RADIOFebruary 20, 2024

This Presidential List Reveals A LOT About "The Experts"

For President’s Day 2024, the Presidential Greatness Project asked a list of “presidential experts” to rank all past and present American presidents — and the final list reveals a lot about what these “experts” really value. Glenn, Pat, and Stu review the list, which predictably ranked Abraham Lincoln 1st. But the list quickly devolves into a celebration of progressive presidents who expanded the federal government’s powers: “Everyone they like wanted a dictatorship,” Glenn says. And of course, the “experts” weren’t big fans of Donald Trump …

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: Well, the presidential greatness ratings and rankings are finally in.

Yes. Yes. The -- the president and executive politics section of the American political of science association, which is the foremost organization of Social Security science experts in presidential politics, as well as super, super smart scholars, who are much more smart than you are, tummy.

They published a peer-reviewed academic research in key-related scholarly journals and academic presses, and 525 respondents were invited to participate.

Here we have, the best presidents ranked in order.

PAT: 525 were asked. I think 100 --

GLENN: Fifty-four.

PAT: 154, actually.

GLENN: Usable responses were received. In other words, there were some that --

STU: They used all of those.

GLENN: All right. So number one, Abraham Lincoln.

Don't think we can argue with that. He's in the top five.

STU: Yeah. Top five.

PAT: For sure. This has I don't know if I would put him one.

GLENN: Who would you put as one?

STU: Probably Washington.

GLENN: I would too.

STU: That's not a knock on Lincoln.

PAT: No.

GLENN: But Washington was the one who demonstrated how to use power. How to get rid of power. How to go home.

STU: Set the tone.

GLENN: The two terms thing is all because of him.

He is -- he is -- but he is a reluctant president, just like Michelle Obama.

Okay. So they have --

STU: Still? Where they still have -- number one is Lincoln. Number two is Franklin Roosevelt.

PAT: This is unbelievable. Stop it.

STU: It's completely --

PAT: FDR is one of the absolute worse. He's bottom five. Bottom five for sure.

GLENN: Well, if you'll notice the pattern here as we go on. The pattern is, the scholar seems to love those who you can't get past. You can't get past Lincoln. You can't get past Washington. You can't throw them into the dustbin. But they want to. They want to.

PAT: They want to.

GLENN: And so if you look at the pattern of everyone that doesn't make sense, it's because they fundamentally changed our systems.

PAT: Uh-huh, where FDR fundamentally changed. We were this close to a dictatorship.

Mussolini said he's cut from our cloth. Hitler said, he's cut from our cloth. He's going for this great state, so FDR.

So then number three is Washington.

Under FDR --

STU: That's -- that's insanity.

PAT: Madness.

GLENN: By the way, FDR, huge racist. Huge racist.

Did not invite, what's his name? The runner?

Jesse Owens. Didn't invite him.

Only metal winner, not invited. The biggest. And most important -- wasn't invited.

STU: Of all time.

GLENN: Let's see. So Washington. Then Theodore Roosevelt. Another progressive.

PAT: Come on. Jeez.

STU: Like Theodore Roosevelt. Does not even belong anywhere close to the top of this list.

PAT: No.

STU: You mentioned this a million times. Obviously, the man started the Progressive Party.

Of course they love him. But still --

GLENN: Massive eugenist.

STU: You can say he did incredible things in his life, but as a person. Yeah.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah. But what did he do?

What did he do as president? What is he most famous for doing as president?

STU: He was -- well, he really like, continued what -- what Wilson was doing, who is coming up soon in the countdown. But continued that move. In a way to -- to make progressivism the -- the homespun philosophy.

GLENN: But as a president. As a president, he's responsible for the national parks.

He's -- he's responsible --

STU: Why is that seen as some big accomplishment?

Hey, we fenced off a bunch of grass!

What a -- remember the Ken burns documentary. The slogan for that documentary was America's greatest accomplishment. What are you talking about?

The guy put a bunch of -- what?

Fences around grass where animals can stay.

PAT: Well, there's gates too, so you can pay to get ahead. Don't forget about that.

STU: Wow. What a thing. What a thing.

I mean, how many medical innovations have we created? We've saved the world how many times?

Well, gosh. Well, they put those park benches out there.

That was really a good thing that America did. Hey, look, picnic tables!

GLENN: Again, look at the two.

We have Lincoln and Washington. We understand. Okay?

Roosevelt and Roosevelt, they're both progressives. They're both progressives.

PAT: Really bad.

GLENN: They're all about state power.

STU: Yes.

GLENN: Then Jefferson.

Another one you got to go, well, okay.

You wrote the Declaration of Independence. I think this is kind of a big deal. Then Truman.

STU: Again, we should point out. All these people are saying, oh, well, we have to throw them in.

Are also the people that I guarantee, some of these historians. If you look at their Twitter tedious. Would be advocating for the tearing down of their statues.

PAT: Oh, for sure.

STU: Like I guarantee you, 2020, go back and look at their George Floyd feeds at the time, as they were encouraging Washington and Jefferson. The statues to come down.

GLENN: Washington, Jefferson. And Lincoln.

STU: And Lincoln is maybe the hardest argument to make on that one. But still.

GLENN: They wanted to bring it down in Washington, DC.

STU: Ben Franklin, they wanted to bring down his statues.

PAT: Harry Truman is a surprise too. Since he dropped the bomb on Japan.

GLENN: Not only, he's the guy that said yes to Israel.

PAT: Yeah, right.

GLENN: So, I mean, I'm shocked at him.

Then number seven, Obama.

PAT: That's incredible. Nine places since last time.

STU: Just stupid, just stupid.

PAT: It's asinine.

GLENN: You know why?

Michelle Obama for president. Who is losing a thousand dollars?

STU: Stop trying to take my money. I just want a push.

That's all I want. Is a push.

We need Gavin Newsom or somebody, to be the nominee. So I don't have to pay a thousand dollars.

Then Eisenhower. Now, Eisenhower oversaw the building of the industrial military complex.

PAT: Yeah. But he bashed it, at the end.

STU: That one speech.

GLENN: He said, we just built it. You will have to deal with this. Be afraid.

PAT: I put this thing together for you, that you will have to deal with the rest of America's existence.

But look out for it! Because it's really powerful and bad.

GLENN: Right. So look what we have. We have Obama, built giant government. Eisenhower, giant government. Then number nine, LB Johnson.

PAT: This is incredible. That might be the biggest abomination of them all. Number nine. A top ten president.

STU: He is legitimately, within the conversation, for the worst president of all time.

PAT: No question.

STU: It's in the conversation.
Now, you might say Woodrow Wilson. And I probably will lean that way. But if you want to come up with -- we need to do -- we need to get all the Blaze people to give us the top five presidents of all time.

Because LBJ, to me, is on that list. If he's not number one worst of all time, he's in the top two or thee.

GLENN: It's Wilson. I'm not going to rank them. Wilson is number one in all of them.

STU: Of course.

GLENN: It's Wilson. Obama. LBJ.

STU: Biden. Where Biden -- Biden might be number one or two now.

PAT: Yeah. For sure.

GLENN: It's Jackson. Andrew Jackson.

STU: I would put Carter in the conversation for that.

GLENN: Carter. But Carter is almost like a hapless dupe compared to these guys.

STU: But still! That's really bad.

GLENN: He started the Department of Education. So he built the -- look at -- everyone they like, wanted a dictatorship.

All of them!

They didn't call it that. But that's what they wanted. They built this Deep State. Then Kennedy is at number ten.

He's up four, which I find interesting.

Because Kennedy is probably the only one that couldn't -- wouldn't be allowed in the Democratic Party now. All the ones we just mentioned, they would still love.

Kennedy, no way.

Kennedy wanted to break up the military industrial complex. Kennedy cut taxes like nobody's business!

I mean, he was practically Ronald Reagan in comparison.

Then -- then James Madison comes in after Truman, Eisenhower, Obama, Johnson.

PAT: LBJ.

Come on. Come on.

GLENN: James Madison.

PAT: Yeah. The guy who wrote the US Constitution.

Let's put him 11th.

STU: Behind a guy who created a bunch of programs that are completely bankrupting us.

PAT: Yes.

STU: Like we are all aware as to why we are going to soon be spending a trillion dollars a year, in just interest, but LBJ.

Ah, yeah, the good thing, the redeeming quality, he was an incredible racist. And he was a drunk driver. Let's put him number nine.

GLENN: Oh, my gosh. Number nine.

Then after Madison. Then comes Bill Clinton.

Then comes John Adams.

STU: Clinton. Wait.

GLENN: Then comes Biden. This has so we have -- accused rapist. Followed by -- and Biden at 14, is -- look, I don't know.

PAT: So outrageous.

STU: The Barack Obama thing is so expected. It didn't surprise me at all, right?

GLENN: You do have to say. There is -- there is, at this point, with historians.

There is, you know, kind of a magic around him. Because he was America's second black president.

STU: Right. Ahead of the first black president.

GLENN: Yeah. It's weird.

STU: But you kind of understand.

The reason you see bias in these things is always big. Like Biden being there is not all that shocking because of its recency bias.

Obama, I'm expecting.

And the end of this, of course, everyone already knows is Trump last.

Which is also probably one of the recency bias. Right? Once the next president gets in that is a Republican, they will all say, he's even worse than Trump.

We all know that will happen on these lists.

But it's like, the -- the Obama thing.

Okay. First black president. Like, they got their Obamacare. There are things they know they will like. What on earth argument is there, with Joe Biden. With a 37 percent approval rating, to be the 14th greatest president of all time?

GLENN: You're not going to.

STU: It's absurd.

GLENN: The rest of the list is not going to improve your mood.

By the way, tomorrow, I will have a poll ready. With all the presidents.

And you just rank them. Okay? If you don't know who they are.

Because like Polk. I don't know. What did Polk do?

PAT: Mexican-American war.

GLENN: Okay. So he's bad.

STU: By the way, it's also Tuesday. This would be James K. Polk Tuesdays, just pointing that out.

GLENN: Hayes. Rutherford B. Hayes. What did he do?

PAT: All kinds of things.

STU: Are you guys into Chester B. Arthur?

GLENN: Yeah, there are some -- we will cut the list down. Okay?

PAT: Just eliminating Chester A. Arthur.

GLENN: No. I'll leave them all in there for judges. Like, I don't know.

PAT: Is he a Republican or Democrat? Whatever.

STU: Seems best five worse. Best five worse.

GLENN: I like to see top ten. Bottom ten. Okay. We'll do that.

THE GLENN BECK PODCAST

Why Your Actions Matter More Than Words in the Eyes of God

Glenn Beck and Eric Metaxas expose the spiritual crisis gripping America’s churches — a moment they compare to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s warning before World War II. As the culture descends into moral confusion, too many Christians retreat into silence, claiming faith while refusing to act. Together, they argue that true belief demands courage — that “faith without works is dead” — and warn that neutrality in the face of evil is itself a form of complicity.

Watch the FULL Interview HERE

Is Socialism replacing the American dream?

The American Dream used to mean freedom and the chance to build your own life through hard work, faith, and independence. But today, it’s been replaced by comfort, consumption, and debt. Glenn Beck breaks down how America traded liberty for lifestyle, why socialism is gaining ground, and what it will take to reclaim the real American Dream before it disappears for good.

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: I don't know if you saw the visualizing the American dream, Stu.

You know, what the American dream actually is, is that you can forge your own way.

You can -- you know, you can have a scrap of land, and grow your own food if up.

You can, you know, go to school. Not go to school.

You can find a job. If you're qualified for it, you have an equal chance of getting it, you know, based on merit.

But the percentage of Americans who say the American dream is retirement is 86 percent. Health care, 86 percent. Owning a home, 85. Raising two kids, 78. Owning a car, 72. Vacations, 71. Pets, 66. A wedding, 55 percent. That's the American dream, I can get married.

The American dream, if that's what you think, they've now estimated, the cost per household over the cost -- over the lifetime, retirement is $1.6 million. Owning a home now, 30-year mortgage, 20 percent you want to, is $957,594. Owning a car, buying and finance to begin with new cars every ten years is now $900,000 over your lifetime. Raising two kids to 18, plus four years of public college, $876,092. Two kids. Health care, over your lifetime, spending from ages 22 to 85, $414,000. Vacations, annual vacation from '22 to '85, $180,000. One dog and one cat for 11 to 13 years is $40,000!

That's more expensive than a wedding. The engagement ring, the ceremony, and the reception is now estimated to be $38,200.

There's a reason socialism is doing well. You look at that, and you're like, wow. I mean, if that's the American dream. And for a lot of people, that is the American dream!

That's not what the American dream is supposed to be, but, you know, once -- you know, once Woodrow Wilson and FDR got a hold of us and they started advertising, it became stuff instead of freedom. It became stuff. And, you know, when there's a new report out. Let me see if I have that.

There's a new report out now that shows, first time home buyers made up just 21 percent of the home purchases. That's the lowest on record.

The typical age of repeat buyers hit an all-time high of '62. The median downtowns, reaching 23 percent.

The highest since 2023.

And also, where is it?

The last one is -- the median age for first time home buyers, in 1981, it was 29 years old.

I'm sorry. Yeah. Twenty-nine years old. In 2021, it was 33 years old.

What is it this year?

Median age, first time homeowner, forty.

You're 40 before you can buy any kind of home. That puts these things that people want, dream about, out of reach, until you're 40?

You know, 29 is one thing. But if you're not seeing -- you're not seeing your life really kind of settling down until you're 40, I -- I can understand why you're like, you know what, this system doesn't work.

Because you've never seen it work. It's betrayed you.

Or so you've been sold. It's betrayed you.

And everything is being pushed out of your reach. And when you're young, the one thing you're not is patient.

And at 40, I can see why people are not, you know, yeah. Well, socialism is neat because capitalism isn't working. How would you respond to that?

STU: I mean, it's more lengthy than we have time for. But I would say that the response to, you know, you thinking that you want a home is not to embrace an ideology that murders 100 million people.

That's not -- that's not a good answer to the problem that you think you have.

GLENN: But they're not learning that anywhere.

They're not -- that is our responsibility! To teach those things. Because they're not learning it anywhere.

Glenn Beck Warns of 3 Economic Outcomes That Could Change EVERYTHING | Ep 467

Socialism is spreading fast among America’s youth, and the shocking election of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani for mayor in New York City marks a major cultural and economic shift. Glenn exposes how runaway debt, record home prices, AI job disruption, and the collapsing stake in capitalism have led many Millennials and members of Gen Z to embrace socialism and communism. He reveals the three possible economic futures for 2026: two that are disastrous and one that could change everything if the Trump administration’s global financial overhaul succeeds. Plus, Justin Haskins, president of the Heartland Institute, joins to reveal some terrifying truths about why young Americans are embracing socialism from a poll he conducted with Rasmussen Reports.

Glenn Beck warns: We're already in World War III

"The world doesn't understand yet. We're already in World War III," Glenn Beck warns. "That foe is not China. That foe is militant Islam." Glenn explains the battle we're currently facing and what's to come if we don't wake up soon...

Transcript

Below is a rush transcript that may contain errors

GLENN: From New Jersey, it's Brian. Hello, Brian.

CALLER: Hello!

GLENN: Hey.

CALLER: Yeah. Thanks for taking the calls today.

GLENN: Sure.

CALLER: Yeah. I'm worried that we are headed towards another French Revolution-style because we have entire generations. Or actually people just not being heard by their representatives.

GLENN: Hmm.

CALLER: And it's not just here. It's around the world.

GLENN: Uh-huh.

I -- actually, I had scheduled for this time, I'll just do it some other time. Talking about what's happening in -- in England.

I think England is headed for a Civil War. And -- and it's very close.

I mean, you can't put 4,000 people. 4,000 people, in jail, or try them for hate crimes. And speech crimes.

You can't -- you can't do it. In England!

You can't do that in one year. And expect people to just put up with it!

You can't -- you know, we're -- we're -- America doesn't understand yet.

The world doesn't understand.

We're in World War III. We're already in World War III.

I don't know when it becomes a hot war. Or even a war that we on our side recognize. But we are in World War III. And that -- that foe is not China.

That foe is militant Islam, period. And, you know, when we have a situation to where people are -- when the government is just like, no. It's not a problem.

It's not a problem. You know. You've got illegals all over.

It's not a problem.

It's not a problem.

It is a problem. Don't tell me what -- what the problems are not!

Because we're the ones living it!

You're the experts, who keep telling us, no. It's going to work out fine.

And it doesn't work out fine. And it just gets worse and worse.

Oh. We can spend this money. No. It looks like we can't spend this money. Oh, we can afford this. No. It looks like we can't afford this.

You know, if we do this with Ukraine, it will work out fine. No, it didn't, did it? These endless wars, all of this stuff, don't tell me what the problem is. Listen to the people and start talking to the people. Honestly, this is the reason why I'm doing this today. I -- I need to hear from you.

I need to know what's on your mind, so I stay focused and -- and clear on what America is saying.

Because I don't think -- look, you know, me taking phone calls is -- is not a true representation of anything, but it does give me a sense of -- of where you are, as an audience. Maybe not as America, but as an audience. And there are lots of things that concern me. But I want to hear it from you.
But I think you're right! We're headed for real, real trouble. All you need is real economic trouble.

You start getting real, true economic trouble. 1930s kind of depression stuff. And we're in Civil War.

Dan, Oregon. Welcome!

CALLER: Hello, Glenn. How are you?

GLENN: I'm great!

CALLER: Yeah. Good. It's been a long time.

I guess it's been over ten years, since I've had a chance to talk with you. I was one of your first insiders. I was listening to you, since you were in Florida.

GLENN: Wow. Wow.

CALLER: So it's been a long -- yeah. It has been. And I can't say I've enjoyed all of it.
(laughter)

GLENN: Neither have I!

STU: I can't say that either, I'll be honest with you.

CALLER: You know, you were talking on yesterday's show, reminiscing with Stu about how you guys started. And I remember those old shows. And, you know, at the end of the -- the fusion of entertainment and enlightenment.

STU: Hmm.

GLENN: Right.

CALLER: And there was a lot more entertainment. I remember I laughed a lot.

GLENN: Oh, yeah. I know. I know. Those days are long dead.
(laughter)

STU: There's nothing to laugh about now.

CALLER: Yeah. I -- I'm 78. I still work 40 hours a week. I love my job.

GLENN: Good for you.

CALLER: Been married for 55 years. I have seven kids.

GLENN: Good for you.

CALLER: I've got a daughter -- I've got a daughter who is in her 40s. And she has severe TDS. She -- we don't -- I mean, we're not cutting each other off. She hasn't done that at all. We're still very close as a family. But she was down visiting the other day, and got into a conversation with my wife. And I wasn't in the room. But Kathy said it was just like listening to one of those young people out on the street that was being interviewed by the news media. And she was -- and she was in tears about it. My wife and my daughter both.

And, I mean, I love her, and I continue to support her. She's a single woman, not by choice. She just never found the right guy.

GLENN: Yeah.

CALLER: And I really think that's part of the problem. Because she started reading -- back when Trump was first running, she started reading all of this stuff about him being misogynistic and all of this stuff.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah.

CALLER: And it's just gotten worse. I -- I'm at a loss. I really am. Because I -- like, I see the country doing better. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. But I still feel like that at least right now, we're doing better as a whole. But what do we do about -- what do we do about our kids about -- she went to Portland State University for the last two --

GLENN: Oh, jeez, for the love of --

CALLER: Well, yeah. For the last two years, she went to -- she went to a little college in Idaho called Ricks for the first two years, and Utah State.

GLENN: Oh, yeah.

CALLER: And then she served a mission for our church in Brazil and came home, but then she went to Portland State University. And it just seems to have gone downhill from there.

GLENN: Yeah. Yeah. So, Dan, I think you are suffering from the same thing that almost all parents are suffering from. If you're not suffering from this, then, I mean, God bless you. You know, get on your knees and thank God. Because you are a lucky, lucky family. Everybody has in their family. I have it in my family.

And you have to ask yourself, what is your goal?

My -- what is your goal with your daughter? Your real goal?

CALLER: My real goal is for us to be united eternally. That's my goal. That's my goal as a father and has been to teach her --

GLENN: And how -- and how is that going to happen with politics?

CALLER: We just stay together as a family regardless of what politics does.

GLENN: That's exactly right. Exactly right.

I think we're in a place now where as parents, you can ask your kids, but it has to be honest. It cannot be trying to win. It has to be honest. How did you get there?

I mean, I remember. You know, we've talked about this before. And you didn't believe that before. What has changed?

Can you help me with that?

I would like to see what you're reading, or what that was.

And just ask questions. But they have to be honest. They can't be, you know, because I'm setting you up. Because I want to change your mind.

But keep a dialogue open with them. And just love them!

Just love them!

Because if you do anything else, you're going to drive them away. And then they're really lost. So just love them.

CALLER: Oh, I know that. Glenn, when she was young -- when she was young, I considered her one of the elect. And the Scripture says, that in the last days, even the elect are going to be deceived. And that's what I'm seeing. But everything you've said, I -- I am doing. I'm doing it that way. Because I know --

GLENN: Okay. Good. Then you didn't need to -- I appreciate it. I'm so glad you called me. But you didn't need to -- my advice, you already have it down. You're a very wise man.