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"Historians are generally ambivalent over whether hot-tempered leaders have fared any worse than the placid."

By Ann Althouse

Writes WaPo's Michael Leahy in a long article about McCain's reputed hotheadedness:

Harry S. Truman once threatened bodily harm in a letter to a reviewer who wrote disparagingly about the musical talents of his daughter. Richard M. Nixon ranted, and so did Bill Clinton. George Stephanopoulos once described Clinton's "purple rages," which left Stephanopoulos, often the subject of Clinton's private lashings, so shaken that he broke out in hives, sunk into depression and began taking an antidepressant.

Wait, who cares about Stephanopoulos's emotional problems? Who reacts to anger with hives?

"Clinton could flare up," remembers John D. Podesta, a former Clinton chief of staff. "You might have to endure five minutes of him yelling. But you could challenge him. . . . He would sometimes get mad when [aides] pushed back -- but it was a passing moment; tomorrow would be fine. You didn't get in the doghouse for pushing back."

"Temper can sometimes be a political instrument," said James A. Thurber, director of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University. "There are sometimes calculated displays of temper, which is what Lyndon Johnson used to persuade people. . . .

"But sometimes somebody's temperament can get in the way of aides telling him the truth, which happened [during the Vietnam War] with LBJ. His temper scared some [aides] away, which was not good for anyone. . . . That's always part of the risk with a strong temper . . . and so it's always relevant."

Get less wimpy aides.

It sounds as though Stephanopoulos wasn't up for it. Nothing wrong with that. Reposition yourself in media and snipe from a distance. It's my preference too.

But enough about Stephanopoulos. My real question here is: How much emotional volatility is good for a President? We will ? in all likelihood ? face a choice between a candidate who's too hot ? McCain ? and a candidate who's too cool ? Obama. But it's not too late ? superdelegates take note! ? Hillary Clinton may be just right.

She's the baby bear's porridge on the table of presidential politics.

IN THE COMMENTS: The inimitable Trooper York:

Everyone thought that Boo Boo Bear was a cute little bear like the ones you heard about in stories. But actually he was a freak. He was really into drugs and was a total enabler. Yogi threw him out of Jellystone after he got caught robbing picinic baskets to snort the condiments when he couldn?t get any drugs. He hung out in Gentle Bens guest house until the night he killed his wife and her waiter friend. He was homeless for a while which wasn?t so bad because he was used to eating out of garbage cans. He hit bottom when he was arrested with a sex toy in his fur, meth in his pocket and a rope tied around his penis. When asked what the hell he was doing with the rope, Boo Boo said ?Some people thought it was too small, some people thought it was too big, but with a rope it?s just right.?

(Ricou Browning & John Florea, Gentle Ben, The E True Hollywood Story)

Full post as published by Althouse on April 20, 2008 (boomark / email).