5 in the list of best presidents of all time.

Who was the best president in our history?

32% Abraham Lincoln
26% Ronald Reagan
21% George Washington
21% John Kennedy
19% Bill Clinton

Historians often say a president is best judged in the years after he has left office. Decisions made while sitting in the Oval Office may be popular or unpopular at the time; but as time passes, the wisdom of those choices become clearer.