A President’s Philosophy Does Matter

From LBJ to Donald Trump American voters have chosen Presidents who had a distinct philosophy and Presidents who did not.

LBJ–New Deal big “D” Democrat   Nixon–None   Ford–Liberal   Carter–None

Reagan–Conservative   Clinton–None   “W” Bush–Millenarian Christian

Obama–Socialist   Trump–None

If the descriptions of these Presidents are accurate, four Presidents, including Donald Trump, had no fixed political philosophy.

Though we may not have agreed with the others–LBJ, Ford, Reagan, “W,” and Obama–their political and economic views–and in the case of “W” his religious belief–drove their Administrations.

Which of these nine Presidents were successful?  If “success” is defined in terms of shaping policy in their image, here are the Presidents who were successful:

LBJ, Reagan, “W,” Obama.

From my perspective as a political conservative, only Reagan was truly successful. But can we say, from anyone’s perspective, that Nixon, Carter, or Clinton were successful?

What does that tell us about the likelihood of a successful Trump Administration?