Thoughts on Presidents, current and past

I was thinking this morning, for no apparent reason it seems, about how the left has openly mocked President Bush for the last 4+ years. Jon Stewart's "Daily Show," is a video-version of Jacob Weisberg's "Bushism's". Those are just two examples off the top of my head.

In the old days at ESPN, there were numerous posters who loved to point out W's syntax-challenged way with words. The predictable next step of course was to point out the link between public-speaking and intelligence.

W's predecessor Bill Clinton of course offers the starkest of contrasts. He was offered up repeatedly as the shining example of articulate and intelligent. And of course, he is undeniably both.

But is that all there is? President Clinton certainly spoke-well the outrage felt by America in the aftermath of WTC I in '93, and the African Embassy bombings in '98. He delivered well the sense of righteous indignation we all felt as American interests continued to blow up in the late 90's. Yet they continued to get blown up.

As the country continues watching the situation in NK and Iran, the thought comes to me: I'd have gladly traded some of Bill Clinton's glib intelligence for some backbone.


UPDATE: Jay Nordlinger's Impromptus today is a great example of what I'm talking about.