"10 years in the House. 11 in the Senate. 4 years as US Ambassador. 4 as Secretary of State."

[Bicoastal]

"And 4 years President of the United States of America.

When an emergency letter from Richmond comes to the White House at 3:00 in the morning, who do you trust to pick up the quill?

An unknown golden-tongued trial lawyer from Illinois, who's only served in Congress for one 2-year term?

Or James Buchanan, a man with 40 proud years of service to his country under his belt?

SAY NO TO LINCOLN. RE-ELECT JAMES BUCHANAN IN 1860.

In a difficult time, the experience we need."

"I'm James Buchanan, and I approve this lithograph."

[ingac70]

1. k&r.

[dsc]

2. If you are going to use historical examples try reading history first

Buchanan didn't run for reelection.

[Bicoastal]

3. If he had today's media, he could have.

Seeing as how experience seems to be so important as a selling point now.

[liberalnurse]

19. I believe he was the first Gay President as well.

That's what I heard.

http://www.planetout.com/news/history/archive/whitehouse.html

[Smarmie Doofus]

54. With Honest Abe as the second, most likely.

Same link.

[NMMatt]

6. But the comparison is spot on

Judgement is much more important than experience. In the lead up to the civil war, Lincoln stood on principle and showed the judgement that was far superior to those more experienced, such as Buchanan who kept trying to impose the same unworkable solutions concerning slavery and the disintegrating union from the past 20 years.

[Radical Activist]

7. This was a better way to make the point since

Buchanan was one of the worst Presidents in history. THE worst in my opinion.

[maxsolomon]

10. compare & contrast:

buchanan & bush.

seriously, i'm interested in how you could be WORSE than bush.

[Radical Activist]

16. Buchanan

allowed the federal arsenal to be sent to the South knowing a war was impending. Otherwise the South would have had almost no arsenal and could not have carried out the civil war. Bush has done some horrible things but at least he didn't help arm Iraq and Al-Qaeda a few months before war started...his Dad did that a decade earlier.

Buchanan used prejudice against Mormons to start a phony war as a diversion from slavery. That's on par with Bush.

He did nothing as Southern states started to secede. Nothing at all and even made the situation worse for Lincoln.
Its a close call but I think Buchanan's actions were even more incompetent and probably cost more American lives.

[jgraz]

22. Huh?

"allowed the federal arsenal to be sent to the South knowing a war was impending. Otherwise the South would have had almost no arsenal and could not have carried out the civil war. Bush has done some horrible things but at least he didn't help arm Iraq and Al-Qaeda a few months before war started...his Dad did that a decade earlier."

You've heard of the Al Caca weapons depot, right?

"allowed the federal arsenal to be sent to the South knowing a war was impending. Otherwise the South would have had almost no arsenal and could not have carried out the civil war. Bush has done some horrible things but at least he didn't help arm Iraq and Al-Qaeda a few months before war started...his Dad did that a decade earlier. "

Buchanan may compete with Bush on incompetence, but he's not even in the ballpark on evil.

[daveskilt]

71. buchanan allowed the extermination order in missouri to stand

As the previous poster pointed out the Utah war (which incidently was against people in a territory in Mexico at that time) was one of buchanan's fun times - killing people in a religious group who had left the US to avoid the conflict as a distraction from his other woes.

The extermination order made legal the summary execution of anyone in missouri on the basis of religion alone. It doesn't get much more evil than killing people (in your own country no less!) for no other reason than their religion.

Buchanan and Bush - like Hitler but less organized.

[Omnibus]

85. A quick correction...

Utah had been a US territory for 10 years at the start of the Utah war. The Mormons had been living in Utah for 11 years, but weren't invited to the negotiating table at Guadalupe Hidalgo when their new land got handed off in the settlement.

Otherwise, I agree with your post.

[last1standing]

29. You forget about the 190,000 missing weapons.

bush* didn't arm Iraq and Al-Qaeda before the war started, he armed them while the fucking war was going on!

bush* = The worst president EVER!!!


Edited to say:

And then the stupid fucker promoted the asshole who oversaw the theft to lead the whole God Damned war! It's not even a contest.

[Radical Activist]

81. Buchanan's Sec. of War lead the rebellion.

I'm not letting emotions over Bush cloud my view of history. Buchanan was worse.

[krkaufman]

41. No, Bush is just arming the Shia and Sunnis *now* ...

... before they begin the next phase of *their* civil war.

As for Bush costing fewer American lives... perhaps so. But it is arguable that Bush has been responsible for the loss of more human lives.


NOTE: Arming al Qaeda prior to war with Iraq would be moot, since there was no al Qaeda in Iraq before we invaded. However, Bush *did* choose not to strike against known terrorist, Abu Musab Al Zarqawi, at his camp in northern Iraq prior to invading, leaving Zarqawi able to organize his forces amidst the chaos that ensued.

[merh]

45. No, he just helped to arm the Taliban and AQ months before

he invaded (while rejecting their offers to hand over OBL, not one by at least 3 times) - he funded the Taliban anywhere from $43 million to $120 million in 2001.

Not to mention his support of Saudi Arabia, a nation that supports terrorists and were not without sin when it came to 9/11
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=2937600

And of course, there is the illegal and immoral invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Yup, GWB is by far the worse.

[Radical Activist]

84. Bush didn't provide the Taliban with their entire arsenel

as Buchanan allowed the South to be armed knowing that it would be used against Americans, so no, what Bush did isn't as bad. I'm not letting my anger over recent events cloud my view of history.
Buchanan carried out the immoral occupation of Utah, and his lack of action regarding the civil war resulted in more American deaths than Bush is responsible for.

[Thothmes]

87. Out of curiosity

Which Federal Arsenal did Buchanan allow to be sent South.

[jgraz]

21. You mean the *second* worse, don't you?

No way Jimmy comes close to Incurious George.

[backscatter712]

62. Buchanan left the country on the brink of Civil War.

Even Chimpy hasn't managed that accomplishment, yet...

[Radical Activist]

82. No, I don't.

[Chisox08]

53. No one can beat Bush as the worst President

Even though Buchanan and Franklin Pierce (distant cousin to Bush) are two of the biggest fuck-ups to ever occupy the White House.

[Bicoastal]

18. You might be interested to know that I have changed Buchanan's years as ambassador.

He was ambassador to russia for 1 year, and to great britain for 3. But since his russian term started in 1832, and his UK term ended in 1856, I initially misread it as a much greater number of years.

But he did serve in office from 1821 to 1861 in one capacity or another. As for the fact that Buchanan, or "Bucky," as I call him, never ran for reelection--it's satire.

[smalll]

42. Exactamente. /nt

[gateley]

74. Has this campaign robbed you of your sense of humor?

This is clever, and I'm sorry you're so defensive you didn't get to enjoy it.

[JimGinPA]

4. LOL K&R

[joeybee12]

5. Oh, so you're saying we should vote for a Republican?

Thanks for the advice!!

[NMMatt]

8. Had I lived in 1860 I would have voted Republican -nt

[jgraz]

23. I would have voted Republican in 1900 as well.

[Hippo_Tron]

26. That one's a tough call...

Bryan would've been a god awful president IMO but McKinley was the predecessor to today's free market fascist types.

[rpannier]

52. The 1900 election probably had the 2nd worst set of choices in US History

1920 was probably the worst

For myself: In 1900, I'd probably have voted McKinley. Not because there was anyting to love about him,but because the Republicans still were the more progressive Party.

[Bicoastal]

11. Me too.

The Republicans resembled today's liberals, and the Democrats resembled today's neo-cons--splintering and falling apart at the seams.

But sheez, that was almost 150 years ago--things have changed considerably since then.

[last1standing]

30. Are you implying that we should have voted for the guy against freeing the slaves?

Interesting viewpoint there.

[Melinda]

9. LOL!! n/t but still lololol!!!

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[FrenchieCat]

Good One!

:thumbsup:

[HCE SuiGeneris]

12. Finally!!!! I've been so scared since the phone started ringing...

:scared: :scared:

[helderheid]

14. LOL!!

[NJSecularist]

13. Reccomended

:thumbsup:

[helderheid]

15. !!! DUZY !!!

[woolldog]

17. ha

:rofl:

[theboss]

20. That is fantastic

Historically inaccurate but funny.

[grantcart]

24. great

[Nia Zuri]

25. k&r

[eppur_se_muova]

27. If Lincoln was so great, why wasn't he renominated by his party?

The Republican Party nominated John C. Frémont as its candidate for the 1864 elections, despite having a sitting Republican President in the White House.

Way to support the war effort!

[ISUGRADIA]

28. Lincoln was renominated by the Republicans in 1864

it was named the Union Party for the election but the Republicans did not dump Lincoln

[eppur_se_muova]

40. A group of 'extremists' took over the Republican Party (sound familiar?)

and nominated Frémont at the 1864 Republican Party convention. More moderate party members left and (together with northern Democrats) formed the Union Party, whose nomination Lincoln accepted. Frémont had the decency to withdraw after that.

ETA: The remark about "if he was so great" was just :sarcasm:

[Forrest Greene]

67. Yeah, 'N' If Lincoln Was So Great

...how come nobody ever got him to write his memoirs???

[Hand]

68. ...

:spank: Naughty, naughty.

[LadyVT]

31. 2008 is a tad bit more complicated than Lincoln's time, wouldn't ya say?

ridiculous, grandiose comparison

[monomach]

32. Guess you never heard of

the Civil War. No biggie. Just a tiny bump in the road, that one.

[last1standing]

33. How is it more complicated?

Lincoln came into office just after the first shots of the Civil War were fired. Then entire country was splitting apart at the seams and an entire subsection of the population was being held against its will in subjugation. We needed a president who could find a solution through all that mess while keeping the country intact.

I really can't see how this time is so much more complicated than that. Please do explain.

[scheming daemons]

34. LOL!! Are you REALLY that ignorant of history?

1860 may have been the most important and COMPLICATED time in our nation's history. Less than two months after Lincoln was sworn in, South Carolina seceded from the union and the civil war began.

The very existence of our union was at stake... and the man in the Oval Office was the LEAST experienced President in our history.

...and his predecesor... the one who fiddled while the union was ripping at the seems... Buchanan... was among the MOST experienced Presidents in our history.


Experience is the most over-rated qualification for President that there is.


Dick Cheney was supremely experienced. And make no mistake, he was the one running things these past 7 years.


The more Hillary trumps up her "experience"... the less likely she is going to win. Tone Deaf.

[Omega3]

65. you may not like DICK cheney's policy but you can't argue he's been successful in implementing it

[unblock]

70. south carolina seceded 3 months BEFORE lincoln was sworn in

sc seceeded 12/10/1860; lincoln was sworn in 3/4/1861.

[theboss]

35. No year in recorded human history was more complicated than 1860

Good heavens.

Lincoln would view Iraq as a few drunk soldiers in a fight in Pittsburgh compared to the problems he faced.

[I Have A Dream]

59. I think that it is hyperbolic to say that no year in...

recorded human history was more complicated than 1860. I'd agree if the words "recorded human" were replaced with "U.S.".

[Bicoastal]

36. As the author of this OP, I must concur.

Your comment is more ridiculous than any satire I could have posted.

[last1standing]

37. I'm beginning to think we've heard the last of LadyVT in this thread. LOL

n/t

[ContinentalOp]

43. OMG -nt-

[RememberWellstone]

38. Game....set

and match..now they discounting the experience matters altogether. To the Obamanites, be careful what you wish for, you might get that and more.

[Bicoastal]

39. I was thinking more about Obama going up against McCain, actually.

And note that neither Lincoln nor Obama had no prior experience at all.

[oasis]

44. Lincoln built a reputation on his honesty. Obama is lacking in that department. (eom)

[ingac70]

47. .....

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=385&topic_id=98807

[johnnydrama]

46. most experienced

Most experienced Presidents in the last 50 years.

Richard Nixon
George HW Bush

[mythyc]

48. thanks for the laugh!

this is hilarious :headbang:

[Sherman A1]

49. I think this sums it up....

I am a DK guy and as things shake out, I have no problem with either HRC or Barack Obama, but I really thought her Ad was a dumb move.

[shayes51]

50. Obama=Lincoln is a bit premature.

[Omega3]

66. I knew Abe Lincoln, Abe Lincoln was a friend of mine, you sir are no Abe Lincoln!!!!

Isn't this a step down, first BO's the next JC now he's just Abe-like? Go Figure.

[Demeter]

51. Today's Dilbert Is Perfect for This Discussion!

[Unsane]

55. Great fucking anology. KR

[PerpetuallyDazed]

56. LMAO!

Thanks, this made my morning :D

[DrZeeLit]

57. dupe

[DrZeeLit]

58. OMG...that's... PRICELESS. Thanks... I needed that laugh.

It's getting rather SAD lately.
I so wish everyone (both sides) would stop the bleeding beating up session.
Oy yoi yoi.

[Baby Snooks]

60. Hilarious

And soooooooooooo true.

[backscatter712]

61. K&R! You picked the one President in U.S. history that's actually worse than Bush!

Buchanan sat on his hands for the whole slavery issue, split his own party, causing the southerners in the Democratic Party to walk out, again sat on his ass when the South threatened secession, and left the Presidency with the country on the brink of civil war!

You can't get much worse than that!

Though Bush still has 324 days to try...

[Faygo Kid]

64. Buchanan did us a favor by turning it over to Lincoln. Bush is worst, Andrew Johnson second.

Nixon third. Buchanan fourth.

[backscatter712]

69. We're not on the brink of civil war yet...

Not that I think that Bush is an angel or anything...

[pink-o]

72. You gotta get Reagan in there too.

Despite the efforts to beatify the old bastard and bequeath him with sainthood, Ronnie is responsible for homelessness, needless AIDS deaths, the destruction of much of Central America, and the validating the Fundies from a lunatic fringe to an actual power base.

I'm sure there are many more dubious "accomplishments" but that's enough to start. It just sickens me to watch that heinous man's history being re-written before my eyes!

[Joe Chi Minh]

73. Did Buchanan allow an area the size of the one flooded by Katrina

to be destroyed, seemingly by constructive negligence? And then, after treating its poorer African American victims like terrorists, continue to neglect them, while assisting Big Business to pick over the carcass, claim the real estate for themselves, and rebuild on it?

[backscatter712]

80. See some of the other posts in this thread.

He allowed weapons from the Federal Arsenal to go to the South, knowing those weapons would be used against the Union.

The Civil War that resulted from his actions killed over 600,000 Americans.

As far as African Americans go, well, most of them weren't just treated as second class citizens in his time, they were FUCKING SLAVES! And Buchanan sat on his ass while the debate over slavery was heating up to white-hot intensity.

Not that I'm trying to defend Bush - his actions are truly awful and destructive, but I still stand by my assertion that James Buchanan was the worst President in U.S. history. At least we both agree that Buchanan and Bush are at least in the bottom five as far as bad Presidents.

[Bucky]

63. The question is... at 3am, who do you want answering the telegraph?

[iamthebandfanman]

75. nobody!

who in their right mind would be telgraphing at 3AM ?

it can wait till the morning. lol

[DogPoundPup]

76. Silly tripe

:hi:

[Faygo Kid]

77. Valid analogy.

[Douglas Carpenter]

78. good one!

:thumbsup:

[apocalypsehow]

79. Excellent historical comparison, and quite apt. K & R.

:thumbsup:

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

83. Ok, I'll Give Ya Props On That One. Very Good!!

[davidinalameda]

86. I just found this link from buzzflash.com

way to go!!!!!

[Blue_Roses]

88. LOL!!!

"I'm James Buchanan, and I approve this lithograph."

:rofl: