Which Ex-Presidents Would You Want to Go on a Bender With?

JFK wasn't exactly a notorious drunk, but he did have some hobbies that would make him a respectable bender-partner. According to many reports, he was a sex fiend. Famous starlets, staffers, strippers, whatevs. Some associates also say that John F. Kennedy enjoyed recreational LSD and loved to smoke cigars. Compound that with the fact that JFK was easily our most suave and handsome ex-pres, and you've got yourself a formidable contestant. Pros: - JFK was an idealist. You'd want that kind of positive energy around you. - He also had an "iron will" and could help you keep your bender on track. - You may get to meet Jackie O at the end of it all. Cons: - His promiscuity could somehow be a liability.

Ulysses S. Grant was a known alcoholic, a binge drinker. Some reports mention a personal barrel of whiskey that he'd sip from all day during the Civil War. He won that one. Here's the thing: Grant's drinking problem made him an awesome leader on the battlefield. He was fearless, uninhibited, commanding. Grant was pretty much a failure in all other aspects of life, but give him an army to command and a glass of whiskey to sip on, and he'll make you proud! Pros: - He's a war hero. Somebody's gotta buy you a round of drinks for that. - War stories. Literally. Cons: - Being a short man, Grant was known to have the lightweight tolerance of a teenager. - Going on a bender with someone who actually has a drinking problem is always kind of sad.

Dubya is (allegedly) sober now, but he partied hard in his 20s and 30s. Jokes aside, this guy actually went on benders back in the day: DUIs, drunken stealing sprees, alleged cocaine use, the real deal. If you can ignore your opinion of the guy as a politician (or not, if you're a fan) then Georgie would probably show you an honest to goodness great time. Pros: - George W. is funny. Especially when he is trying to sound smart! Everyone has a favorite Bushism. "I know how hard it is for you to put food on your family," is a good one. Imagine the laughs! Cons: - For essentially being political royalty, he sure gets caught a lot for doing stupid things. (He's been arrested 3 times!) You do not want to get arrested on your imaginary bender.

A couple important facts to know about FDR, one of America's greatest Presidents. 1. He repealed Prohibition, and it wasn't easy. The temperance movement had gained steam, and illegal bootleggers were more than happy for alcohol to continue to be illegal. 2. He could make a damn good martini. Pros: - That martini, though. - FDR loved boating: sailboats, houseboats... party boats? - Most people know that FDR was wheelchair bound for many years of his life. You think they make a wheelchair-bound ex-president wait in line at the club?! Cons: - He maintained tight control over his image, which is why wheelchair pics are hard to come by. Sounds like a bit of a control freak.

Think John Adams was a square just because he wore a powdered wig and was super into the Continental Congress? You'd be wrong! Dude loved to drink. In fact, it's fairly common knowledge that the Founding Father and second POTUS drank a large tankard of hard cider every morning for breakfast. Pros: - He could tell you what a "tankard" is. - Drinking at breakfast = no hangovers! - He started drinking at age 15, so you know he can handle his ish. - He'd have the ciggies. John Adams started smoking at age 8 and continued until he died... when he was 90. Cons: - The Former Prez stated that the reason why he drank in the morning was that it helped relieve his gas...TMI, buddy. - Like most of our Founding Fathers, he could be a bit verbose. So unless you have patience for that, it probably counts as a notch against him.

Not sure what kind of bender you're interested in, but Jimmy Carter was a known teetotaler. He is actually the only President to have all of the liquor removed from the White House. Total BUZZ KILL, amirite? Pros: - Designated driver!!!! Cons: - Everything else.

Taft was a hell of a guy. He didn't drink himself, but he loved to push liquor on all of his dinner guests. Taft was also famously obese (330 lbs) and narcoleptic. So there's that. Pros: - If you could get him to have a few drinks, his tolerance would probably be sky high. - He was a member of the secret society Skull and Bones. Access. - No drinking = designated driver. Cons: - His narcolepsy could be a liability. You don't want a limp body that you can't lift on your hands.

With nicknames like "Big Steve" and "Uncle Jumbo," Grover Cleveland sounds like a natural drinking buddy. Fun fact: At one point during his 1870 campaign for district attorney of Erie County, New York, Cleveland and his rival agreed to drink only four glasses of beer per day -- only to later decide it was too restrictive an amount. Pros: - Grover was a huge cigar smoker. And being the president and all, he could probably supply very nice ones. Cons: - He married his best friend's daughter: a woman 30 years younger than him. So, that's sort of creepy. - He had a weird gout problem in his feet, causing him to limp for many years. This could unfortunately result in a literal pub crawl.

James Buchanan was a wealthy bachelor with a taste for the finer things in life. He was also a heavy drinker. He reportedly could drink several bottles of alcohol in the course of an evening and could hold his liquor well. It's also been said that he was our first gay president. Pros: - His money could come in handy: buying substances, making bail, picking up hookers. - Bachelor life = pretty relaxed responsibilities at home Cons: - Like many other presidents, he suffered from chronic depression.

Franklin Pierce was (another) well-known drunk. He was vocal about it, too. Apparently, when his term of presidency was over he said, "There is nothing left… but to get drunk." ...kind of sad, but also just the attitude you need for a partner in crime. Commitment! Pros: - Fact: Franklin Pierce had the best hair of any president. He had total swagger. - He has the party ethic of a hard drinker. Cons: - He eventually died of cirrhosis of the liver. Sort of takes the fun out of it. - Pierce could be moody. Sad and moody.

Nixon was a nightly drinker, and it was rumored that he was into this drug called Dilantin, an anti-seizure medication that also had mood-altering properties. Pros: - He would probably have Dilantin to share, if you're into that. Cons: - He had a tendency towards depression. Total downer. - "He assumed the worst in people, and he brought out the worst in them ... He clung to the idea of being tough." ...May or may not be your idea of a good time.

Andrew Jackson had a strong personality and held grudges, something that would be potentially exacerbated by the addition of alcohol (he preferred whiskey). He also had a foul-mouthed parrot that had to be escorted out of his funeral for causing a big fuss, so that would have potentially made a night of drinking entertaining, to say the least. Pro: - Parrot entertainment provided! Cons: - The risk of an angry Andrew Jackson seems dangerous.

Chester A. Arthur was a snobby, by-many-accounts-lazy New Yorker who loved to party. According to fellow ex-pres Rutherford B. Hayes, Arthur's presidency was marred by "liquor, snobbery and worse." Rutherford sounds like a buzzkill. Arthur consistently slept-in past ten, wore "dandyish outfits," indulged in 12-course meals on the reg and refused any type of physical exertion. Rather than walk to places, say, down the street, he took a fancy carriage everywhere. And he drank himself silly on this fancy carriage. Pros: - Arthur pretty much invented the very first party bus: The Party Carriage. You know they were getting cray in there! - 12-course meals = perfect start/end to a bender. Cons: - The whole snob thing could get old.