[John D Harris]

Can an effective leader also be an extremely moral leader?

Yes, Jefferson, Washington, Lincoln, Rosevelt(sp/) (teddy) come to mind as US presidents, Ghandi, Churchill, as leaders around the world.

Or is a leader arguably better when they're ethically slippery?

Arguably is subjective, Nixon was a good leader, and ethically slippery.

Does the process of climbing to the political peak of a nation allow one to maintain one's sense of ethics?

Yes, see Carter, Washington , Jefferson,etc. Leadership and Ethics are not mutually exclusive, nor are they mutually inclusive See Carter and Nixon.

And by what standards should we judge the effectiveness of a President? Their national popularity? Their willingess to be very unpopular, and do what they consider right? Their effectiveness at bullying and promising favors to Congress?

All of those are factors in judging the effectivness of a President, as are motoivating the population of people they are leading, reactions in a crisis, abillity to stand up against their nation's enemies, and do the people that they lead have confidence in their leadership.

[/B]

[ 01-26-2002: Message edited by: John D Harris ]