More On Republicans’ Limited Understanding Of History

by Stuart Shapiro

Earlier today I blogged about Rep. Louie Gohmert’s bizarre history lesson regarding the 17th Amendment.  Yesterday Alan highlighted Christine O’Donnell’s confusion about the Constitution.  Now we have Ann Marie Buerkle, a Republican candidate (admittedly far behind in the polls, but a Palin favorite) expounding on presidential history.

Asked by Bill Carey, of YNN Syracuse, to name the country’s worst president, Buerkle replied: “With all due respect I would say the one who’s doing the most harm to our country is our current president. (Carey: Barack Obama?). Barack Obama.

Now, maybe you disagree with some of President Obama’s policies.  Maybe (although it is beyond my limited understanding how) you think he is a worse president than his predecessor.  But the worst in history?  Worse than Franklin Pierce or James Buchanan, who paved the way for civil war?  Worse than Herbert Hoover?  Worse than the corruption-stained presidencies of Warren Harding, Richard Nixon, and Ulysses Grant?  Maybe I’m inferring too much here, but does anyone think Buerkle has ever heard of any of these other presidents?

By: Stuart Shapiro

Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.