Who is your favorite world leader (other than the leader of your home country)?

Kim Jong Ill for his eccentricity. The hair! Those glasses! Gafaw!! I hope I don't offend anybody when I say this, but he looks like some lesbians I've seen!

I go for Clinton too! He full-filled all my elementary requirements as a president of a big nation. A charismatic caring leader that was there when needed, knew to say the right things in the right moment and gathered the right crew around him and took decisions when necessary. Just remember the tragic week after 911...

What a shame Giuliani is a republican, they made such a great team.

By the way I can only recommend Rudie Giuliani's book on leadership.

Woodrow Wilson

He gave a speech 10 months before World War I ended in 1918 to the US Congress.

What has impressed me most was the first point of his speech which I have copied below:

"Open covenants of peace must be arrived at, after which there will surely be no private international action or rulings of any kind, but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public view."

History has and still is proving him right. World War II ended and even Winston Churchill helped establish the United Nations that was going to be the cure all for the world.

The problems came when each country formed secret organizations to run covert operations. There are so many covert operations who knows who we are fighting in Iraq. The entire war may be one big covert operation collision.

Why not try it President Wilson's way and disband all of the covert op agencies?

"Open covenants of peace must be arrived at, after which there will surely be no private international action or rulings of any kind, but diplomacy shall proceed always frankly and in the public view."

The question seems to be framed for current rulers. As such, there are no present world leaders who impress me. There have been previous leaders who might make the list, but no one today.

Any leader who cares for their country and its people.

There really are no leaders of major nations that I can point to as an individual of stature. Russia, China, Japan, the UK, France, the United States: all are being led by individuals who I think are of pretty questionable quality.

I guess if I really had to put my finger on someone I respect, it would be the opposition leader in Australia, Kevin Rudd, who is likely to replace the repulsive Prime Minister, John Howard, this year. Rudd is thoughtful, articulate, statesmanlike.

Perhaps when and if he is elected, other nations may follow.

Tony Blair

Tarja Kaarina Halonen

President Putin

None today. They are all spineless!

Former leaders, Maggie Thacher and Golda Myer (sp) and I am a male chauvinist pig

My number one vote goes to Winston Churchill. He was just an amazing man. But my number two vote goes to King George the III. Without him, I might be drinking tea and doing other British things.