This could be an extremely short thread.
I was just reading about Thomas B. Reed, a Republican Congressman from Maine who was Speaker of the House during the 1890s. Perhaps it’s just because I’ve only read about him from one source, but I found myself in admiration of his stand against the Spanish-American War and the annexation of Hawaii. I can’t think of any current politicians I admire. If they’re well-known, there’s always some information that comes out that destroys any admiration I might form for them.
Currently, although I know a few people might not agree with me, I admire JC Watts. He seems to me to be one of the only black governmental officials who actually is willing to talk about things other than race related issues. He never seems to back down from an interview, and he doesn’t just tow (toe?) the company line.
I admire Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford for the joint projects/symposiums/ appearances they’ve made together to stress the need for people to become involved in the political process.
Two men who when they referred to each other during the '76 campaign as “my honororable opponent” really meant it, it seems to me.
I am a supporter of Gordon Wilson. True, he did loose this last electoral battle and is not currently a politician. He is, however, and extremely honest man and has given much of himself for his constituents.
It appauls me to see how we treat our politicians. Many are deserving of the rancor and such that we lay upon them but I have seen many wrongly accused and slandered for front page stories and for most of them there is little recourse, as to fight back only makes one look worse in the eyes of the viewing public.
Anyhow, I am rambling on … it is late … time for bed.
While I’m no longer at the University of Wisconsin, while I was there, I met two great politicians.
Tammy Baldwin - Actively involved in student issues, she was a representative in one of our districts and was the first woman to be elected to congress from Wisconsin. Always had time to answer questions, and was active in legislation like bills against women’s violence. Oh yeah…and she’s a lesbian who supports the medicinal use of marijuana. How can you lose?
Russ Feingold - also someone dedicated to student issues. They both campaigned heavily on the campus. This wasn’t just because they needed our votes (which they did), but because they truly wanted the input of students in the campaign. He works hard towards campaign finance reform, and it isn’t just lip service. In 1998 he set a cap for his campaign at around $3 million. That sounds like a lot, but it was one dollar for every citizen of Wisconsin and a hell of a lot less than what other politicians use for their campaign. He’s kept up the fight on soft money even this year with a bill cosigned by McCain. And while he’s not a lesbian, he’s still a very nice man.
Ooooh, perhaps I should have said “I can’t think of any current American politicians I admire.” picmr’s excellent reminder about Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi brought to mind that there are some current foreign politicians I admire.
I’m going to have to look into some of the Americans people have mentioned to see if I can admire them too.
I admired Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon as politicians…not as people, nor did I agree with all of their political views.
I admired Newt Gingrich for being the House Republicans’ Moses, leading them to the promised land of majority status, against powerful odds. Once he actually became Speaker though, he was out of his depth, especially in that he had to go head to head with Clinton.
I strongly admire Republican governor Gary Johnson of New Mexico for taking a stand against the War on Drugs, the only major elected politician in the country (of which I am aware) to do so.
Whatever else you can say about John F. Kennedy, I have to admire him for…well…Marilyn Monroe
Crossing the pond, I admire Margaret Thatcher, and of course Winston Churchill.
Nelson Mandela, for, among other things, not perpetuating a cycle of hatred and retribution against S. African whites, when he had plenty of cause to be angry and desirous of retribution.
Going back any further than I have, I would be talking about people I think of as historical figures, not politicians.
I always really truly admired Bob Kerrey. He always spoke his own mind, voted his conscience, didn’t necessarily follow party lines, did smart things as a freshman senator. However, I don’t know what to make of the recent revelations about vietnam.
I admire Jimmy Carter as a person, though I guess it’s pretty much accepted that he wasn’t a super politician.
Harvey Milk for one.
And I have a soft spot for John McCain whenever he pushes for campaign reform, (which, of course, is being held back in congress after Bush urged the quickness with two bills, gee I wonder why? :rolleyes: ) who would have thought that would be pushed by a republican? Don’t know much more about him except for the Hanoi Hilton incidents, but I have to admire him on the campaign reform aspect.
Pierre Elliott Trudeau…He was the best politician there ever was, a true statesman. Mind you I have never been supporter of the Liberal party that he represented, but he was better man than the putzes we have in today. And I mean both Federal and Provincial (Ontario) politics
A President who actually accomplished something during peacetime! He had the Panama Canal built, won a Nobel Peace Prize, pushed through the Pure Food and Meat Inspection laws of 1906, is responsible for five new national parks, 18 national monuments and millions of acres of national forest.
Not to mention he was one hell of a character. From the link given, Teddy Roosevelt can be described as “a Nobel prizewinner, a physical culturalist, a naval historian, a biographer, an essayist, a paleontologist, a taxidermist, an ornithologist, a field naturalist, a conservationist, a big-game hunter, an editor, a critic, a ranchman, an orator, a country squire, a civil service reformer, a socialite, a patron of the arts, a colonel of the cavalry, a former Governor of New York, the ranking expert on big-game mammals in North America…”
