Presidential Diss List

   Scholars and pundits will soon -- if they haven't already -- start  selecting candidates for the bottom slot in presidential rankings.
   James Buchanan has held that position as the worst American president ever, according to some historians. Others in the running -- or stumbling -- are John Tyler, Millard Filmore, Andrew Johnson, Franklin Pierce, and Warren G. Harding (no relation to this writer, who wouldn't admit it anyway).
   Now the issue is whether Donald Trump will edge out James Buchanan for the honor of holding last place on the diss list.
   Certainly political affiliation will affect the judgement of many folk in considering where to put the Donald in historical perspective. Some will immediately name Barack Obama as the worst president in American history. Others will insist that a president's competence in leading the country during wartime or during an economic recovery are important factors.
   The corollary to that is whether a president held office when the nation entered a war, or began an economic slide. The hard part would be to discount personal popularity as a deciding factor.
   James Buchanan, for example, has been ranked last because of his supposed ineptness that may have helped precipitate the Civil War. Warren G. Harding occupied the Oval Office while his cohorts indulged themselves in the Teapot Dome scandal. And Herbert Hoover is often blamed for the economic collapse of the Great Depression that began just as he was finishing his term in office.
   The list of "best presidents" gathered among historians includes such names as Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and Franklin D. Roosevelt at the top, along with Harry S. Truman, Woodrow Wilson, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt.
   So after fewer than 100 days in office and a resounding defeat of his first major legislative effort, the attempt to repeal and replace the Affordable Health Care Act, also known as Obamacare, Donald Trump is already being considered for a ranking among the worst presidents America has ever seen.
   It's really too early to tell, since his accomplishments have yet to be listed, and his list of failures has only one item -- health care reform -- on it.
   But other presidents have achieved a high rank during prosperous times and a low rating when the nation struggled. If America prospers over the next few years, Trump may get the credit. If not, he will get the blame. Given past behavior, he will claim the first, but assign the second to others.
   Who's on your diss list? Comments welcome.