Impressive and intelligent? To whom, illiterates and street people? Name a single major policy from Reaganomics through ObamaCare he’s gotten right.
The old Barney was a refreshingly intellectually honest liberal. He often admitted to failures and inconsistencies in liberal policies. Being in Washington too long has corrupted him. One needn’t agree with liberals to recognize that they have legitimate (if misguided) views.
PS: I ardently want to see Barney lose. I do believe that he was at one time at least well intentioned, if misguided. He fell into the trap of not listening to his critics, not reexaming the effects of the policies he advocated and has become reflexively defensive.