When we completed our Top 10 Worst US Presidents, we knew that we would eventually write a top 10 best presidents; fortunately for us Ro has done us the service of writing it himself. So, following on from our previous list of presidents, here are the ten best. As usual, name your preferences in the comments if you don’t agree.

John F. Kennedy was one charismatic president. He brought many teachers, writers, scientists and different intellectuals into the government. His inaugural speech was one of the modern greats as he called for service to his countrymen. He established the Peace Corps in order to help the undeveloped nations and was very devoted to working hard for new civil rights laws. He wanted to improve his country’s relation with the then Soviet Union but it was to no avail as the all powerful congress thought otherwise. This became further unrealistic when the Russians started to send missiles to Cuba. This brought the two countries to the verge of war but Kennedy was determined to avoid it at all cost and diffused all the tensions brilliantly. He had the power to inspire and considering that he only served as the president for a brief stint of about two years before being assassinated, he achieved a lot.

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In November this year, a vitally important election will take place. The outcome of that election will determine the next Prime Minister of New Zealand. With that in mind, here is a list of 20 pithy political passages! Oh - and the American Election is in November too.

1. “It’s income tax time again, Americans: time to gather up those receipts, get out those tax forms, sharpen up that pencil, and stab yourself in the aorta.” - Dave Barry

2. “We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle” - Winston Churchill [image above]

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Here is a list to get the comments flowing! First of all, this list is not my personal opinion - it is compiled from the average score of each president over 12 surveys - taken between 1948 and 2005. Wikipedia has the complete historical rankings.

10. Calvin Coolidge 1923 - 1929

In 1919, three quarters of the Boston Police Force went on strike. Coolidge (then Governor of Massachusetts) had observed the situation throughout the conflict, but had not yet intervened. Furious that the mayor had called out state guard units, he finally acted. He called up more units of the National Guard, restored Police Commissioner Curtis to office, and took personal control of the police force. Curtis proclaimed that none of the strikers would be allowed back to their former jobs, and Coolidge issued calls for a new police force to be recruited. Many people criticized Coolidge as part of a general criticism of laissez-faire government. His reputation underwent a renaissance during the Reagan administration, but the ultimate assessment of his presidency is still divided between those who approve of his reduction of the size of government and those who believe the federal government should be more involved in regulating the economy.

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The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom and the leader of the executive branch of government. The Prime Minister is a Member of Parliament, and in his executive capacity, is accountable to Parliament. The post is generally acknowledged to have begun with Sir Robert Walpole on 4th April 1721 when he obtained the post of First Lord of the Treasury. The incumbent Prime Minister is Gordon Brown, who took over from Tony Blair on 27th June 2007.

10. Edward Heath Wikipedia

Edward Heath was Prime Minister from 19th June 1970-4th March 1974. His time was difficult, particularly with domestic problems in Northern Ireland and tremendous industrial unrest. One of his great triumphs was the 1973 Sunningdale Agreement, which while short-lived, was the first real attempt by a Prime Minister to put a stop to ‘The Troubles’ in Northern Ireland. However, what Heath is most remembered for is bringing the UK into the European Economic Community. He called an early election and after inconclusive results he resigned.

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The Nobel Peace Prize was created by Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite. Nobel asked that the prize be awarded “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”. This, unfortunately, has not always been the case. Here are the ten most controversial recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize:

10. Jimmy Carter

Jimmy Carter’s 2002 Nobel Peace Prize—awarded for the “decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development”—had from the start wrought controversy that was exacerbated further by politically-tinted statements offered by the chairman of the Nobel Peace Prize committee (seconded and affirmed by Gunnar Staalsett, another member of the 5-member, secretive Nobel Committee).

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