There has been spirited debate among historians over which of the 46 presidents of the United States ranks as the best.
There has also been spirited though somewhat more subdued debate over which of them was the worst.
And boy have there been some bad ones, from James Buchanan, who essentially sat on his hands and watched as the nation tore itself apart and triggered the Civil War, to Warren G Harding, who famously presided over one of the most corrupt administrations in history.
But no debate about worse presidents of all time would be complete without mentioning John Tyler, the 10th President.
Tyler was never supposed to be president.
He assumed the office following the sudden death of his predecessor, the first time that had happened in American history.
It was just the first of a string of unprecedented events that would shape American politics for a generation.
Among other things, Tyler successfully derailed the legislative agenda of his own party, causing them to expel him from their ranks.
His obstinence irritated almost everyone in Washington, to the point, that he had few friends and entirely too many enemies.
He even most important achievement during his presidency adding taxes to the union, ultimately, triggered a war that caused the deaths of tens of thousands and set the stage for an even more destructive war a decade later.
