He was widely condemned for advocating amoral goverance, but he was not so much praising ruthless politics as saying they were necessary in a world of flawed people. In his long work, Discourses on the Ten Books of Titus Livy, he expresses the wish that the Italians of his day could be as patriotic, statesmanlike and upright as he imagines the noble Romans to have been.

The picture you are referring to was taken when he was about to leave office. I do not know the reason for it, but it was not a habit. I would guess that is was the photographer's idea. Maybe he thought the pose looked statesmanlike a la Napoleon. In Napoleon's day or before, the hand in jacket pose was a classical pose, rather like having a hand on one's pocket for a relaxed look. The right hand is actually tucked into his vest, not his shirt.

The election of the President of the USA, although important, does not normally have the impact outsiode of the US that this one did. I think there were two main factors in this instance. One was that the candidates were very different from each other in presentation & how they tried to get across to the electorate what their policies were. And also the fact that Obama, of mixed race, of dark skin tone came across in many ways as the more statesmanlike of the two. But the fact remains that the US is the worlds largest economy, what happens there influences us all, wherever we live.

Churchill was admired for his exceptional leadership skills, his courage during World War II, and his powerful speeches that inspired and rallied the British people. He was also respected for his unwavering determination to defeat Nazi Germany and his role in forming alliances that led to victory. Additionally, his wit, intelligence, and strong character made him a highly respected figure both in Britain and globally.