perfidy

Didn't say that Taft and Grant were great presidents. Just that you shouldn't pick on them. And as my friend Drew says, always be aware of when you're measuring on the "Bad" scale, which is certainly what I was doing with McKinley. You are certainly right about the Taft bloodline thinning, but really, it could hardly have done otherwise. Reports from my sources in Ohio, both Liberal and Conservative, say that the current incarnation of Taft is like number 4 in Multiplicity, a copy of a copy. While Grant's problems in office were serious, he was not coping with the Great War. (In fact, he might have done better with a war.) Greatness is a combination of ability and circumstance - as is the opposite. Grant really didn't have the opportunity to screw up that Wilson did. My mom and I have often had this discussion, so here is my top 5, with a brief indication of why they are there: 

• Washington - Founder of the Country, can't do more than that.
• Lincoln - Savior of the country - would be more important than Washington, except that without Geo., he wouldn't have had a country to save.
• Jefferson - First peaceful transfer of power between opposing parties. And he was a frickin genius.
• FDR - Arguably kept us from going completely south in the depression, and won the big game for us. Stumbled a bit at the end.
• Reagan - Won the cold war and restored American confidence after the whole Vietnam thingie. Plus, ended ridiculous things like price controls.

Honorable Mentions:

• Truman - start of the cold war, Korea
• Coolidge - 'cause he's really, really cool.
• TR - same

My list of most important would be subtly different. My bottom five, from worst to least worst, is:

• Wilson
• Nixon
• Buchanan or LBJ
• Hoover
• Clinton

I am judging by damage they did the country, rather than mere ineffectualism, incompetence, or corruption. Many presidents would score high on that basis. Added Bonus: Top Five Greatest American Generals

• Sherman
• Stonewall Jackson
• Patton
• Lee
• Andy Jackson or Nathan Bedford Forest - it's a toss up.