This Johnson & Johnson Will Not Make You Feel Better
People are getting their Johnson & Johnson shots, but our two presidents named Johnson - well, you won’t feel too well after reading our next round of rankings.
President Lyndon Baines Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1968 this week. It's not the common Civil Rights Right that we know; that was in 1964. This law was also called the Anti-Riot Act in response to the riots after Martin Luther King was assassinated. But for marketing purposes, they just called it the wildly popular preceding act and then went full Irish – stopped talking about it.
In 1868, 100 years earlier (if my math is correct), the United States was pulling itself out of Civil War. The nation's soul mourned the loss of Abraham Lincoln. At the same time, another President Johnson ensured that the country would be mired with division for generations to come by derailing the Reconstruction.
With that friendly introduction, it’s time to reveal our next two presidents in the DPPR!
We are now in our 30’s! Don’t you wish you could still say that?
39: Andrew Johnson
17th President
2017 Ranking: 40
2019 Ranking: 39
Term – April 15, 1865 – March 4, 1869
The Good:
I'm not really sure. Andrew Johnson is easy to say and remember.
The Bad:
He vetoed the original Civil Rights Act of 1866 – which guaranteed equal protection to all citizens, including slaves. He then vetoed the 13th Amendment – which abolished slavery, and at this point, you must ask if Andy knew whose term he was finishing.
The Ugly:
Johnson was the first president to be impeached. In my opinion, it was weak sauce. The Republican Party wanted Johnson out for technical reasons; he fired one of his cabinet members after Congress passed a law saying he couldn't. Anyway, Johnson was terrible for, like, 4,000 other reasons. He ended up acquitted, and the whole thing wasn't worth it.
Why did I rank him here?
I’m still trying to figure out how I ranked Johnson higher in 2019? Any ideas?
38: John Tyler
10th President
2017 Ranking: 39
2019 Ranking: 38
Term – April 4, 1841 – March 4, 1845
The Good:
“Tyler” was the end of a campaign slogan, Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too, in William Henry Harrison’s successful 1840 campaign.
The Bad:
Tyler really disliked Andrew Jackson and his policies, then he turned around and did a lot of the same things Jackson did. Namely, he tried to create a strong executive branch.
The Ugly:
They buried Tyler with the Confederate flag. If you know me, you know this is difficult to overcome.
Why did I rank him here?
I recently read a short book on Tyler, and he is complex. He really did a number on his own party, for the good of the country and assumed power after Harrison unexpectedly passed away. It’s an important moment in history. But his allegiance to his home state of Virginia, even until death in the middle of the Civil War, can’t be overlooked, maybe in your rankings, but not here.
What do you think? Am I off? Tell me below how correct I am!