Article: Why good politicians make the best Presidents

[FLgirl]

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http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-09-30/congress-is-just-first-hurdle-for-presidents

[Bull Moose Base]

Bernstein is interesting but I disagree with him on this a bit. "Party actors" encompasses different things. I don't think mega donors, for example, are especially looking for someone who would make a good president. They want someone who (a) can win and (b) either shares (or will push) their ideology or will shepherd through the agenda they want. Someone with "conventional qualifications" is the best bet because they've already proven they can win statewide and probably also that they can play the game and serve their donors interests. When you look at the Club for Growth's Trump Panic for instance, are they really freaking out that he'll be an ineffective president? No, they worry he won't be as responsive to what policies hey want on trade, taxes, regulation. (Although they liked his tax plan in the end.) If you look at the contrast in how they feel about Cruz vs Rubio who have similar experience levels, their willingness to follow orders makes a huge difference. And Trump, crazy as he is on a lot of stuff, is pulling back the curtain for everyone to see.

[Mister Mets]

Weren't George W Bush and Jimmy Carter widely acknowledged to be good Governors?

[Maxwell]

Weren't George W Bush and Jimmy Carter widely acknowledged to be good Governors?

Texas Governor is a not a very powerful position at all. But Bush is an example against this article - W. was a masterful politician. Dreadful president.

[Marokai Backbeat]

I also don't really think Obama is a particularly good politician. He's a good campaigner and people like him, but as a politician he's never been all that effective at pushing an agenda (certainly nowhere near as effect as W. Bush inexplicably was), and as President has usually relied on delegating to others. But I think he's been a good President, in spite of that.

And to be fair, in 2008 Obama openly campaigned as a delegator, not a deal-maker. (Which is sort of weird in retrospect.)