chapotraphouse

it's partly literal, about their sweat levels - notice that the presidents from southern states (lbj, carter, clinton) are all various stages of wet, nixon and trump are famously very sweaty, whereas you will have a harder time finding photos of biden or reagan for example dripping sweat. but it's also vibes-based, dryer presidents are mostly more boring, lack a sort of bon vivant quality compared to the wet presidents, are a bit more put together in their public appearances. at least that's how i would try to explain it. i also disagree with some of his assessments, mostly truman and bush ii (both slightly on the wet side of the spectrum)

reagan was considered kind of a nowhere man, to such an extent that a biographer, rather than writing a biography about him, wrote a novel about a guy who just kind of ran into reagan on occasion. he was hollow, lacked a personality, a soulless quality to him. i think that plays a part in him being the dryest president

Oh god you're right, I heard it that way too