What is a "Good" President?

[LCBOY]

Whever someone disagrees with the current President people state that he is not a good President. So what makes a "good" President? What qualities and characteristics should a "good" President have?

[Thumper]

All seriousness aside, a good president is one that does what everyone wants even if it's self-contradictory.

[Jedi Knight]

President Bush = Good President.

JK

[Tricky]

Able to understand complicated domestic and international issues.
Able to function as the spokesman for the nation and be respected among the international community.
Able to compromise on issues, even those near to his heart, to achieve the greater good.
Able to see the "big picture".
Able to function normally while under partisan attack without trying to "get" his attackers.
Able to laugh at himself.

[Bjorn]

Originally posted by Tricky
Able to understand complicated domestic and international issues.
Able to function as the spokesman for the nation and be respected among the international community.
Able to compromise on issues, even those near to his heart, to achieve the greater good.
Able to see the "big picture".
Able to function normally while under partisan attack without trying to "get" his attackers.
Able to laugh at himself.

It would be interesting to see you give the current president points for each of your chosen criterias? :p

[Jedi Knight]

Originally posted by Bjorn
It would be interesting to see you give the current president points for each of your chosen criterias? :p

It would have to be an "A+" in each.

JK

[Bjorn]

Originally posted by Jedi Knight


It would have to be an "A+" in each.

JK Able to laugh at himself.

When did he? :confused:

[subgenius]

Able to walk and talk at the same time. George claimed that Gore had an unfair advantage before the debates because he could do this.
But hey, being a nice guy and liking the Temptations is good too.

[Mike B.]

I would guess most people think a "good" President is one who agrees with them...;)

[Tricky]

Originally posted by Bjorn
It would be interesting to see you give the current president points for each of your chosen criterias? :p
Okay, since you ask. Let's call them

1- Able to understand complicated domestic and international issues.

2- Able to function as the spokesman for the nation and be respected among the international community.

3- Able to compromise on issues, even those near to his heart, to achieve the greater good.

4- Able to see the "big picture".

5- Able to function normally while under partisan attack without trying to "get" his attackers.

6- Able to laugh at himself.
---------------------
on a scale of 1 to 10:

G. W. Bush --- 1-4, 2-2, 3-6, 4-5, 5-7, 6-2 (total 24)

Clinton --- 1-9, 2-8, 3-10, 4-5, 5-10, 6-9 (total 51)

GHW Bush --- 1-8, 2-6, 3-7, 4-6, 5-5, 6-1 (total 33)

Reagan 1-2, 2-6, 3-6, 4-2, 5-8, 6-8 (total 32)

Carter 1-6, 2-5, 3-6, 4-7, 5-3, 6-7 (total 34)

Ford 1-8, 2-5, 3-7, 4-7, 5-9, 6-10 (total 46)

Nixon 1-10, 2-6, 3-2, 4-6, 5-1, 6-1 (total 26)

Johnson 1-5, 2-6, 3-8, 4-4, 5-4, 6-3 (total 28)

Kennedy 1-6, 2-10, 3-5, 4-3, 5-3, 6-4 (total 31)
---------------
Totally prejudiced and unscientific, I know, especially since my memory of Kennedy is sketchy, but interesting to me. By my system, Clinton was the best president of the last 40 years, followed closely by Ford. GWB is the worst, but Nixon and Johnson give him a run for the money. Anybody else care to give it a shot?

[Dancing David]

The good president huh, well truely it takes about 100 years for the partisan bickering to subside and for the smoke to clear.

I think that Eisenhower and Clinton were both good presidents, they both faught Congess tooth and nail and managed to reach a compromise.

[shanek]

Originally posted by LCBOY
Whever someone disagrees with the current President people state that he is not a good President. So what makes a "good" President? What qualities and characteristics should a "good" President have?

A "good" president is one that shares your party affiliation.

Think about it: Reagan and the elder Bush sent our military around everywhere, and that was a-OK with the Republicans, but the Democrats thought it was the most horrible thing possible. During the Clinton years, as Clinton's administration was doing the exact same thing, it was the Democrats who supported it and the Republicans who said how terrible it was. Now that we have a Republican president again, the roles are back to where they were before.

All the while, each president has taken more and more of our liberty and made the government bigger and bigger.

[shanek]

Originally posted by Tricky
Able to understand complicated domestic and international issues.
Able to function as the spokesman for the nation and be respected among the international community.
Able to compromise on issues, even those near to his heart, to achieve the greater good.
Able to see the "big picture".
Able to function normally while under partisan attack without trying to "get" his attackers.
Able to laugh at himself.


Interesting that you left out:
Actually cares about his oath to uphold and defend the Constitution.

[Nie Trink Wasser]

---------------------
on a scale of 1 to 10:

G. W. Bush --- 1-4, 2-2, 3-6, 4-5, 5-7, 6-2 (total 24)

Clinton --- 1-9, 2-8, 3-10, 4-5, 5-10, 6-9 (total 51)

GHW Bush --- 1-8, 2-6, 3-7, 4-6, 5-5, 6-1 (total 33)

Reagan 1-2, 2-6, 3-6, 4-2, 5-8, 6-8 (total 32)

Carter 1-6, 2-5, 3-6, 4-7, 5-3, 6-7 (total 34)

Ford 1-8, 2-5, 3-7, 4-7, 5-9, 6-10 (total 46)

Nixon 1-10, 2-6, 3-2, 4-6, 5-1, 6-1 (total 26)

Johnson 1-5, 2-6, 3-8, 4-4, 5-4, 6-3 (total 28)

Kennedy 1-6, 2-10, 3-5, 4-3, 5-3, 6-4 (total 31)
[/B]


LOL !

[Tricky]

Originally posted by shanek

Interesting that you left out:
Actually cares about his oath to uphold and defend the Constitution.
Probably because it is so subjective at to what that actually means. Also, it is unknown what the president in question is actually feeling. Regardless of how bad he is, he probably feels that he is upholding and defending the Constitution.

Though respect you, Shanek, I don't think you and I would agree at all about what "upholding and defending" actually mean. That is why I tried to base my categories on things that could be observed. "What he feels in his heart" is not one of those things.

I'd be interested in seeing your ratings.

[peptoabysmal]

A good president is one who does the right thing by making a difficult choice even if it costs him dearly in public opinion.

A bad president is one who is charismatic and charming while turning the country into an ethical and moral disaster that is not respected by the rest of the world.

[Tricky]

Originally posted by peptoabysmal
A bad president is one who is charismatic and charming while turning the country into an ethical and moral disaster that is not respected by the rest of the world.
Funny, I thought you liked Bush.

(Oops sorry. Missed the charismatic and charming bit. My bad.)

[peptoabysmal]

Originally posted by Tricky

Funny, I thought you liked Bush.

(Oops sorry. Missed the charismatic and charming bit. My bad.)

LOL

I was speaking in general. You can apply it to whomever you feel it suits. To me it would represent Clinton.

[shanek]

Originally posted by Tricky
Probably because it is so subjective at to what that actually means.

Possibly, but it most certainly doesn't mean taking away Constitutional rights in the name of a War on Terror (or, for that matter, a War on Drugs, War on Poverty, or any other excuse).

Regardless of how bad he is, he probably feels that he is upholding and defending the Constitution.

Even as he holds American citizens indefinitely, without charge or the benefit of legal counsel?

[fishbob]

Actually cares about his oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. It is way too subjective, although I think I understand your intent. How about we re-word this one a little:

Freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution are upheld by his statements and by the actions of his administration.

Now evaluate.

[gnome]

How about some honesty? And I feel no hypocrisy separating honesty about one's personal life from honesty about national policy.

To me, a good president will either follow the public will on an issue, or when personal convictions require otherwise, admit that and do the best job possible of convicing the public (the leadership bit)

I have seen too often a leader follow his own doctrine while pretending he is following public will.

If you're going to buck your constituency (which sometimes you must do) you should be willing to confront it head on and take your lumps.

[Regnad Kcin]

Originally posted by peptoabysmal
A bad president is one who is charismatic and charming while turning the country into an ethical and moral disaster that is not respected by the rest of the world.
I was speaking in general. You can apply it to whomever you feel it suits. To me it would represent Clinton. Interesting. My recollection is that Mr. Clinton was extraordinarily well regarded throughout the world during his terms in office.