Washington Whispers
Hillary: Filling the Boots of the Gipper
It was one of those in-the-shower brainstorms for pollster John Zogby: Let's see which past A-list president voters wish they could put in the Oval Office to fix the nation and which of the major 2008 presidential hopefuls best matches that pick. Drumroll, please. In order: Ronald Reagan, at 28 percent, FDR at 26 percent, JFK at 21 percent, Abraham Lincoln at 16 percent, and just 6 percent for George Washington. And who's viewed as most Reaganesque? Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. She also grabs the FDR and Washington mantle but falls far short of upstart Sen. Barack Obama for the JFK title.
Zogby says there are several messages from his just completed poll, provided exclusively to Whispers. Most obvious: If voters want a Reaganesque or Rooseveltian firm hand and vision in the White House, then Clinton looks like a good bet. But if they prefer the inspiration of JFK and Lincoln, then Obama's their guy. "It looks like youthful vigor has the best crossover appeal," says Zogby. It's not so clear on the GOP side. Only Rudy Giuliani scores well, seen as the most Lincoln-like and beating Sen. John McCain in every "most like" category. Ex-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney ranks last in all but one. Zogby sees a biblical race between Jeremiah and Moses in how some major themes play out. "Moses had a plan to get to the Promised Land, and for Jeremiah the sky was falling." Who wins? "Hopefulness is the key."
Less Bickering, More Compassion
After five months on the job, President Bush's new faith-based initiative czar, Jay Hein, is moving to shake things up. This week he hosts a "Compassion in Action" roundtable to promote successful programs targeting youth violence. Insiders say it's Hein's first effort to pull the controversial office out of the old church vs. state legal battles and instead make it the showcase for helpful projects fostered by communities and faith groups. He also wants the initiative to be seen as much more than a grant-giving operation. "The priority of this work," Hein says, "is to expand the supply of effective compassion." He's planning to host monthly issues roundtables.
A Deadline and a Rare Swiss Miss
He's become such a staple at the annual World Economic Forums in Davos, Switzerland, that some are wondering about Bill Clinton's decision to skip this year's late- January confab. We could guess it's because the man who brought us the Clinton Global Initiative doesn't want to share the do-gooder space with the Davos crowd. But that would be wrong. Instead, the former president is working on a new book, and deadline pressures are mounting. We hear that the pre-2008 election book will include inspiring stories he's heard and seen during his travels on behalf of his Clinton Foundation and while promoting his global fix-it plans, which focus on AIDS prevention and economic development. "My hope," he tells us, "is that the people and stories in this book will lift spirits, touch hearts, and demonstrate that citizen activism and service can be a powerful agent of change in the world."
advertisement
