And yet people said at the time that minimalism is not memorable. was reacting against the theatrics of Ronald Reagan, thought the presidency was too overexposed so he wanted to be more reserved. at the end of his 100 days, it almost could apply to the son. You know, it's so interesting if you look at the evaluation of Mr. You don't have the feeling that people at large are banging on Congress's doors to get his own programs passed. I think he's overreacted to Clinton's overexposure and he's kept himself back too much from really using that bully pulpit to make people feel engaged. On the other hand, I think the one area that he still hasn't made the progress that a president needs to is engaging the public at large in his presidency. And he certainly didn't screw around with his allies the same way that Carter did in those first days where he tried to undo all the pet projects of his famous Democratic allies. He's created a loyal team that doesn't seem to have the in-fighting that Reagan's team had. It was much smoother in terms of the appointments than Clinton's was. Well, I agree, there's no question that he's got a smooth transition going. You know, who would have predicted a year ago that Tom Daschle, the Democratic leader in the Senate, would claim victory if the Senate passed a $1.2 trillion tax cut? That's no small achievement. The other thing is of course that modern presidents are judged for their ability to set the agenda. I think at the end of the 100 days, whatever you think of the policies - there have been some missteps, no doubt, I think the Saturday Night Live caricature has been largely defanged. For example, a lot of people wondered basically whether this man was up to the job. The tests I think that Bush have faced have been incremental. Yet on the other hand there have been some things revealed. The whole Chinese plane incident was dramatic but it certainly didn't compare with the would-be assassination or the Bay of Pigs. But that may reflect the world we live in and a somewhat down-sized presidency, post Cold War presidency. The tests of George Bush have been much less dramatic. As Michael said, JFK in '61, Reagan in '81 tested by a would-be assassin. You know, we've trashed this artificial yardstick but it does actually apply to untested presidents who inspire some uncertainties even after they're elected.
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