as supreme allied commander in Europe in World War II to his death in 1969, butit was long held by students of American politics that his performance as chief executivewas largely a nonperformance. It was widely assumed that the policies of the Eisenhoweradministration were made not by the amiable IKE but by his less-then-amiable secretaryof state, John Foster Dulles, and his stony-faced White House chief of staff, ShermanAdams. Page 44At U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, Eisenhower graduated sixty-first ina class of 164. (so you don’t have to be smart to be president). Page 45One facet of Roosevelt’s public leadership was his fireside chats–the low-key, almostconversational radio broadcasts through which he explained his policies. In contrast withpresidents who inundate the nation with words, Roosevelt rationed his broadcasts. Page16-17.Master of Maneuver— No other president has been more politically proficient thanFDR,... with a legendary political network, and charm that could melt glaciers. Page 17. (same as Clinton).Emotional Intelligence— The politically gifted, emotionally challenged WilliamJefferson Clinton provides yet another indication of the fundamental importance ofemotional intelligence in the modern presidency. Clinton’s political gifts enabled himto thwart the Republican effort to remove him from office, but his psychic shortcomingwere debilitation. Assertions about the impact of an incumbent or recent president arenecessarily provisional, but Clinton seems certain to be recognized for moving theDemocratic party to the center of the political spectrum and for many incremental policydepartures. Yet he is also likely to be remembered as a politically talentedunderachiever,... Page 188.Nixon —His strengths included great intelligence, unbounded willingness to invest effortin advancing his purposes, and an encyclopedic knowledge of politics. He had a shr...
