If you could magically be a world-class expert on one US president, who would it be?

[Dennis S]

I can't begin to decide.

[Lemon Drop]

Well since there's no way to magically become a "world class expert" I'd say who could you read volumes and volumes on without becoming too bored and quitting?

Tough call

Teddy Roosevelt
Lincoln
Jefferson
Andrew Jackson

A few of my personal favorites for being interesting. Not necessarily the most influential as presidents, but interesting people.

Sometimes it seems as though we know a bit too much about our modern day presidents.

[$tevie]

John Adams.
First runner up:
Thomas Jefferson.

[Dennis S]

LBJ's personality intrigues me, but I don't think he ranks high enough. There are probably people who fall into old-school and modern presidents. It looks like you two are old-school. When you think about it, I can't really think of a modern president that ranks with any of those older presidents mentioned.

[$tevie]

I think FDR does, but I'm a lefty so of course I do.

[Lemon Drop]

What is your measurement for "ranking" the presidents?

I think once you're one of the 44 men who have been President of the United States, you're already pretty darned remarkable.

I find the earlier ones more interesting because they had so little precedent for the job they were doing, and at that time the country changed so rapidly.

[SDGuy]

JUST one?
That'd be a hard decision; here are some of my contenders, off the top of my head:

George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Abraham Lincoln
Teddy Roosevelt
Franklin Roosevelt
Richard Nixon
George HW Bush

[Dennis S]

I love the story of FDR's politics and times, but his personality doesn't interest me much compared to others. The more I ponder this, the more the old guys sound good. Adams and Jefferson do sound good; the getting the country off the ground has to be a bigger deal than keeping it going.

[$tevie]

FDR's leadership during the war, and his relationships with Churchill and Stalin, are enough right there to make for some fascinating study time.

But Adams and Jefferson were so multifaceted and such sheer geniuses, I am amazed again every time I come across them.

[Ted King]

James Madison