Most influential US conservatives and liberals
The Daily Telegraph has had its US staff prepare a list of the 100 most influential people on the right and left of US politics. Their top ten for each are:
Liberals
- Barack Obama, President
- Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State
- Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House
- Bill Clinton, former President
- Rahm Emanuel, White House Chief of Staff
- Al Gore, former VP
- Oprah Winfrey, TV Talk Show Host
- Tim Geithner, Treasury Secretary
- David Axelrod, White House Senior Advisor
- Harry Reid, Senate Majority Leader
Five current politicians, two retired politicians, two staffers and one media person.
Conservatives
- Dick Cheney, former VP
- Rush Limbaugh, Talk Radio Host
- Matt Drudge, Drudge Report
- Sarah Palin, former Governor
- Robert Gates, Secretary of Defence
- Glenn Beck, For News presenter
- Roger Ailes, Fox News President
- David Petraeus, Head US Central Command
- Paul Ryan, Wisconsin Congressman
- Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota
A much more varied list, perhaps reflecting not being in office. Four of the ten from the media, and almost no one at all from the mainstream Republican hierarchy – Pawlenty is probably the only one in that mould.