Register

The 5 Most Badass Presidents of All-Time

By Daniel O'Brien February 15, 2008 3,049,979 views
article image

As we all prepare to spend a long weekend enjoying Presidential Savings on mattresses and used Toyotas, we could take time to thank some of the presidents who passed bills that protect some of the freedoms your enjoy daily. Or we could spend the day celebrating the presidents who are decidedly more Action Movie Heroes than diplomats.

Anyway, guess which kind of president this website decided to focus on?

#5.
Andrew Jackson

When the 1828 election rolled around, a lot of people were terrified when they heard Andrew "Old Hickory" Jackson was running. If you're wondering how a guy we're calling a bad ass got such a lame nickname, it's because he used to carry a hickory cane around and beat people senseless with it, and if you're wondering why he did that, it's because he was a fucking lunatic.

Former Democratic Senator and Secretary of the Treasurey Albert Gallatin feared a Jackson presidency because of his "habitual disregard of laws and constitutional provisions." Or in other words, the man was a loose canon--17th Century Washigton's answer to Martin Riggs. Sure, he probably didn't have an irate black lieutenant to answer to, or a weary partner who was too old for this shit, but he most certainly had a death wish.

How do we know? Well, despite everyone's best efforts, Jackson was elected to the top office, and when he wasn't busy shaping the Presidency as we know it today, you could find him out back dueling. In case you haven't been to the 18th century lately, this unmanly sounding activity actually involves standing across from an armed man and shooting at him while he in turn shoots at you. The number of duels that Jackson took part in varies depending on what source you consult; some say 13, while others rank the number somewhere in the 100's, both of which are entirely too many times for a reasonable human being to stand in front of someone who is strying to kill them with a loaded gun.

On one occasion, he challenged a man named Charles Dickinson to a duel, (the reason behind it wasn't important, not to us and certainly not to Jackson), and Jackson was even kind enough to give Dickinson the first shot. We're gonna go ahead and repeat that: In a duel with pistols, Jackson politely volunteers to be shot at first. Dickinson happily obliged and shot Jackson, who proceeded to shake it off like it was a bee sting. When Jackson returned the favor, Dickinson was not so lucky, and that's why his face isn't on the twenty. The bullet, by the by, remained in Jackson's body for 19 years because, we assume, Jackson knew that time spent removing the bullets would just fall under the general category of "time not dueling," Jackson's least favorite category.


Andrew Jackson may have been the first master of Gun Kata

Greatest Display of Badassedry:
Andrew Jackson was the first president on whom an assassination attempt was made. A man named Richard Lawrence approached Jackson with two pistols both of which, for some reason, misfired. With the possibility of an assassination taken off the table, Jackson proceeded to beat Lawrence near death with his cane until Jackson's aides pulled him off the assassin.

The guns were inspected afterwards and it was discovered that they were in perfect working order, leading some historians to believe that it was an odds-defying "miracle" that Jackson survived, while we're pretty sure that the bullets, like everyone else, were simply scared of Jackson.

Most Badass Quote:
"I have only two regrets: I didn't shoot Henry Clay and I didn't hang John C. Calhoun."

That's right. In a life rich with murdering people for little-to-no reason, Jackson's only regret was that he didn't kill quite enough people. People like Calhoun who, it should be noted, was Jackson's vice president.

FDR didn't do s**t: Eisenhower & MacArthur won WWII -- FDR turned a blind eye to the invasion of Poland and was well-aware in advance of the Japanese specifically attacking Pearl Harbour; he was stuck in a wheelchair for his entire life (way to go on "kicking polio in the face"); and he married his horsefaced lesbian cousin

6/29/2009 2:06:47 PM
TheRunningMan

I'm a proponent of adding FDR to this list. Not only did he win WWII and serve three terms (elected for four), he kicked polio in the face, which is a neat trick WHEN YOU HAVE POLIO.

6/28/2009 1:06:42 PM
Plangkye

If I lived any time beforehand (note: reincarnation) I'd love to go to the grave fighting one of these motherfuckers. Roosevelt would've beat my ass and I'd be proud of it.

6/28/2009 6:40:27 AM
Flashpenny

Jackson deserves to be much higher on this list. Yes, he murdered many Creek and Cherokee Native Americans. Yes, I am Native American. Nevertheless, Jackson was a force with which to be reckoned.

1. In one of his duels, someone shot him in the chest. The doctors refused to operate, saying the bullet was too close to his heart. The wound never healed correctly; it just skinned over. It also had a tendency to ooze, so he kept a handkerchief over it. Fifteen or twenty years later, sitting at the Presidential desk, the bullet starts to get on his nerves. What did Andrew Jackson do? He reached into his chest and pulled it out! Pop! As if that weren't enough, he then mailed the bullet to the man who shot him with a note saying, "I believe this is yours." The man mailed it back with a note saying, "You've been taking such good care of it for so long. You should keep it."

2. Jackson wanted the Native Americans out of the Alabama area. The Supreme Court told him that was too bad. He'd been treating them like an independent, sovereign nation for too long. Jackson essentially thumbed his nose at the Justices and had his Army remove the Native Americans. Note: I'm not defending the Trail of Tears. I'm just saying deliberately ignoring the Supreme Court Justices is pretty awesome.

3. Before assuming the Presidency, Jackson went to Florida, which was still owned by Spain. He took over the area, which including tying the governor to a raft and letting him loose in the Gulf of Mexico. He committed an Act of War against a much bigger, more powerful nation because he was bored with killing Creek Indians.

Truly, Andrew Jackson was insane. For those who may be interested, my source is a professor (who has a doctorate in this particular era of American history) at my university.

6/28/2009 1:27:19 AM
AshsWorkshed

Thank GOD Clinton wasn't on the list.

6/25/2009 7:36:09 AM
JadeEyes1

I can't believe you have genocidal loon like Andrew Jackson one here. Why not tell people about how badass Hitler was while you're at it?

6/19/2009 2:05:05 AM
Gopherbassist

This article rules.

6/15/2009 9:54:29 AM
valduchi

You forgot a number of badass things that TR did. He beat the hell out of Wall Street's trusts, which today would be the equivalent of punching a CEO in the face and expecting to live after it. And when he was talking to the bigwigs of the meatpacking business, he said that were it not for the dignity of the presidency, he would have "pick[ed] one of them up by the seat of his pants and fl[ung] him out of the window".

6/13/2009 8:12:16 PM
loqutor

Honestly, who can argue against the top pick? Especially since he knew how it worked. The adage 'speak softly and carry a big stick' has a few meanings, all important. He ended up as Vice President from, at least one source I've seen says, someone wanting him OUT of their hair. So pack him off to be VP and sit around waiting for the President to die. Oops..

Even the photo on the page makes me think he's upset with the photographer.

6/3/2009 2:20:09 AM
IL-Kuma

Those aren't the only badass Presidents,

After Ronald Reagan was shot, he turned to his wife and said "I forgot to duck" badass.

5/27/2009 9:58:16 PM
Kabosh

That Jackson story cracks me the hell up.

5/19/2009 4:47:51 PM
ReneeIsMe2day

Andrew jackson also lead the american genocide against the indians.
He once murdered an entire indian village and saw that there was a child still being held tightly in his slaughtered mothers arms. He picked that f****r up and adopted him. As you can imagine that must have been a really awkward family story.

5/16/2009 3:02:34 AM
ToastMeister

You got the century numbers mixed up. Jackson was president during the 19th century.

5/8/2009 1:24:37 AM
chamomile7

Surprise to see Bush missing from the list and also where is Lincoln. I guess the list should be haveen of top 10 instead the top 5.

http://www.ekhichdi.com/actors-actress/penelope-cruz-onscreen-sex-with-ben-kingsley

Tina

5/7/2009 3:22:25 PM
tina_iyer

I know the unspoken rule of double posting but you guys didn't do Teddy justice.

I mean he kickboxed with his interviewers. He read at least one book a day. And was so smart that Wislon had to go to dictionary inorder to discipher one of Teddy's insults (Teddy never went low-brow). Killed a bunch of African animals.

Began the national park system and conservation. Is the only President to win the nobel peace prize.

I mean I personally think Teddy was an a*****e, but I'd never say that to his face. I mean he'd kill me, but only after making me (mister 33 on the ACT) feel dumber than s**t.

Oh, and he'd make rude faces at small children.

Does all of that add to his badassery? I think any body who loves life so much and who is so proficient at ending it is very cool.

4/25/2009 9:23:16 PM
ijpowers

you forgot to mention that one of the bullets logged in Jackson's body ( I believe there were three when he died) was right next to his lung.
If he twisted his body right it would scrape his lung.

He could and would in effect spit blood on you.

4/25/2009 9:04:13 PM
ijpowers

Dickinson was also the best shot in Tennessee, and Jackson still challenged him. He dueled CD because CD called his wife a loony or a s**t or something. It was awesome. In one episode of Aqua Team Hunger Force (I think) the characters were printing money on a magic printer, but they were making copies of 1 dollar bills. Eventually the ghost of George Washington came and told them to stop and that it was wrong. When he left, one turned to the other and said, "We should printed up 20s, Jackson wouldn't have given a s**t."

4/16/2009 10:02:29 PM
naz0583

I CANNOT believe Abraham Lincoln failed to make this list!!!! He was the most amazing president and a GREAT man.

4/14/2009 1:18:11 PM
CatcherFOX

I just can`t believe how funny you people are.... keep up the funnys, and I`l send you a cookie...

4/13/2009 2:23:49 AM
Cooler777

One more badass thing about Teddy Roosevelt. Apparently he haunts the bar at the Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Texas. It was there that he recruited many of the Rough Riders by getting them drunk and essentially "shanghaiing" them.

Several years ago after closing hours, a night janitor was cleaning the bar. Suddenly, the doors slammed shut behind him. He tried to open them, but they were stuck fast. He turned around and saw a man motioning to him from the end of the bar wearing an old-fashioned uniform with a mustache. The janitor began banging on the doors, screaming to be let out. Other staff members heard his cries and rescued him. They ended up calling an ambulance for him, as they were afraid he would have a heart attack, due to severe shock. He eventually recovered, but quit the next day.

So even in death, Teddy Roosevelt is still scaring the s**t out of people.

4/6/2009 2:46:31 PM
Hobbitopoly