[Echo Talon]

The president appears to be taking the high road vis-a-vis the Marxists

Maybe you could see... vis-a-vis
1. Compared with.
2. In relation to.

The president appears to be taking the high road "compared with" the Marxists(Sounds funky comparing him to Communists)

The president appears to be taking the high road "In relation to" the Marxists (looks like your saying hes taking the same road the communists take.)

Thanks for the clarification.

[SAJ]

The president appears to be taking the high road vis-a-vis (''in regards to'') the Marxists.

Clearly, in context, the Marxists are his opponents. Why in the world would anyone, president or no, ''take the high road'' vis-a-vis one's allies -- they're both already on the same page, there's no 'high' or 'low' road to be taken.

Sheesh.