# The Best President
#politics

It's unclear who the *worst* U.S. president was. While it's tempting to select Donald Trump, that might be a little unfair to the many scumbags who ruled the country before it [[became a democracy in 1965|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_Rights_Act_of_1965]]. We might select George Washington, the slaveowner who played a key role in creating this clusterfuck, or Andrew Jackson, a particularly bloodthirsty genocidaire. In the democratic era, one might point to Richard Nixon or Ronald Reagan, the pioneers of Trumpian politics; to George W. Bush or Barack Obama, who built up the power of the executive branch that he wields; or to Joe Biden, who squandered the last opportunity to bring us back from the brink.

But it is very clear who the *best* U.S. president was: William Henry Harrison. He had the decency to die after only 31 days in office. That makes him — if my math is correct — 97.9% better than a single-term president, 99% better than a two-termer, and ~100% better than FDR or a third-term Trump. The next best president, James A. Garfield, spent nearly 200 days holding unjust power and had to be deposed by a concerned citizen.

We can only hope we are blessed with more presidents who take after the exceptionally decent Harrison and more concerned citizens willing to deal with the others.

![[Painting of William Henry Harrison, the best president|../img/pres/whh.jpg]]

![[Photo of Leon Czolgosz, a concerned citizen|../img/pres/czolgosz.jpg]]