Contemplating President Obama's rise, sometimes you wonder, does this guy lead a charmed life or what? Six years ago, he's a state senator and part-time law professor on a long-shot bid for the U.S. Senate, when his two main rivals helpfully implode in scandals. He's in the Senate barely long enough to figure out where they keep the paper clips, then -- bam! -- he's president of the United States. Nine months later, the Nobel Committee hands him the Peace Prize for ... for ... well, I'm not sure either.

So it's hard to be shocked that just 18 months into his term, a team of presidential scholars has decided Barack Obama's already the 15th best president we've ever had.