"Sure, it is apparent that presidents are looking at polls, but they are also stepping up on issues. President Clinton stepped up on tobacco. He shaped the polls on the tobacco issue"

This quote by Donna Shalala highlights the complex relationship in between public opinion, as expressed through surveys, and political leadership. It assesses the concept that while presidents frequently seek advice from surveys to evaluate public belief and adjust their methods accordingly, their role is not simply reactive. Rather, reliable presidents can likewise lead public opinion by taking definitive stances on important concerns, therefore affecting and shaping the extremely surveys they monitor.

In the particular example of President Clinton and the tobacco issue, Shalala mentions that Clinton didn't merely react to public opinion passively. Instead, he actively engaged with and affected this issue. By "stepping up" on tobacco, he took a leadership role in framing the nationwide conversation around the threats of tobacco and the requirement for policy and public health measures. This suggests a proactive rather than a passive technique to leadership, where presidents use their platform and authority to bring attention to critical issues and move public sentiment in a direction aligned with their policy objectives.

This analysis underlines the dynamic nature of political leadership where impact is reciprocal; leaders not just react to the electorate's views however likewise actively work to shape those views through engagement and advocacy. Shalala's quote therefore praises a model of leadership that sees beyond instant public opinion, promoting for policies that might require initial persuasion and education of the public-- recommending that public management involves guts and vision to take on significant obstacles even when they might not immediately align with popular viewpoint as shown in polls.

Dealing with important concerns like tobacco control conjured up considerable public debate and demanded a nuanced understanding of how public health projects might be affected and formed through governmental management. Clinton's capability to "form the surveys" on the tobacco concern shows the capacity for leaders to drive modification through both policy and persuasion, potentially altering the trajectory of public discourse and social norms.