>exceptions are IMO only Reagan in both terms (beating Carter as to stop him from getting 2nd term in first).
>
>IMHO, Regan was a great president.

He was a showman disaster whose tax cutting and spending reduction did a great deal to build the rich v poor society the USA has today.

>
>I am ambivalent about the Clinton elections, as I think Bush the elder was better than his public image
>
>I agree with you. I also think that the Clinton presidency was successful largely because the republican congress forced him to move to the center.


>
>and on Dole I draw mostly a blank.
>
>Dole is an establishment lackey.
>
>but the candidates this century make me doubt your system in the electronic age...
>
>At the beginning of the primary season, we actually had some very good candidates. Unfortunately, they did not gain enough traction and had to drop out. IMHO, 2 very good candidates at the beginning were Scott Walker and Bobby Jindal. In 2008, I also really liked Rudy Giuliani. I suppose that the fact that these very good candidates did not gain any traction also verifies the stupidity of the average American voter....