kenwalsh

Nastier and more polarized on a sustained basis. More petty. More superficial. More spin and message control.

Covering Bill Clinton was a roller-coaster ride. He was a very engaging and gregarious person. He would give the press corps a lot of access but sometimes would cut us off when he saw a story he didn't like. Then, his anger or annoyance would subside and he would grant us access again. I felt I got to know him well. His intellectual curiosity was amazing. During an Air Force One interview on the way home from Australia, Clinton talked about everything from the ecology of the Great Barrier Reef to the Filipino economy and how much he enjoyed holding a baby koala. All in all, a fascinating person.

I'd say George H.W. Bush, the father. Always a gentleman and very decent to all those around him.

Ronald Reagan was the most historic, partly because of his partnership with then-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. This helped end the cold war. He also took steps to make conservatism into more of a governing philosophy. Barack Obama of course is historic as the first African American president but his agenda is a work in progress.

Because of the 24-hour news cycle, social media and our polarized politics, presidents are scrutinized more than ever. Accountable? That remains to be seen.

I was a "pool reporter"--one of a handful of reporters at the scene--when George W. Bush used a bullhorn to bolster the first responders and the country while he was standing on the wreckage of the terrorist attacks at Ground Zero in NYC. It was an compelling moment in history. And it seemed to be a spontaneous reaction by Bush that captured the nation's mood.