US Presidents

[Ernie]

Have there been any US presidents you think fits the following description?

Someone who was:
-gifted with administrative aptitude
-respectful of staff working under him
-respectful of others including political opponents
-able to bring people together in a measure of unity and peace in the nation, including a large percentage of those from other parties
-known for being honest and speaking the truth

[Josh]

Andrew Jackson

Keep in mind the most admired US Presidents (Washington, Lincoln) were also warmongers.

[Ken]

Andrew Jackson

Keep in mind the most admired US Presidents (Washington, Lincoln) were also warmongers.

Jackson only waged war on Native Americans and implemented the largest forced-removal in American history. But I guess that doesn’t count when we are talking about “bringing people together in a measure of unity and peace in the nation” because they weren’t real Americans?

[Ernie]

Looks like another Josh and Ken thread.

[Ken]

Looks like another Josh and Ken thread.

No, I’m done here. Personally I think the last deliberately honest and unifying president we might have had, who might best meet your criteria, was Eisenhower. But all of them were creatures of their times and hostage to world events. Eisenhower was also a cold warrior abroad. The quiet ones were probably only lucky to live and serve during relatively quiet times.

[joshuabgood]

Someone who was:
-gifted with administrative aptitude
-respectful of staff working under him
-respectful of others including political opponents
-able to bring people together in a measure of unity and peace in the nation, including a large percentage of those from other parties
-known for being honest and speaking the truth

Some would say Obama ticked quite a few of these boxes. Generally I think Reagan arguably ticked a few of these boxes also. I think Lincoln ticks a few of these as well, the rebellion notwithstanding. As I think does Washington, who himself advocated against partisanship (and he tried hard to fill his cabinet with various philosophies). Other names that would come to mind that tick quite a few of the boxes, Grover Cleveland, Eisenhower, FDR...

Of course all of them were human and had components to their tenure that don't tick the boxes. Others, like B Clinton, in many ways ticked many of the boxes, but had some really large/well known "errors" in truth-telling etc. Others like Carter are nearly universally loved/respected now, but many people fault his administrative aptitude, probably mostly because he inherited an economic malaise years in the making from the Great Society and Vietnam War.

[RZehr]

Have there been any US presidents you think fits the following description?

Someone who was:
-gifted with administrative aptitude
-respectful of staff working under him
-respectful of others including political opponents
-able to bring people together in a measure of unity and peace in the nation, including a large percentage of those from other parties
-known for being honest and speaking the truth

We've only had 46. Maybe the 47th will be the one that fits these.

[temporal1]

Have there been any US presidents you think fits the following description?

Someone who was:
-gifted with administrative aptitude
-respectful of staff working under him
-respectful of others including political opponents
-able to bring people together in a measure of unity and peace in the nation, including a large percentage of those from other parties
-known for being honest and speaking the truth

We've only had 46. Maybe the 47th will be the one that fits these.

i don’t see “perfect” on the list, nor do i understand the words “a measure of unity” to translate to 100% domestic+world peace.
i have no particular name in mind.

the basic job description of world leaders (must be) to define, protect, defend national borders and legal citizens. (right?)
it’s secular, earthly work.

it’s not to satisfy everyone’s fantasies. it’s not the role of God, altho some leaders (not just in youthful U.S.) seem to believe it, and, unfortunately, many others seem to want them/gov to be God. (hmm. no. they want gov to be “better than God.”) God can be inconvenient with His standards of behaviors.

it’s generally wise to identify and stick with basics. “what is earthly gov for?”

[Ken]

Have there been any US presidents you think fits the following description?

Someone who was:
-gifted with administrative aptitude
-respectful of staff working under him
-respectful of others including political opponents
-able to bring people together in a measure of unity and peace in the nation, including a large percentage of those from other parties
-known for being honest and speaking the truth

We've only had 46. Maybe the 47th will be the one that fits these.

I don’t think that’s likely. I don’t see anyone on the horizon in either party who is likely to be able to bring large numbers of people together from both parties. In fact, I seriously doubt there are large numbers of people from both parties who actually want to be brought together. There will be a next president, and a next one after that. But I doubt any of them will be any more unifying than any one of the recent past.

[Joy]

We've only had 46. Maybe the 47th will be the one that fits these.