[VOA]

Thanks for posting from IMPRIMIS; some of the commentaries are really great.

Paul Johnson, authors of a fair number of books:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/102-7221013-1728924?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Paul%20Johnson

[flowerplough]

Five Keys to Statesmanship - where's our President fit on this guy's scale?

First, ideas and beliefs. Yep, Our George Bush has ideas and beliefs, I guess. One for one.

Next comes willpower. Two for two. Got the Petraeus surge pushed through, over the strong opposition of Democrats who squat to pee.

A third virtue is pertinacity. We'll let this one slide, since neither Dubya nor I can pronounce or define that kinda word. Still 2/2.

Fourth is the ability to communicate.
Errrnt!! Game over. Next contestant.

[Happy Rain]

Paul Johnson has done more historical “fact-based” researh than any historian past or present.His “Modern Times” will rank,by future historians,as a work on par with “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.”
Of course,by being “fact-based” the international left dismisses his work as biased and inaccurate “right-wing history,” a natural badge of honor for the firm and correct literary warriors fighting the “1984” style historical revisionism of liberal acadamia.
Mr.Johnson is no ideologue,he simply records and reports the naked truth which only makes him appear to the agenda driven and purposly obtuse a conservative ideologue.
Fred Thompson and Duncan Hunter are perhaps unintentional students of Paul Johnson being the only “biased and innacurate” by leftist standards,candidates in the presidential race.
The long considered axiom of the honarable politician:”I would rather be right than president,” would be an anachronism if conservatives would but do their best to support them.
“I can be right and president,” could be the new GOP paradigm with our unified eschewing of the pretty and populist.

[VOA]

Fourth is the ability to communicate.

I'd say "the ability to construct AND deliver a meaningful,
motivating communication" is a more complete formulation.

IMHO, Dubya too often fails with the construction of message OR
the delivery of message...and sometimes with both.

I humbly make that observation knowing I'd do a MUCH worse job!

[Jakarta ex-pat]

Well worth the look.

Thanks

[dljordan]

Wow! That was great, thanks.

[EternalVigilance]

There is a quote from George Washington that I think sums up the attitude of true statesmanship better than anything else.

"Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair. The rest is in the hands of God."

A statesman stands for what is true and right, no matter the personal cost, and no matter where the chips may fall politically.

Rare these days in America.