Comparing the 2016 Presidential Hopefuls as 'Natural Politicians'
Hillary Clinton admits she has work to do, but she's not the only one.
— -- Even though Hillary Clinton admits that she is "not a natural politician," all the remaining presidential candidates have room for improvement, political experts say.
Some of them have been more willing to play well with others, while some place more emphasis on appealing to the masses.
"There are many different forms of interaction and, Bill Clinton being an exception, a lot of politicians, like most people, are stronger in one category than the other," David Karol, a political scientist from the University of Maryland, told ABC News today.
Here is a look at the five 2016 presidential candidates who’re still in the running:
Hillary Clinton
Clinton was self-critical during her appearance on "Good Morning America" Thursday, saying she's "not the gregarious kind of affable person."
Her possible rival Donald Trump has also not held back, giving her the nickname "Crooked Hillary."
Karol noted that there is a contrast between her reviews among people who have met her and those who have only seen her at larger public events or on television.
"She doesn't always project warmth in public, so she has a very different image from the way that people who have actually interacted with her personally view her," Karol told ABC News.
Sen. Bernie Sanders
While Clinton's long public history means that she has been impersonated by six "Saturday Night Live" actors through the years, arguably none have had as much of an impact as the one comedian who has impersonated Sanders.
Larry David returned to “SNL” this campaign season and was widely praised for nailing his Sanders’ impersonation, playing up his curmudgeonly side.
Karol noted that while Sanders is a "good" public speaker, during his time in the Senate, he was reportedly "seen as somewhat of a prickly personality and somewhat of a loner."
"Not as extreme as Cruz," Karol said.
Sen. Ted Cruz
A lot has been said about Cruz's personality by his former colleagues.
Fellow Republican Sen. Peter King of New York recently said "I hate Ted Cruz" and joked that he would "take cyanide" if Cruz becomes the nominee.
Before that, Sen. Lindsey Graham joked that if Cruz were killed on the Senate floor, no one would prosecute his killer. (Graham went on to later support Cruz in an effort to stop Donald Trump from getting the nomination.)
Such comments are significant because they show that while Cruz is a skilled debater, he doesn't have strong relationships with his colleagues, which could prove problematic when trying to achieve his policy goals, Karol said.
"It's remarkable actually, to a degree," Karol said of the level of contempt among his colleagues.
Donald Trump
Trump has been called many things, from real estate mogul and billionaire to reality star and carnival barker, but he says the latest label is a new one.
"I have been a politician for nine months. Can you believe this?" Trump said at a Monday rally in Buffalo, New York.
It seems as though his earlier forays into the public eye have helped Trump stand out in the presidential field this year, according to Philip Wallach, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
"Much to everyone's surprise, Donald Trump has shown himself to be the best natural politician of this year's candidates, by a wide margin," Wallach told ABC News.
"The skill set he acquired from reality television has been directly relevant for a 21st century presidential campaign, and in his own bizarre way he has had the most message discipline, which has allowed him to shape the debate."
Professor Karol cited Trump's rambling speaking style and "fourth grade-level of vocabulary" as areas for improvement, but noted that the conversational tone of his speeches has helped him connect with audiences.
Trump's relatively short foray into politics means, however, that there is no firm read on how these skills would translate if he is elected.
"It remains to be seen if his political salesmanship can work its magic in a general election setting, but we shouldn't forget that most observers doubted it could ever work in any political campaign, at all," Wallach said.
Gov. John Kasich
Kasich has been known to speak inartfully at times and commit faux pas that other politicians easily avoid -- like when he refused frozen custard at a famous shop in Wisconsin, days before that state's primary -- but his shortcomings don’t seem as immediately clear as his Republican competitors’.
Kasich has been selling himself as the “nice guy” of the campaign, but Karol says that doesn’t necessarily jibe with his political history.
Kasich is “running as a nice guy, which is again not the way people in Congress knew him or the people in Ohio knew him, but because he's running against Trump and Cruz, he’s adopted that persona,” Karol said.
“He's just a much more conventional figure,” he said.
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