The United States may never have had such a dedicated public servant who failed so miserably to connect with the people he served. John Quincy Adams was cold, aloof and often sarcastic. He could not effectively communicate his grand ideas to groups of people because he was an ineffective orator. Adams refused to indulge in patronage and instead employed many political opponents, some of whom successfully undermined his programs. John Quincy Adams, despite his immense potential, established a meager record. He offered far-reaching proposals, but oversaw the passage of the contentious Tariff of 1828 and fared poorly in foreign relations with Latin America.