[hanamizu]

Not even close. James Polk by far. Added Texas, Oregon Country, and the Mexican Cession to the Union in his four years.

[Lurkinanloomin]

Well, GHW Bush did set US on the path to becoming North Mexico.

[Rockingham]

Notably, unlike the gregarious and athletic George H. W. Bush, Polk was an introvert by nature and beset throughout his life by poor health. Yet, determined and ambitious, Polk worked hard to mingle and master politics at a practical level and to accomplish his primary policy goal of territorial expansion. A resolute Jacksonian, Polk had the vision thing that Bush lacked. Historians these days rate Polk as one of or the most effective President of the pre Civil War era.

Bush's great accomplishment -- the peaceful end of the Cold War -- is much to his credit. Yet it is perhaps mostly a matter of Bush being the right man as President at the right time, bringing to fruition the strategy put into place by Reagan, his predecessor. Reading the now declassified memoranda that laid out Reagan's national security strategy leaves little doubt that Bush's success was principally the result of Reagan and his administration.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

James Polk by far. Added Texas, Oregon Country, and the Mexican Cession to the Union in his four years.

. . . and also negotiated our settled border with Canada.

And he didn’t run for reelection in 1848 . . .

So I suppose that Polk is actually in a different category, in the sense that he was not a one-term POTUS because of electoral defeat.

[RinaseaofDs]

Independent treasury as well.

[SoFloFreeper]

“toughest one-term competitor was President James K. Polk”

LOL! This was exactly my reaction when I heard James Baker!

Of course, let’s cut him some slack. He was speaking at a funeral, not giving a history lecture.

[Verginius Rufus]

I would agree that Polk was more successful. Of course we had jointly occupied the Oregon Country with Great Britain, and some were unhappy that Polk did not insist on 54 degrees and 40 minutes and settled for the 49th parallel. I think Texas annexation was voted just before Tyler left office, but the actual implementation took place under Polk...and if Clay had won (he opposed the annexation of Texas) I doubt Congress would have voted for annexation.

Just the Oregon Country and the Mexican Cession together are very nearly the same amount of territory as the Louisiana Purchase.

John Adams would also have a claim to being a more significant President than GHWB, by avoiding getting us into a war with France. He had a very difficult task, following the greatest President of them all, with inherited Cabinet officers who were more loyal to Hamilton than to himself.

[Impy]

100% correct, it’s no contest, Polk. He did what he said he would and then retired, almost unimaginable. Though Harding was an excellent President who would have been reelected if he had lived. Honorable mention also for John Adams. In 20/20 hindsight thought I wish we could give Cali back to Mexico.

Most other 1 termers have been a failure to varying degrees (hence their defeats or choice to not run again) or insignificant, including Bush 41, America’s John Major. Tough act to follow but...fail.