If you were to compare our last three presidents in 100 words or less, what would you say? Here’s my attempt:
Bill Clinton: principles = liberal; commitment to principles = negligible; communications skill = strong; communications approach = hide-the-ball; policies = centrist on domestic issues, liberal on foreign policy.
George W. Bush: principles = centrist on domestic issues, hard-line on foreign policy; commitment to principles = strong; communications skill = average; communications approach = say what you mean; mean what you say; policies = centrist on domestic issues, hard-line on foreign policy.
Barack Obama: principles = leftist; commitment to principles = strong; communcations skill = very strong; communications approach = hide-the-ball; policies = lefitst.
In this account Obama resembles Clinton ideologically (though Obama is to Clinton’s left) and with respect to communications (though Obama is more inspirational). Obama resembles Bush in his commitment to principle, though the principles themselves are vastly different.
Notice: All comments are subject to moderation. Our comments are intended to be a forum for civil discourse bearing on the subject under discussion. Commenters who stray beyond the bounds of civility or employ what we deem gratuitous vulgarity in a comment — including, but not limited to, “s***,” “f***,” “a*******,” or one of their many variants — will be banned without further notice in the sole discretion of the site moderator.