Similarly, Gore or Bush will face problems over the next four years that none of the most excitable reporting now can begin to comprehend. It's too easy to be put off by his aw-shucks manner and his mangled word construction. He's certainly no genius but neither was Ronald Reagan, who remains one of America's most admired and beloved presidents. Yes, the prospect of acrimonious relations with China or new nuclear tests by renegade governments or a devastating terrorist attack is always going to be worrying for the world. But it is not at all obvious that Gore would best handle such dilemmas.
Political instinct is usually more important than intellect.
In a country as self-preoccupied as the US, convincing a domestic constituency comes well before anything else. One of Bush's most important attributes is his ability to do deals with his opponents and sell a public message of compromise and optimism. Americans tend to like such breezy confidence in their presidents - at least when things are going well. And that's the real point. Clinton has been an extremely agile president able to adapt brilliantly and persuasively to changing political currents.