Best and Worst Presidents Who Were Never Elected

Five of our Presidents were never elected, and one (Ford) was never even elected Vice President. Here are the rankings from worst to best.

5 - GERALD FORD
Nothing seemed to go right for President Gerald Ford, who after the resignation of President Richard Nixon. Ford's pardon of Nixon was meant to heal the nation's wounds, but instead it angered the public and killed Ford's chances of getting elected.

Ford was also unsuccessful in his attempts to Whip Inflation Now (WIN), and his refusal to bail New York City prompted more anger at him. Ford also got no help for his portrayal as a stumbling buffoon by Chevy Chase on "Saturday Night Live."

Today, Ford is remembered more as an avid golfer than as a great president. His wife, Betty, has a more enduring legacy with the alcohol rehabilitation clinic that is named after her.

4 - MILLARD FILLMORE

Millard Fillmore took over in 1850 after President Zachary Taylor died of heat stroke. He signed legislation admitting California to the Union, but he also signed the Fugitive Slave Act.

This meant that federal marshals were compelled to arrest escaped slaves and return them to their masters in the south - basically, it was the Underground Railroad in reverse. Contrasting Fillmore's move with the legacy of Abraham Lincoln 10 years later shows you when Lincoln is on the five-dollar bill and Fillmore is not.

3 - CHESTER ARTHUR

Ford's credibility problem (he was accused of a "corrupt bargain" to succeed Nixon) was nothing compared to that of Chester Arthur. Before Charles Guiteau shot President James Garfield in the back, he shouted "Arthur is President now!"

Arthur tried to convince everyone that he wasn't part of a conspiracy to kill Garfield. To do that, he established himself as his own man and alienated everyone in both parties. Arthur wasn't even nominated for re-election in 1884.

2 - ANDREW JOHNSON

After Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, Andrew Johnson had to pick up the pieces. The country was deeply divided, but Johnson stood firm by pushing for blacks to have the right to vote.

Johnson survived two impeachments, which were both for political reasons. In the second trial, Johnson kept his job by one vote. After that, a president could only be impeached for "high crimes and misdemeanors."

1 - JOHN TYLER

When William Henry Harrison was elected on the "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too" ticket in 1840, voters had no idea how much "Tyler" they would be getting. Harrison died of pneumonia one month after delivering a two-hour inauguration speech in the rain. Tyler took over amid the jeers of opponents who called him "The Accidental President."

Tyler had to deal with the resignations of Harrison's entire cabinet, one of whom should have offered Tippecanoe an umbrella on his big day. Tyler also lost his wife, who died the following year.

Still, Tyler signed on to the annexation of Texas in 1845, and his strong leadership led him to be called "The Veto President." By the end of his presidency, Tyler earned one more nickname that any politician would envy: "Honest" John Tyler.