What qualities do we hope to see in a president?

by David Grand
October 22, 2008

My immediate answer to that question would be to make an analogy with a horse race, where I'd want the one I bet on to keep his head straight, not to be distracted by the hooting and howling of spectators, to avoid being panicked by those attempting to block his way, and to keep a steady pace and not use up all his energy early on.

Now, we've had forty-two presidents up to now (10 in my lifetime). And I was in my mid-teens before I knew there'd been other presidents before FDR, who was elected four times without any serious challenges.

But it wasn't until my early 20's (during Eisenhower's administration) that I began boning up on U.S. history and the performance of past presidents, for better or worse.

Incidentally, I was somewhat leery about him becoming a good president, based on the difficulty that past military leaders had (except for Washington) in making the transition from leading troops to leading the nation. But as it tuned out any doubts I had on that score were remove by the statesman-like qualities he exhibited in his two terms. And today he's ranked as one of our best presidents.

Others who routinely made the list of the top ten presidents in surveys conducted in recent times were:1) Washington 2) Lincoln 3) Franklin Roosevelt 4) Harry Truman 5) Thomas Jefferson 6) Theodore Roosevelt 7) Andrew Jackson 8) Ronald Reagan 9) Woodrow Wilson 10) Dwight Eisenhower.

What, then, are the qualities that separated them from the pack and that led them to achieving presidential greatness?

Personally, I agree with what historian Robert Dallek said, "that there's six key elements that make for a great president: activism, vision, pragmatism, charisma, consensus building and credibility." And he adds, luck also plays a part.

A few other qualities that I consider absolutely essential are: being able to laugh at yourself over stupid blunders, being an animal lover, being an ardent environmentalist, being a faithful husband, being able to distinguish between friends and foes, and being cool, calm and collected when faced with a domestic and global crisis, such as the one we're in today.

If I were to make a composite of what an ideal president would be, he'd have the wisdom and stick-to-it-ness of Lincoln, the political savvy and endurance of FDR, the dedication of purpose and optimism of Wilson, the spellbinding speaking ability and commitment to environmental protection of Theodore Roosevelt, the determination and candor of Truman, to the powers of persuasion (but not the stubbornness) of LBJ, the intellect and eloquence of Kennedy, the wit and folksiness of Clinton and the communication skills and charm of Reagan.

In case you're wondering who our lowest ranked presidents were, a 2008 History News Network poll among professional historians found that 98 percent believed that the George W. Bush presidency was a failure, and that 61 percent felt it was the worst in history. And seven other presidents who weren't all that far above him were Pierce, Buchanan, Andrew Johnson, Grant, Harding, Carter and (last but not least) Nixon.

Now, if I'm not around to see how historians judge our incoming 43rd president, I would hope that my children and grandchildren would view it with interest and tell me of it when we meet in the hereafter.That is, after griping about what I left or didn't leave them in my will.