Election 2012

Barack Obama: Great President or the Greatest President?

Jonathan Chait's resoundingly positive endorsement of the president is up at New York Magazine. It's a glowing and thoughtful review of Obama's first term. His summation:

What can be said without equivocation is that Obama has proven himself morally, intellectually, temperamentally, and strategically. In my lifetime, or my parents’, he is easily the best president. On his own terms, and not merely as a contrast to an unacceptable alternative, he overwhelmingly deserves reelection.

I believe history will formulate the same evaluation. It's too soon to know for sure, but he's certainly the best president of my lifetime with Clinton as a close -- very close -- second. Though Clinton loses points for reckless personal behavior that could've destroyed more than just his presidency on several occasions. Clinton also loses points for deregulatory policies (Gramm-Leach-Bliley first and foremost) and the Defense of Marriage Act.

(Headline horked and paraphrased from Stephen Colbert.)