To be honest, since you're a military historian, I can definitely see why you wouldn't rank LBJ as high as other Presidents as Vietnam shadowed his Presidency and has weakened his overall legacy. Still, you're crazy if you think that the dandy, Virginian, stocking and powdered-wig-wearing Father of Our Country -- whose favorite activity was to DANCE -- could have taken Lincoln. There are at least ten Presidents who could have handled Washington easily in a fight.
Washington could have easily taken Lincoln! Everyone talks of Lincoln growing up in the wild west…of Illinois. Chicago had already boomed quite a bit! He was hardly a frontiersman, he was a lawyer! I’m not saying he wasn’t strong, I’m saying he wasn’t tough! Washington had been a prisoner of war during the War of 1812, Lincoln had never even taken part in a battle. Washington was a dancer, but we’ve all seen Ali’s fancy footwork as well! Washington could’ve danced around a lanky Lincoln as he fumbled around his own feet in an attempt to connect a punch. And while I agree there are at least 10 other presidents who could have bested Washington in a fight, Lincoln was most certainly not one of them.
Also, LBJ’s handling of Vietnam is absolutely repugnant to me as a military historian, but I think no matter who you are, you have to respect his strides in true equality amongst Americans. Also, LBJ might make it into my Top 10, but he would never be higher than #10.
