Spin Doctors

OK, I’ll be upfront and say that it was curiosity more than anything else that inspired this poll. And once again, I’m not entirely surprised by the result – the Great Communicator his bad self dominated the latter half of the 20^th century, relegating George Bush and Jimmy Carter to Millard Fillmore-like status.

But here’s the thing – really, how great of a presidency was it? Well, the Soviet threat was eliminated…um, except that it wasn’t really. Reaganomics led to the current period of economic growth…um, if you don’t consider Alan Greenspan and you forget about the recessions and unemployment of the 1980s. Well, there was Grenada…and, um, Beirut.

Ditto our current C-in-C – how great a presidency will it be judged to be? What’s actually been accomplished? Well, the economy, stupid…but there’s Greenspan again. A balanced budget…funded by, among other things, the tobacco companies, in an absolutely stunning display of brass on the part of the cowards in office. Show me the money indeed.

You want to talk achievements? Bush glad-handed, cajoled and arm-twisted a coalition together to defend Europe’s need for oil, an absolutely appropriate use of American military and strategic power. Johnson’s signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was a critical moment in American history. Ditto JFK’s face-off with the Russians in Cuba, and Carter’s handling of the peace process between Israel and Egypt. What in the records of Clinton or Reagan even comes close to any of that?

No – what we have here is the victory of spin over substance. The two top slots are occupied by presidents unsurpassed in their control of the art of the image. It’s astounding to me that Reagan was never impeached, and even more astounding that Clinton actually was.

My personal choice goes to the number-three man – Harry S "The Buck stops here" Truman. He had the courage of his convictions, made the toughest-ever presidential call (the only use of nuclear weapons in human history), and ignored public opinion when he fired MacArthur. He approved the Marshall Plan, without which there would be no Euro. And when he retired from the office, he quietly went back home. Would that they all did.

I’m also surprised that Gerald Ford fared so poorly – a pivotal and under-appreciated figure in American history. Okay, "WIN" buttons were dumb. But after Watergate, could Americans have handled anything much more complicated than that?

I don’t know - Reagan and Clinton – I think we’re being kinder to them than history will be. Unless the spin-doctors write the history books.

I have only been alive and politically aware for the last three Presidents. I had JUST turned eighteen a month earlier and was therefore able to vote in the 1988 election of Bush (I voted for Dukakis) so I guess you could say that I have only been politically aware for Bush and Clinton. And some may argue against that.

I have recently thought of something concerning the leader of the free world. Although I probably should have thought of this long ago, law school has really driven the point home. The most awesome power that the President has, aside from the obvious one of being able to destroy the world with nuclear armageddon, is the appointment of Supreme Court Justices.

The reason I say so is because those appointments are still part of the Court long after the President writes his memoirs and makes obscene amounts of appearance money. What happens when the Court is reshaped completely and a case similar to Roe v. Wade comes up for review? How will they deal with the Commerce Clause, the single most powerful clause in the Constitution when granting power to Congress? The next President will likely have the opportunity to shape the Supremes in his image. There is a good chance that the Chief Justice will retire if a conservative moves to Pennsylvania Avenue. Who becomes Chief then? The smart money is on Sandra Day O'Connor. According to my Con Law professor, she is almost always good for a government vote, so who else would they want up there?

I agree with Flatcat that Spin Doctors do shape the public perception of a President to a degree that we really wouldn't want to know. If we truly knew all the shady things Reagan did during his Presidency, we likely wouldn't be able to sleep at night. And how in the name of everything Holy did Clinton's approval rating actually soar when we learned that he had seduced a young twentysomething right in the Oval Office?? Again, you have to spin to win.

Clinton's image people turned Starr's investigation into a "witch hunt" and made everyone feel sorry for the President. That's the only way to explain it. Before I go further, I must say that I voted for Clinton twice and I wouldn't change it if I knew then what I know now. But it is absolutely astounding to me that he came out of that scandal smelling like a rose. Or at least a good cuban cigar.

Now I didn't know anything about Reagan when he went into office. I remember being in fifth grade and reading the headline "LANDSLIDE!!!" I didn't know what that meant at the time. I just thought maybe every President was elected that way. I was starting first grade when Carter was elected. I was more concerned with Dick and Jane than Jimmy and Rosalyn. I grew up during the Reagan years. I remember the assassination attempt, the Grenada "invasion", and being scared to death of nuclear war. We may be closer to that now than ever but it sure doesn't feel to me now like it did then.

As far as "Reaganomics" goes, I think Bill Maher summed it up best when he described "trickle down economics". "How much closer can they get without actually saying, 'We're pissing on you.'? We have a lot of money. If we drop some, pick it up, it's yours!"

Some people contend that the President is nothing but a figurehead. I disagree. I believe the President can and does make policy decisions that have repercussions on the entire nation and the world. One has to look no further than Greenspan to figure that one out. I am no economist, but Big Al can control the nation's economy with a few carefully chosen words and the girth of his briefcase. Millions and millions of dollars are lost or gained based on whether he says "irrational exuberance" or "sustained growth". Now THAT is power my friends. Bill Bradley should lose the Democratic nomination for even suggesting that he may not nominate Greenspan as Fed chairman again if given the opportunity.

Okay, enough about politics. Let's get back to something more substantive. What is the best TV comedy of all time? Thanks for all the nominations.

Thursday's poll will go back to the movies. What is the best movie of all time that contained a substantial amount of nudity? I know substantial is subjective, so just use your best judgment. Nominations to lawdogusc@hotmail.com.

Poll Topic: Best President of the 2nd Half of the 20th Century
Ronald Reagan	38.5% - (293 Votes)
Bill Clinton	15.7% - (120 Votes)
Harry Truman	13.2% - (101 Votes)
John Kennedy	11.5% - (88 Votes)
Dwight Eisenhower	6.4% - (49 Votes)
Richard Nixon	5.9% - (45 Votes)
Jimmy Carter	3% - (23 Votes)
Lyndon Johnson	2.3% - (18 Votes)
George Bush	2.2% - (17 Votes)
Gerald Ford	0.7% - (6 Votes)
Total Votes: 760