Historian Doug Brinkley Talks About "Vanity Fair's Presidential Profiles," And Tells Imus Who His Favorite President Is (Hint: It's Not Millard Fillmore)

Far be it from Imus to cause any problems, but why would Vanity Fair release the book "Vanity Fair’s Presidential Profiles" and include historian Douglas Brinkley as an editor but not a writer?

"Don, they couldn't afford me," Brinkley joked.

While his words were not included, Brinkley assured the I-man that his eyeballs were part of the project, which was difficult to put together.

"When you’re condensing a whole life of Abraham Lincoln into such a short amount of space, it’s kind of tough," said Brinkley of the one page or so awarded each President.

Vanity Fair contributors like Todd Purdum, David Friend, and Judy Bachrach wrote the profiles, which also feature revealing remarks made by the Presidents themselves. The collection includes vivid illustrations by Mark Summers, who is best known for his drawings of literary figures for Barnes & Noble.

Brinkley’s favorite President was Theodore Roosevelt, about whom he recently wrote a book entitled, "The Wilderness Warrior." He admires Roosevelt’s spirit, and "get things done" optimism, but conceded that Abraham Lincoln was probably the great President.

"Everybody who's in the White House ... they all say Lincoln is the most important because as bad as you have it, Lincoln had it worse," said Brinkley.

As for Bill Clinton, Brinkley believes he'd rank a lot higher as a President (he's currently slightly above the middle) if not for what Imus delicately called his "personal problems."

"He had a problem with telling the truth," said Brinkley. "That usually doesn’t score you that well in history because character matters, at least in our country."

But Clinton's on the rise. "Each time he does something as an ex-President like he’s doing now in Haiti, he starts to become a folklore figure, which is good for his long-term legacy," said Brinkley.

Similarly, Jimmy Carter, whose presidency was less than stellar, has raised billions of dollars around the world for various charities in an effort to fortify his legacy. 

"When he's no longer around, people are going to realize that he was a man of a lot of integrity," Brinkley said about Carter, for whom Imus has no tolerance. "There will be a kind of upward revision, not of his presidency, but of a unique American life."

As for the current President, Brinkley thinks he missed an opportunity to grab hold of Americans the way he did during his campaign.

"I've always wondered why the Obama administration didn’t have like a New Deal, or a Great Society, or a New Frontier, or a Fair Deal," he said, referring to smartly named initiatives past Presidents successfully put forth. Brinkley does not believe the term "stimulus package" excited people in the same way.

But that kind of depends on one's interpretation of "stimulus package."

-Julie Kanfer