>>>This does not have to be permanent and I don't think it will be. Getting rid of the knuckleheads in the White House who have "led" us to such global esteem will be a terrific first step.
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>>You should elect a man like Clinton. He was a smart man...
>
>
>Was?

Sorry, I used tenses Turkish type... :)

We uses past tenses for a person's character describing for person:

-he was a smart prime-minister (He isn't president now, but he's still smart of course).