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American University Political Historian Allan Lichtman on the personality traits that have made some Presidents more successful leaders than others.
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I said to him.
Mean we've been married a long time.
And he's said.
Yes but you want me all to yourself.
-- well he was asking to have an open married and I refused.
Well certainly edited dead -- Gingrich is not looking full words to see the nation exposed to late tonight his second ex wife it is taking shots suggesting.
Just how hard it is -- to be married to the former speaker now -- claims by others that is probably not the easiest guy in the world to live with but.
-- seen though the White House and the people who make it to the White House and we've seen the business titans and what it takes to be a business -- Is that very quality.
That might not make -- the most personally appealing person on the planet.
And that's political -- Allan Lichtman -- are now and again.
Well first of all I think you gotta go with who you are.
And new king which is never gonna come across -- mr.
nice guy so he might as well come across as we used to say in the intelligence business.
-- may be an SOB but I'm going to be your.
SOB.
Right away -- that's a brilliant point because there's nice Gingrich -- that it was nice and I hated all.
Because that is awful and now it's like you know when they tried to have the nice Mike Tyson idol like that.
Ask your brains out Mike Tyson that was -- -- that -- do you -- be true to yourself but -- go ahead.
But -- There's a history of SOB's in the White House and it's a mixed one it's as old as the republic.
Injured Jackson was probably the toughest meanest man of his time he was so.
Tough that during the campaign the opposition put out.
Eight -- -- hand bill of allegedly those people he killed and tools what had killed he was so tough.
He try to chase down -- would be assassin.
With his -- And he was that in many ways a very successful transformational president but he was so obsessed.
With taking down the national bank and establishing hard money that he left the country in a deep.
Depression more recently you know to SOB presidents have been Lyndon Johnson.
And Richard Nixon you know Johnson.
With such an SOB he -- People into the John with -- just so they could agree with him just to get out of there Richard Nixon of course was constantly trying to -- away.
Win but do you.
I'm not exactly it should be a nice SOB alibi that I mean very forceful in your face you know to drug people in the bathroom when it.
But you could be aggressive and unite and I mean -- of the kindest way about Ronald Reagan.
He could be in your face and very forceful a very pleasant it's kind of -- But he was a smiling.
SOB he was an SOB.
But like George W.
Bush and how tough he could be to carry was a guy you -- light.
How -- could appeal to you Johnson and Nixon were very different and that quality that was in them.
Achieved a great deal you know Lyndon Johnson's great society Richard Nixon's opening to China -- It also expose Achilles heels the Achilles heel of Lyndon Johnson of being so stubborn and so hard -- right about the Vietnam War and of course Richard Nixon.
Being so tough -- About it all the corruption that led to the Watergate scandal and both of them were forced out of office Lyndon Johnson -- run again in 68.
And of course Richard Nixon was the only president to resign.
But you know L I look at the business world my little parity per view -- and I see some of the most successful business -- -- -- the mine.
You know Jack -- certainly.
I don't zero Rupert Murdoch but they're very fighters say so there are very C that was -- -- -- they're they're very in your face.
But but hard charging executives where do you draw the line between the in your face take no prisoners I'm gonna win at all cost -- to guy.
And someone -- To sort it out of what's.
You certainly don't want you know someone who's just gonna cave in but the model -- -- in the business world.
Is not necessarily the same model.
For success in the political world.
I mean Herbert Hoover was a great business bureau -- I have to ask you a businessman you know to go -- -- -- -- -- credit gathering data that coherent and the differences.
In business you have very defined goals in the White House you have a thousand different goals that you got to balance and get you to some extent in business.
And I mean you don't know what you're getting on any given day that's -- and I don't know if that would be and its.
I think that is a hindrance you know if if Newt Gingrich could just take that hard quality -- -- could take his obvious creativity brilliant political strategist.
And somehow discipline it.
And -- harness it.
And focus if he could get.
The Republican nomination and those business guys you're talking about as tough as they -- they were disciplined in the current focus they weren't all over the way Gingrich's.
Alan -- of us thank you -- armament and in Washington time meal.
