I think we are in agreement here AWK.
Call him a Janitor for all I care, but if he does the job right, upholds our founding documents and does things for the better good of our people, thats all I care about.
I am a big fan of John F. Kennedy(DEM) and Ronald Reagan(GOP) for these very reasons.
And I have equal disdain for members of both sides as well: Bush(R), Bush(R), Johnson(D), Ford(R), Carter(D), FDR(D), Eisenhower(R) - although Ike wised up near the end of his 2nd term, Wilson(D).
Nixon is kind of a tricky one. If you go back and read, he was actually a Goldwater/Reagan type Republican in the late 50's and during the 1960 election against JFK. Somewhere between 1960 and 1968, Nixon got bought, went rogue, etc - he basically sold out to the Neo Cons. I think he could have been good had he not been ruined.
Clinton is also another tricky one. Although I don't like him personally or politically, he had sense enough to listen to Dick Morris and move to the center on policy working with the Contract with America/Newt. His ability to work with the GOP and move to the center ultimately made his presidency a success and most of the country did well under him with the centrist policies in place - no argument there. I just think he gets a little too much credit for the boom. Very smart guy - much smarter than the boob up there now.