Daily question shamelessly stolen from John Scalzi’s blog, The Whatever:
The Constitution has been amended to let YOU choose the next president! Personally! The catch: It can’t be someone who ever officially entered the 2008 presidential race (”officially” = On a ballot to date). Who do you choose? Real people, please, and all official restrictions (over 35, US native, alive) apply. Other than that, go nuts. Be as serious or as stupid as you like.
After a very silly conversation with my fiance (OK, who would you pick for president if the election were right-now-you-choose: Obama or Clinton? GW Bush or Huckabee? Phillip J. Fry or a ham sandwich?), I sat down and actually considered the question a bit more seriously. I decided that the best person I could think of is an anthropology professor I had as an undergraduate: Carolyn Martin Shaw. I felt she was wise and excellent with people and possessed of the analytical abilities to handle the huge amount of new information I imagine one must absorb when dealing with all the various jobs of a president. One significant drawback to her magically-induced candidacy — which applies to anyone I can think of, really — is I’m sure the job would make her miserable.
So, how would you answer the question?
ooOOOoo. Probably many anthropologists would make good choices. I think a background in some kind of social science is a must, as opposed to business or military. I had an anthropology professor who really had it together, and since you mentioned anthropology, she’s now the only person I can think of. She could probably run a fairly tight ship, and despite being tiny was very intimidating. She is much more inclined to understand cultural differences, has political experience (she works with aide organizations as part of her work), and is bloody smart. She also has fairly strict ethics that include trade sanctions–she won’t buy from Dominoes because she has a (I can’t quite remember how she words it) “disagreement” with their founder (I think). They provide funding for some kind of hyper conservative group or another…
I suspect Al Gore would win this in a landslide.
About that drawback – the biggest problem with me handing out the presidency on my own, is that the first qualification I would require is that the candidate not want the job. In my personal opinion, anybody who actually wants the job of President, should be automatically barred from being President.
The most competant person who can be found, who absolutely doesn’t want the job, should be drafted as President. Which among people I know personally would probably be my friend Beth. She knows Middle-Eastern politics. She’s an extremely capable administrator. And she also, would probably be made miserable by the job.
Hm. If the criteria was “didn’t want the job”, I’d say Fred Thompson. But his name has appeared on a ballot in a few states, so he’s out.
Condoleeza Rice might be a very interesting candidate, with Colin Powell as her V.P.
Tapetum, what does it matter if they WANT the job? The constitution has been amended so that you choose who GETS the job. That they want the job isn’t required.
The problem I see is that an essential skill of being president is knowing how to work the system, and someone who hasn’t spent their life in politics won’t have that skill set. But then again, I don’t think George Bush is inherently very skilled at that either; surrounding yourself with the right advisers makes a huge difference.
My first thought is Tony Kushner. He’d be the first Jewish president and the first openly gay president, which I really think it’s long past time for, he’s got radical-yet-thoughtful opinions on political issues, he loathes conservatives with a passion[*] and as a Pulitzer-winning playwright, the speeches he’d write would be genuinely fucking awesome.
[*] I no longer believe that Conservatives, as a whole, are reasonable opponents who can be dealt with reasonably. It’s not viable to play tea-party politics when your opponent is willing to riot in the streets and foreclose counting votes in order to win elections.
But honestly, Kushner would hate the job, and if he served eight years that would be eight years he couldn’t be writing plays.
So I think my actual choice — even though this is a boring choice, because it’s a politician — would be Barbara Lee, who has been more consistently correct on foreign policy than any other politician I’m aware of, and whose politics are very progressive.
Bernie Sanders for President!
Of course, I’d also happily endorse Tony Kushner.
—Myca
My “boring” choices would likewise be politicians — Peter Camejo, who has run for President and Governor of California several times in the past, or Sheila Kuehl, my totally awesome state Senator who was working for single-payer healthcare before single-payer healthcare was cool.
For a while I fantasized about Martin Sheen as President. He may not be qualified, but neither is the current guy. And he sure can deliver a speech.
Cory Doctorow
How ‘bout Craig Anthony Washington, the famed black Texas congressman and lawyer who opposed NAFTA and Enron?
Too bad he’s not qualified. His name already appears on all Washington state ballots….
He’d be the first Jewish president and the first openly gay president, which I really think it’s long past time for,
I think that this kind of thinking is dangerous. If you like his politics, fine, but it’s not, has never been, and will never be “time for” anyone to be President, or Senator, or dog catcher, because they would be the first (or second, or …) gay/black/Hispanic/Catholic/white/disabled to hold the position. If someone’s religion, color or ethnic background becomes a major factor in their election, my guess is that we are ignoring some other things that are actually important.
I no longer believe that Conservatives, as a whole, are reasonable opponents who can be dealt with reasonably. It’s not viable to play tea-party politics when your opponent is willing to riot in the streets and foreclose counting votes in order to win elections.
Well, I definitely favored counting all the votes in Florida. I thought it was bogus that the vote count was cut off, and Lord knows I didn’t want to see Gore become President. But fair’s fair. The integrity of our Republic depends on the integrity of the vote.
However, I’d like to point out a serious error in your statement. Those weren’t conservatives that pressed to stop counting the votes (what street riots?). Those were Republicans. Trust me, the two are not the same.
In fact, in the conservative blogosphere these days, plenty of conservatives are having the same discussion about Romney and McCain that you are all having about Obama and Clinton – neither one is truly conservative anymore than Obama and Clinton are truly “progressive”. Lots of people are trying to figure out which one’s least worst and if they can bear to hold their noses and vote for one of them.
[Also moved to the open thread. –Amp]
He’d be the first Jewish president….
We may get there anyway:
Ok, come on. Doesn’t ANYONE here remember being told that they could be President some day*? Didn’t ANYONE here dream of being President?
I did.
So: who would I want to be President? Me, of course. Or my brother; he’d be good too. :)
*this probably only happened if you were a boy. Go Hillary!
Choose myself? HELL, no!
Currently I feel guilty because I neglect my blog in order to draw comics. How much guilt would I feel if I was neglecting the whole country, rather than just a blog?
One of our last living civil rights heroes: Congressman John Lewis
Doesn’t ANYONE here remember being told that they could be President some day*?
I did, long pre-Clinton. However, now that I know what the job actually involves, I have to admit that I’d probably be terrible at it. Now I want to be head policy wonk and decide on the social changes that will turn the country around and make my front man/woman famous as a really great president.
Eugene Hutz, the lead singer for Gogol Bordello
Barbara Ehrenreich.
For Veep? Dave Chappelle.
I picture you in the oval office, hunched over your Wacom screen, calling in your Chief of Staff to pose for you.
“Sir, we have a meeting with the Joint Chiefs in half an hour.”
“But I have to finish this page!”
Jeanne Garofalo! Seriously, you should hear that woman in a debate. Also, Julie Hrdlicka, a local activist/politican.