David Leonhardt: Eisenhower Might Be the Most Underrated 20th Century President

LEONHARDT I think what ░░░░░░░░ so tricky about leadership ░░░░░░░░ you want people who ░░░░░░░░ both inspire and move ░░░░░░░░ population and also people ░░░░░░░░ respect the population That ░░░░░░░░ one of the things ░░░░░░░░ really struck me when ░░░░░░░░ went back and read ░░░░░░░░ Bobby Kennedy and dug ░░░░░░░░ the records on his ░░░░░░░░ In some ways he ░░░░░░░░ to move the country ░░░░░░░░ he said I m ░░░░░░░░ going to be disdainful ░░░░░░░░ your views I m ░░░░░░░░ going to take your ░░░░░░░░ on all these issues ░░░░░░░░ say if you have ░░░░░░░░ views it s because ░░░░░░░░ re ignorant And I ░░░░░░░░ too much of our ░░░░░░░░ today takes a whole ░░░░░░░░ of issues and says ░░░░░░░░ you don t agree ░░░░░░░░ us totally on this ░░░░░░░░ that this and that ░░░░░░░░ means you re ignorant ░░░░░░░░ think that s one ░░░░░░░░ the big mistakes the ░░░░░░░░ Party has made and ░░░░░░░░ of the reasons why ░░░░░░░░ struggle with working class ░░░░░░░░ Jordan I m excited ░░░░░░░░ read this book because ░░░░░░░░ use history to tell ░░░░░░░░ economic story You talk ░░░░░░░░ Dwight D Eisenhower who ░░░░░░░░ think is the most ░░░░░░░░ president How was he ░░░░░░░░ to do what he ░░░░░░░░ able to do in ░░░░░░░░ of building up American ░░░░░░░░ and that just kind ░░░░░░░░ seems to have left ░░░░░░░░ American political scene no ░░░░░░░░ has done it on ░░░░░░░░ a scale since LEONHARDT ░░░░░░░░ I think I agree ░░░░░░░░ you Dwight Eisenhower might ░░░░░░░░ the most underrated 20th ░░░░░░░░ American president People think ░░░░░░░░ him as this sort ░░░░░░░░ doddering figure in the ░░░░░░░░ by the end but ░░░░░░░░ he did these incredible ░░░░░░░░ in the country And ░░░░░░░░ was also a fiscal ░░░░░░░░ so he was cutting ░░░░░░░░ forms of spending but ░░░░░░░░ realized that highways and ░░░░░░░░ and development and education ░░░░░░░░ can actually increase that ░░░░░░░░ while cutting other forms ░░░░░░░░ spending And whether you ░░░░░░░░ a small government conservative ░░░░░░░░ a big government progressive ░░░░░░░░ thing I d urge ░░░░░░░░ to do is don ░░░░░░░░ just focus on the ░░░░░░░░ of government focus on ░░░░░░░░ it focused on the ░░░░░░░░ or not And we ░░░░░░░░ have a government that ░░░░░░░░ so much focused on ░░░░░░░░ present and the past ░░░░░░░░ the future We have ░░░░░░░░ government that is much ░░░░░░░░ less generous toward children ░░░░░░░░ it is toward people ░░░░░░░░ age and toward retirees ░░░░░░░░ that just seems shortsighted.”