Was William McKinley a bad president?

McKinley's reputation has undergone many swings in opinion, and his legacy remains debated. Because his assassination in 1900 was such a shock, he was temporarily elevated to the position of great president. Unfortunately for him, however, this legacy quickly faded as he was overshadowed by the much more forceful and colorful presidency of his former vice president, Theodore Roosevelt.
Later, McKinley's reputation began a sharp dip. Many historians understood him as merely the tool of his campaign manager Hanna and other Republicans. He was also criticized for letting public opinion guide him rather than providing strong leadership. Historians questioned him for getting involved in the Spanish-American war and for allowing the United States to embark on an imperialist path. Others criticized him for his reliance on protectionism and tariffs.
The current assessment of McKinley often depends on one's political leanings. Conservative Republicans today tend to rate McKinley more highly because of his belief in limited government. Most, however, would rate McKinley as a middling, not a bad, president who acted as a bridge between the nineteenth-century presidency and the modern more powerful executive in charge of the country. In sum, he was not a bad president but not a great one either.