Tuesday, March 20, 2007

The SOB factor in Rudy Giulani

From John Derbyshire:

Will the SOB factor help Rudy, or hurt him?

I believe it will help. Americans have no particular objection to their chief executive being an SOB. It would be interesting to draw up a list, like one of those “best presidents” rankings that historians come up with from time to time, showing all the presidents in order by SOBness. Who’d be at the top? I should think Old Hickory has a pretty good claim, with a Cardigan Coefficient of around 70. Richard Nixon was an SOB at about the CC-80 level in foreign policy, though all too often a pussycat at home—overall CC probably about 60. Lyndon Johnson liked to brandish a big CC-90 SOB image, but wussed out on everything important. I’d give him no better than a 40. Dwight Eisenhower had a much under-appreciated SOB streak, as did Ronald Reagan (I’d put them at overall 65 and 50, respectively).