Politicians that you disagree with but can tell are good PEOPLE and mean well

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

George H. W. Bush

A man who launched his career opposing the Civil Rights Act and spreading disinformation about the CIA?

Would you care to expound upon that? As I recall, he risked his career voting for the Open Housing Act, and what's this "disinformation" that he allegedly spread?

[stegosaurus]

After six years of his Presidency, I've come to the conclusion that Barack Obama is this.

[ilikeverin]

Mike Huckabee

[SWE]

There aren't very many American politicians who strike me as  being worse human beings than George H.W. Bush

[TDAS04]

Bob Dole

[All Along The Watchtower]

Ted Cruz

[Brittain33]

George W. Bush. I'm absolutely not joking.

[hopper]

Mikulski, for one for me. Klobuchar's heart is in the right place, too

Yeah I like Klobuchar myself but not how she votes.

[hopper]

There aren't very many American politicians who strike me as  being worse human beings than George H.W. Bush

I think he was a better President than his son or Obama is now.

[hopper]

After six years of his Presidency, I've come to the conclusion that Barack Obama is this.

I think Obama is a good family man and can give a great speech and will probably make lots of money on the speaking circuit once he is not president anymore. I just don't think he is a good president. 

[anvi]

I had actually not know about Bush's '64 campaign against Yarborough opposing the Civil Rights bill, so I just did some reading about it.  Yeah, weird at first and just bad later.  And upon reading this, of course, I remembered the Atwater-sponsored ads about Willie Horton against Dukakis, which I thought at the time were really scurrilous.  It's fairly likely that a number of staffers had to politically sacrifice themselves for his sake on Iran-Contra too.  So, yeah, fair enough.

[AggregateDemand]

I have a significantly higher opinion of Booker than you do, but then his Technocratic leanings are a plus for me. His tenure as Mayor of Newark makes me see him as one of those old-school practical liberals who knows how to keep the far left at bay, while improving the quality of life on the ground. They tend to do really well in big cities. Eric Garcetti is another one in that vein.

I don't view ambition and self-interest as a real character flaw, more a prerequisite for jumping into politics.

My only real issue with Booker is his rather strident veganism.

I also hold Booker in high regard. He is one of the few Democrats who uses intelligence and creativity, rather than trite moralistic arguments, to move an agenda. He also seems to understand that real political power is derived from making things work, not from getting your way. He's like a socially-liberal Paul Ryan or a practical version of Rand Paul.

If he runs in 2016, I'll vote for him. He'll only be 47, and a bit short of executive experience, but he'd win in a landslide, imo.

[SWE]

There aren't very many American politicians who strike me as  being worse human beings than George H.W. Bush

I think he was a better President than his son or Obama is now.

I'm not talking about how good or bad a president he was. I'm talking about how genuinely terrible a human being he was.

[Stand With Israel. Crush Hamas]

I have a significantly higher opinion of Booker than you do, but then his Technocratic leanings are a plus for me. His tenure as Mayor of Newark makes me see him as one of those old-school practical liberals who knows how to keep the far left at bay, while improving the quality of life on the ground. They tend to do really well in big cities. Eric Garcetti is another one in that vein.

I don't view ambition and self-interest as a real character flaw, more a prerequisite for jumping into politics.

My only real issue with Booker is his rather strident veganism.

I also hold Booker in high regard. He is one of the few Democrats who uses intelligence and creativity, rather than trite moralistic arguments, to move an agenda. He also seems to understand that real political power is derived from making things work, not from getting your way. He's like a socially-liberal Paul Ryan or a practical version of Rand Paul.

If he runs in 2016, I'll vote for him. He'll only be 47, and a bit short of executive experience, but he'd win in a landslide, imo.

Yeah, this is basically how I felt about Andrew Cuomo for a long time too, but then the last year and a half happened.

[Mr. Illini]

George H.W. Bush
George W. Bush (still want to have a beer with him)
Rick Santorum
Ronald Reagan
Orin Hatch
Mark Kirk
Ron Paul
Rick Perry
Mitt Romney

People who I disagree with and believe are most likely not good people:

Ted Cruz
Mitch McConnell
Dick Cheney
Jim Inhofe
Rick Scott
Lindsey Graham
Michele Bachmann
Donald Rumsfeld
Thom Tillis
Rudy Guiliani

[dead0man]

Depending on how you define "good".  If it's a high bar, few of them....Jimmy Carter, Al Franken....maybe a couple others.  If it's a low bar then

Most of them

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

George W. Bush, Rick Santorum, Lamar Alexander, Charlie Baker.

[hopper]

I have a significantly higher opinion of Booker than you do, but then his Technocratic leanings are a plus for me. His tenure as Mayor of Newark makes me see him as one of those old-school practical liberals who knows how to keep the far left at bay, while improving the quality of life on the ground. They tend to do really well in big cities. Eric Garcetti is another one in that vein.

I don't view ambition and self-interest as a real character flaw, more a prerequisite for jumping into politics.

My only real issue with Booker is his rather strident veganism.

I also hold Booker in high regard. He is one of the few Democrats who uses intelligence and creativity, rather than trite moralistic arguments, to move an agenda. He also seems to understand that real political power is derived from making things work, not from getting your way. He's like a socially-liberal Paul Ryan or a practical version of Rand Paul.

If he runs in 2016, I'll vote for him. He'll only be 47, and a bit short of executive experience, but he'd win in a landslide, imo.

Yeah, this is basically how I felt about Andrew Cuomo for a long time too, but then the last year and a half happened.

What exactly happened during the last year and a half?