Obama seems to be a genuinely nice person

[senseandsensibility]

Is it possible for a genuinely nice person to be effective as President? Of course I think it should be, and (in spite of my Edwards logo) I am leaning so far towards Obama these days that I'm about to fall in. Nevertheless, can you think of a President that has been a nice guy? Have we ever had one before?

I'm coming up with Jimmy Carter. :shrug: And I love Jimmy. But Americans and the media seem to prefer fake "nice guys" like chimp. Obama's niceness is real, and that what scares me a little.

[anonymous171]

1. He's tougher than he looks. Don't worry.

[babylonsister]

2. Talk about change! To me it's inspiring. And no, I can't really

think of anyone who's come across as so nice.

[msallied]

3. I don't see Obama as a "nice guy" at least in the traditional sense.

I don't think he'll take anything lying down. He also doesn't strike me as someone who puts up with much bullshit. He knows how to avoid getting hot under the collar. Unlike Shillary. lol

[senseandsensibility]

He's very cool under pressure

which I agree is different than being nice. But he also seems to be totally devoid of petty emotions, such as jealousy or resentment. I admire that.

[msallied]

8. I agree completely.

He presents everything to the American people that has been devoid in our leadership for 8 years, and I'm so excited to finally see someone we can admire step into those shoes.

[uberblonde]

19. "Shillary"?

Great way to unite Democrats!

And yet, people are so concerned about Clinton supporters not voting for Obama. Maybe they should start acting like it!

[msallied]

40. the name fits brilliantly.

She's a scourge on the Democratic party and anyone who blindly supports her has forgotten what this party is about.

[GodlessBiker]

4. I think Truman was a nice guy (apart from the nuclear bomb thing).

[andym]

5. Truman was a tough as he was nice

He also was quite unpopular at times when President.

[msallied]

9. Very unpopular. 22% approval rating when he left office...

History has been kinder to him, though. Bush's approval rating is 22%. I hope that history decides to NOT be kinder.

[dchill]

29. Depends on who rewrites that history.

:)

[RaleighNCDUer]

31. If Obama does what he will need to do once elected

he's going to be mighty unpopular in certain circles as well.

[NJmaverick]

6. Lincoln was a very nice person

It's a myth that one has to be an a-hole to be a good president

[backscatter712]

7. In psychology, there's three, not two aggressiveness states.

There's aggressive - where you're walking over others and acting like an asshole.

There's passive - where you're letting others walk over you, and is as equally undesirable as being too aggressive.

Then there's assertive - where you're standing up for yourself, letting people know what you want, but you're not violating the rights of others or allowing your rights to be violated.

Obama's very much assertive. That's what we want in a President - one who'll stand up, make it known what this country needs and what the people need, do what it takes to get what is needed without crossing the line into aggressiveness.

[samdogmom]

10. After what we've been through for the past 7+ years, I'd say

"genuinely nice person" is now an asset!

I agree...Jimmy Carter is a "genuinely nice AND HUGELY RESPECTABLE person". The big difference between Barack and Jimmy is that Barack seems to have political skills, too. He doesn't sit back and let himself get "swift-boated". He can be tough when necessary--but he never compromises his core principles! He responds to swift-boat attacks in a positive way.

Unfortunately, the jackals in Washington, D.C. walked all over Jimmy Carter and took advantage of his trusting/nice guy nature. I think Barack has taken this lesson to heart and won't let this nonsense happen again!

[senseandsensibility]

13. That's kind of what I was getting at with Carter

I barely remember his Presidency, but I see how he continues to be treated like a rube by the corporate media, regardless of his real accomplishments since leaving office. It was my impression that he didn't stand up for himself while in office, but I have no real memory of that.

[samdogmom]

21. Obviously, you're younger than me!

Reagan walked all over Jimmy Carter during the '80 election. I was disgusted. The rest is history.

[Coexist]

11. Maybe he can have a dick as a VP, so he can remain nice

and someone else can be his hammer?

[Arugula Latte]

12. Wasn't Dicky Nixon known for being warm and cuddly?

;)

[Cha]

15. No.

He was known as tricky dick.

[TheWraith]

14. That nice guy is beating Hillary like a cheap pinata.

Granted, he hasn't gotten nasty, using the sniper lie, or the love affair with lobbyists, or a dozen other things that he could whack her over the head with if he was willing to be a bit dirty about it. But he's still winning handily.

[uberblonde]

20. "Hasn't gotten nasty"?

What do you call referring to her as Tonya Harding?

[backscatter712]

28. Where has Obama said that?

Granted, lots of internet hotheads who happen to support Obama are calling her that, and the media's picked up that meme, but Obama himself has never said that, nor does he allow that kind of name-calling from his campaign staffers - look how quickly Powers left after she called Hillary a "monster".

[cali]

33. That's simply a vile little lie.

though ho hum, hardly surprising in GDP.

[TheWraith]

38. Have you been paying attention?

It wasn't Obama or anyone even associated with him that said that. It was an official of the national party, commenting on the hateful destructive approach Clinton's campaign has taken. And even then they didn't call her Tonya Harding, they described it as the "Tonya Harding strategy."

I understand that reality isn't conducive to remaining a Clinton supporter, but please try to stay at least a little grounded.

[quantass]

16. "I may be skinny, but i'm touch!"

[Greetings]

17. What?

"I am touch"

What??

[senseandsensibility]

18. Tough, right?

I've heard him say that.

[Life Long Dem]

22. I'm getting tired of seeing every excuse in the book

[stillcool]

23. I don't know about a 'nice' guy..

but I think he is a really smart guy, and he does not react in a knee-jerk manner to anything. I think he has a unique insight, and is very good at communicating his ideas. He is just a man, but he certainly has qualities that I think are important when there are so many factions dueling for the same piece of pie.

[DevonRex]

24. He's nice and strong both.

So I don't think there's a problem. He's strong enough to take heat and respond in a cool, level headed manner.

[Whisp]

35. in one interview a while back I heard him talk about anger.

He says he does not get angry very often, (its Michelle that has the temper) he reaches out for understanding as conflict usually means misunderstanding one another. but, if he felt that someone was taking advantage of him not getting angry, then he let's them have it (in his reasonable nice way). of course, paraphrasing.

[DevonRex]

36. He is so calm and cool.

That's the kind of president we need.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

25. It is possible to be nice but tough

my teachers were nice but when you were naughty they weren't nice!

[Whisp]

37. unfortunately the word tough is related to chest beating

and finger wagging and yapping about how 'strong' one is.
That is not the definition of strength, what Obama has is true strength.

Those other actors are just braying conceits.
bush isn't strong because he threatens everyone that doesn't go along with him, nor is hillary strong because she yells it out loud in every speech.

[Jane Austin]

26. I'm reading [em]Team of Rivals[/em]

and I'd say that Lincoln was a very nice man.

[uponit7771]

27. Yeah, I know what you mean. Obama can be "nice" and hit hard and fair but so far all...

...I see from him is being "above" the fray and acting like he's not a politician.

I think he should throw some dirt while smoking a joint...that would make me happy :-)

[RaleighNCDUer]

30. It is entirely possible for someone to be both nice and strong.

In fact, genuinely strong people can afford to be nice - weak people pretending to be strong dare not be nice, for fear of exposing themselves.

[democrattotheend]

32. I've had the same thoughts

I think Jimmy Carter's problem was basically that he was too good of a human being to be an effective president. Obama could end up being the same way, but that's a chance I'm willing to take, because I refuse to accept that someone can't be a good president and a good person. Maybe after 20 years of working in Washington I will accept that, but I'm still young and idealistic and I refuse to accept it now.

I also think Obama has a leg up over Carter in that he has spent a few years in the Senate, and thus knows how to work the legislative process a little better than Carter did as a governor. Obama has spent long enough in Washington to know how it works without spending so long that he's become entrenched in it.

[BklynChick]

34. he's plenty tough. look at what he did after the wright stuff. he stepped right into it with

courage, confidence, and cohones.

[TomBall Democrat]

39. Well, I never met Abe Lincoln - but might have been one

also, would have loved to know Tom Jefferson, FDR, Truman, Gerald Ford.

I did meet Bill Clinton - and he seemed like a genuinely nice person. Warm, friendly - hugged all the women in the room. Ok, maybe that was something else. Just kidding, he seemed like a good guy.

Yeah, I'm going vote yes - good and nice can sometimes win the day - and drive the ship of state.

I vote yes.

[fadedrose]

41. He's tough, nice and has a kind of humility......

Being half-black and half-white, I don't imagine Obama ever had a gang of pals to back him up in the school yard. He had to learn to take all kinds of putdowns from both groups I bet, and he learned that being "nice" solved more problems than his fists. This kind of "nice" will come in handy dealing with leaders of countries who despise each other. It's what a good diplomat should have.

I'd trust him with the presidential "football" because he thinks before he acts and is not apt to blow up any countries because of his or his advisors' egos.

[senseandsensibility]

42. A President who excels at diplomacy?

After *, I can think of nothing better.

[Perky]

43. This election is not about "Nice" It is about Gravitas

The fact that youmight also want to have a beer with him is all the better,

[senseandsensibility]

44. That beer thing was a corporate invention to sell their boy

to the red states. Obama will receive no such help with his image. If anything, he will be painted as a more of a white wine drinker or something to make him appear elitist to the masses. No matter how obvious it is that he is personally liked, he will never be called likeable by the corporate media, just as Clinton wasn't.