Given the proclivities our our fearless leader, Dr. C., I feel obliged to link to a post on The Corner related to James Buchanan. A correspondent sends to John Derbyshire a quote from Elbert Smith's biography of Pennsylvania's President...and it makes me think, "damn, that Smith chap can write." Check this out:

"Depending upon the national problems, crises, or mood, a president may become immensely popular by leading a whirlwind of activity or by doing almost nothing. Americans have occasionally idolized the mediocre and rejected the wise, but surprisingly this has affected the national destiny very little. Fortunately, not every period in American history has needed a president whose personality, principles, and talents can change the direction of an entire society.

"The great challenge to the system by which Americans chose their high priest and political pilot is the matching of the man with his times. Obviously, every president is subject to the momentum or inertia and the direction of his immediate predecessors and to powerful social, economic, and psychological forces and trends he did not create and cannot change. On occasion, however, the particular beliefs, philosophy, temperament, strength of purpose, understanding of political processes and rhetorical talents of certain presidents have in fact determined which of the different alternative directions the United States would take."

Derbyshire writes, "I think my definition of a real U.S.-history enthusiast would be someone who's read a book about James Buchanan." Well, I know someone who thinks James Buchanan is sadly under-rated. See, you should be consulting us for your historical opinions, Derb.