There is a problem in American politics with the way that people are chosen as presidents. To be a president is a difficult job that requires a combination of insight, knowledge, and openness. In contrast, the traits that Americans look for in good candidates tend to be things like trustworthiness, likeablity, speech, and sometimes even looks. This leads to a problem in which presidents who are good candidates are sometimes not the best of presidents.

1. Richard Nixon, 1969

Richard Nixon was more than qualified to be president from his experience. He graduated from Duke Law School, and became a revered lawyer in California. He served in the Navy Reserve durring WWII, was a Member of the House of Representatives for 3 years, and the Senate for 3 years. He served as Vice President to Dwight Eisenhower from 1953 to 1961, before being elected president on his own in 1969 by only a slim margin.

Most of us know how the Nixon presidency turned out, but it started very well. Under his presidency Apollo 11 landed on the moon, increasing American Patriotism and ending the moon race. He ended school segregation and opened relations between China and the US. He was reelected by the largest margin in history. But all of his achievements are overshadowed by the corruption that abruptly ended his presidency with the Watergate Scandal. Facing impeachment, Nixon resigned in 1974.

2. Herbert Hoover, 1928

Hoover was the perfect man to be president. At least, that was how it seemed. He graduated in the top of his class from Stanford, and quickly became a sucessful mining engineer. He served as head of the humanitarian relief efforts in WWI Belgium bring food to those in crisis. He served as the US Secretary of Commerce for 7 years before being elected president in 1929. We was easily elected Republican nominee, and won the presidency with 58 percent of the electoral college.

While Hoover seemed like a great candidate, his presidency was less than perfect. His presidency saw the beginning of the Great Depression, and while he did lower taxes and attempt to create new jobs, he resisted any outright relief for Americans in crisis. More than that, in speeches during his presidency, which were newly televised, he came across as uncaring, and outright rude. He signed the Tariff Act of 1930, which only worsened the Depression.

3. James Buchanan

James Buchanan was the 14th president of the United States, and is often quoted as the top example of a qualified presidential candidate who continued into a terrible president. His qualifications included being a highly-respected Pennsylvania attorney, serving 10 years in the House of Representatives, and 10 years in the senate, US ambassador to Russia and the UK, as well as being James Polk's Secretary of State. He was a political moderate who successfully united democrats and Republicans to sweep the presidency with a 13 percent majority.

While it seemed that he would make a great president, the opposite was true. His presidency saw the rise of tensions into what would eventually turn into the Civil War. His presidency began with the Dred Scot supreme court case, which ensured the survival of slavery in the constitution. When Kansas became a territory under his presidency in 1854, his administration allowed the territory to chose whether it would allow slavery or not, which caused much violence. While he may not be single-handedly responsible, James Buchanan's presidency drove the US towards The Civil War.