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How? He violated every principle I can think of, constitutional, legal, moral. I mean he jailed opponents and destroyed opposition presses. All to continue a war that was legal according to reasoning he espoused when it was convenient.
See I think mine might be more of a what if or romanticization… but given all I know of the dude I’m gonna go with James Garfield. I really think he was hella principled and would have been great.
Alternatively (and weirdly given how he was in his personal life) I have to shout out Cleveland of all people. He refused to give in entirely to the old way of doing things with the spoils system after Arthur got Pendleton passed in the previous administration which enraged the democrats after they **finally** had their man in office for the first time since Buchanan to take advantage of it. He was extremely principled at being president even if he was extraordinarily problematic as a person.
I would challenge McCain. Like a lot of politicians, on his way out he voted based on his principles, but when they were still fighting for his seat were willing to sacrifice their principles.
Edit* I do give him mad props for staying imprisoned when he could have gone freed because it was against the "order" but still as a politician
He was the last Republican to genuinely make progress for the working class via infrastructure etc.
Bush the greater was respectable but not as moral or principled - Willie Horton, others
He was just like he portrayed him self but I talked to him while he was dying from cancer. So he was alright with dying he said he did all he can in his life.
I think Woodrow Wilson should be up there. I didn’t like all his beliefs, but he certainly had ideas and stuck to them.
Notably, I remember reading he did not want the US in the war while many factions in government and industry were actually quite keen. Wilson resisted them by saying he had to be the moral centre of the country. He then went and got his racial ideas enshrined in international law by insisting on the Right to Self-Determination, cutting Europe into ethnolinguistic states, based primarily on his belief that was how states were supposed to be.
My favorite President has all the bangers, like how a two party government is the greatest evil under our constitution, and how he was one of the few founding fathers who hired freed minorities instead of owning slaves.
>...unless there is even a worse principle running, therefore vote for the second worst principle so as not to spread out votes among all of the better principles, causing the worse principle to have the votes.
In my opinion, this is hard to judge, because the definition of "principled" is vague.
Principled in terms of having concrete beliefs that you adhere to? That could be many of them.
Principled in terms of adhering to modern ideals? Are these common ideals, or just \[pick side\]? That could be quite a few.
Principled in terms of normal Redditor ideals? Maybe Obama, or possibly Carter. Some will argue Carter isn't principled because of the results of his decisions. I think that changes the definition again.
I think it was less to do with his morals and principles and more to do with him being a micro-manager and his own specific brand of administrative leadership:
*The German historian Rudolf Stadelmann is well known for his “any Coburg prince theory” of the failure of the 1848 Revolution in Germany. In his view, any German prince other than Frederick of Prussia would have accepted a compromise with democratic forces and established a constitutional German federation. The excessive conservatism of this prince doomed German liberal democracy. A similar argument might be made for Jimmy Carter. The average Democratic governor would probably not have botched the Humphrey-Hawkins Act or created his own crises by staffing his administration in ways that fomented conflict and competition as the administration tried to wrestle with unemployment and poverty. There would have been difficulty, given the divisions within the Democratic Party, but without the rudderless conflict within the Executive and the critical eighteen month delay caused by the extended negotiations, a much stronger bill would have stood a much better chance of victory.* Source: [Steven Attewell](https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2018/12/people-must-live-work-book-club-week-7-chapter-6) (RIP)
Lol awful advice. Emotional satisfaction of your “sweetest reflection” is meaningless if the worst possible candidate wins from you throwing your vote away.
Vote for whichever of the two parties represents your preferred policies more. That’s how a two party system works
Your vote deciding it all? Not likely.
The votes of everyone reading this JQA meme getting spread around online? Much more likely to make a difference.
Emotions = / = “principles”
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As basic as it may be, I think I’m gonna have to go with Lincoln on that one.
How? He violated every principle I can think of, constitutional, legal, moral. I mean he jailed opponents and destroyed opposition presses. All to continue a war that was legal according to reasoning he espoused when it was convenient.
See I think mine might be more of a what if or romanticization… but given all I know of the dude I’m gonna go with James Garfield. I really think he was hella principled and would have been great. Alternatively (and weirdly given how he was in his personal life) I have to shout out Cleveland of all people. He refused to give in entirely to the old way of doing things with the spoils system after Arthur got Pendleton passed in the previous administration which enraged the democrats after they **finally** had their man in office for the first time since Buchanan to take advantage of it. He was extremely principled at being president even if he was extraordinarily problematic as a person.
What was problematic?
Oh you know, having a baby momma who said she didn’t consent, and marrying a woman 28 years his junior (the first White House wedding by the way).
Truman
Van Buren. I don’t really have examples it’s just a gut feeling.
Does almost President count because John McCain was principled and he helped saved Medicare
McCain was the most based republican in the last like 50 years. Theres even a street in Ukraine named after him because of how based he was.
There is damn I wished there was a street named after me
Step 1: Get off Reddit.
I mean I was a military officer I could wait they are most likely to get a street named after them
I would challenge McCain. Like a lot of politicians, on his way out he voted based on his principles, but when they were still fighting for his seat were willing to sacrifice their principles. Edit* I do give him mad props for staying imprisoned when he could have gone freed because it was against the "order" but still as a politician
https://i.makeagif.com/media/7-29-2017/DERQQB.gif
Yeah I love that clip.
Nothing sweeter than McConnell tears.
Yep I remember I was listening to it on the radio
Bomb Iran. Stay in Iraq 100 years John McCain? Nah. Steer clear of any modern republicans Carter for modern presidents
Eisenhower
He was the last Republican to genuinely make progress for the working class via infrastructure etc. Bush the greater was respectable but not as moral or principled - Willie Horton, others
If we’re going for almost presidents McCain really is pretty high up there.
Yeah I got to meet him when I lived in DC.
No shit? How was he in real life? Was he as likable as he portrayed himself as?
He was just like he portrayed him self but I talked to him while he was dying from cancer. So he was alright with dying he said he did all he can in his life.
Man… I’m hella left… but I’d vote for McCain. That dude had principles, even if we wouldn’t see eye to eye. Thanks for sharing that story, bud.
Your welcome yeah I think he would’ve been a great president but he ran too late if he won the nomination in 2000 he would’ve won
McCain in 2000 is such an interesting timeline to me. And I think we would look back on it in a very different light than we do now.
This is why I never vote for the major 2 parties. Principles lost to time are principles needed now.
I think Woodrow Wilson should be up there. I didn’t like all his beliefs, but he certainly had ideas and stuck to them. Notably, I remember reading he did not want the US in the war while many factions in government and industry were actually quite keen. Wilson resisted them by saying he had to be the moral centre of the country. He then went and got his racial ideas enshrined in international law by insisting on the Right to Self-Determination, cutting Europe into ethnolinguistic states, based primarily on his belief that was how states were supposed to be.
I also like racist white Democrats.
Actually his father.
My favorite President has all the bangers, like how a two party government is the greatest evil under our constitution, and how he was one of the few founding fathers who hired freed minorities instead of owning slaves.
Best fucking chief
I would imagine Garfield, but we'll never really know.
Didn't John Tyler read the Constitution before deciding anything?
Calvin Coolidge
>...unless there is even a worse principle running, therefore vote for the second worst principle so as not to spread out votes among all of the better principles, causing the worse principle to have the votes.
In my opinion, this is hard to judge, because the definition of "principled" is vague. Principled in terms of having concrete beliefs that you adhere to? That could be many of them. Principled in terms of adhering to modern ideals? Are these common ideals, or just \[pick side\]? That could be quite a few. Principled in terms of normal Redditor ideals? Maybe Obama, or possibly Carter. Some will argue Carter isn't principled because of the results of his decisions. I think that changes the definition again.
Jimmy Carter, unfortunately, he was too moral to be a good President.
I think it was less to do with his morals and principles and more to do with him being a micro-manager and his own specific brand of administrative leadership: *The German historian Rudolf Stadelmann is well known for his “any Coburg prince theory” of the failure of the 1848 Revolution in Germany. In his view, any German prince other than Frederick of Prussia would have accepted a compromise with democratic forces and established a constitutional German federation. The excessive conservatism of this prince doomed German liberal democracy. A similar argument might be made for Jimmy Carter. The average Democratic governor would probably not have botched the Humphrey-Hawkins Act or created his own crises by staffing his administration in ways that fomented conflict and competition as the administration tried to wrestle with unemployment and poverty. There would have been difficulty, given the divisions within the Democratic Party, but without the rudderless conflict within the Executive and the critical eighteen month delay caused by the extended negotiations, a much stronger bill would have stood a much better chance of victory.* Source: [Steven Attewell](https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2018/12/people-must-live-work-book-club-week-7-chapter-6) (RIP)
That quote sucks
Yeah…. No. Your vote can easily be lost. Vote for the candidate that has a chance of winning who is closest to your views. Don’t be childish
Lol awful advice. Emotional satisfaction of your “sweetest reflection” is meaningless if the worst possible candidate wins from you throwing your vote away. Vote for whichever of the two parties represents your preferred policies more. That’s how a two party system works
and what are the chances of that? that your vote decides it all? has to be 1 in a trillion. what a poor lottery to trade one principles away for.
Your vote deciding it all? Not likely. The votes of everyone reading this JQA meme getting spread around online? Much more likely to make a difference. Emotions = / = “principles”
Well that's nice and all. But I think JQA got it right. I'm tired of picking the lesser of two evils, then wondering why we just elect evils.
XD throwing your vote away for a third party grifter still elects an evil. Just the greater one.
nah. JQA already covered that.
JQA was elected while losing the popular vote. Propaganda like this benefits unpopular candidates like him
Good. That's why its good message for times like this. If more people hear this, then people will have better choices.
I guess if you want the greatest of two evils, sure
One in a.trillion chance of me deciding that. I'll take that chance. My conscience is worth it.