NationStates Jolt Archive

What qualities do you look for in a President?

Please, no Bush/Clinton bashing.

A pulse.

EDIT: Crap, he said qualities. Hmm. In that case. Someone with a decent set of morals and an idea of what the people who elected him want from him (no signing away sovereign rights to the Euro-treaty. That's right Gordon. I'm talking to you.)

Competence, Intelligence... Having (good) ideas...

Independent thought.

restraint, humility and a likelyhood to deliver on campaign promises.

Competence, Intelligence... Having (good) ideas...

That rules out everyone who is running.

Knowledge and Serendipity.

What qualities do you look for in a President?

Please, no Bush/Clinton bashing.

The ability to be completely ruthless should the need arise.

restraint, humility and a likelyhood to deliver on campaign promises.

That rules out everyone who is running.

ethics, intellegence, a diplomatic demenor...

The ability to be completely ruthless should the need arise.

Oh, and even though Hilary would seem to fulfill this I must, sadly rule her out for being far too economically idealistic.

ethics, intellegence, a diplomatic demenor...

That rules out everyone who is running...

That rules out everyone who is running...

Hmm. For some reason you didn't rule out my qualities....

Is this thread going to be inclusive of general world leaders for one's home country or just targetted towards americans...

As far as leaders of the US go, I would like to see one that wouldn't dick everyone else around in trade agreements when it doesn't suit them to follow the rules that they set up. One that would attempt some nuclear disarment and generally not pick unnecessary fights with other countries would also be good.

As far as leaders of my own country, socially liberal policies are always a bonus, generally being intelligent, thoughtful and considerate is also good. I would really like a prime minister to not kiss up to the US and diversify trade so we don't have as much to fear if they threaten to shut down the border should we do something like legalize marijuana or generally something that is unpopular with our neighbours to the south also, so we don't have to deal with them ripping us off in our trading relationships.

The ability to be completely ruthless should the need arise.

Hillary should fit the bill here. And Obama, if Musharraf doesn't comply with Obama's demands...

Hillary should fit the bill here. And Obama, if Musharraf doesn't comply with Obama's demands...

Yes, but as I already explained, idealism is a minus for me. Hilary is too idealistic economically speaking. As for Obama, well I said ruthless should the need arise, not just ruthless in general.

Relaxed, idealistic, commanding, compassionate and very knowlegeable.

V....a....g....u....e

Experience and Intelligence. Sadly, none of the candidates have both, or either for that matter.

someone who's inner circle is not entirely full of criminals or people who would break the law :P.
one would think that that is not something very hard to achieve for most people :P

Intelligent, genuinely compassionate and serene.

That rules out everyone who is running.

yeh, it really annoys me sometimes that i'm not apathetic, then i'd feel fine about abstaining but it's always just a case of voting for the lesser evil.

Being on Late Night With Conan.

So far Obama wins.

I need a girl who's smart, funny, creative, kind of eccentric, good-looking, sensuous, kind, understanding, and willing to let me put my penis in her.

Mostly that last one.

I know this thread was about qualities in a President, but since most of the answers sounded like it was about qualities in a potential gf/bf I figured I'd just go with that.

Someone who supports freedom, both economic and social.

A speaker of Parseltongue. That is all.

The ideal president would never stoop so low as to run for president to begin with.

I need a girl who's smart, funny, creative, kind of eccentric, good-looking, sensuous, kind, understanding, and willing to let me put my penis in her.

Mostly that last one.

I know this thread was about qualities in a President, but since most of the answers sounded like it was about qualities in a potential gf/bf I figured I'd just go with that.

Classy.

I need a girl who's smart, funny, creative, kind of eccentric, good-looking, sensuous, kind, understanding, and willing to let me put my penis in her.

Mostly that last one.

I know this thread was about qualities in a President, but since most of the answers sounded like it was about qualities in a potential gf/bf I figured I'd just go with that.I would also like a leader that would allow me to insert my penis into him/her. It would be a delightful change of pace.

I would also like a leader that would allow me to insert my penis into him/her. It would be a delightful change of pace.
Instead of vice versa?

really high quality embalming and preservation, a sharp suit, and a picturesque mausoleum.

Intelligence.

Willing to look at all arguments and change his/her mind (flip-flop) when conditions change.

Willing to talk with the enemy.

True caring for the poor, weak, unprivileged, sick, and all the others at the bottom of the food chain

Care about 50 and 100 years from now, not just 4 years (2 years?) from now.

Conservative with money, liberal with rights.

A basic understanding of science.

(I'll add to list as I think of more. This is the first 3 minutes of consideration.)

I know this thread was about qualities in a President, but since most of the answers sounded like it was about qualities in a potential gf/bf I figured I'd just go with that.

It could be both… you could be the First Man/Lady.
(or manlady, whatever spikes your punchbowl)

What qualities do you look for in a President?

Oh, enough knowledge about the political system to realise that we are not a republic and thus that the person never get the idea to run.

I doubt people will trawl through this (http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2143885,00.html) but people vote with their hearts not their heads.

That's why a Yale graduate from Kennebunkport realised that being a cowboy from Texas would be a better bet for the presidency.

This specific exchange goes a long way to showing what it takes to win the American heart:

We can hear the whirring of the dispassionate mind in the following exchange on Medicare, which occurred during the first presidential debate between Gore and Bush in 2000:

Gore: "Under the governor's plan, if you kept the same fee for service that you have now under Medicare, your premiums would go up by between 18% and 47%, and that is the study of the Congressional plan that he's modelled his proposal on by the Medicare actuaries. Let me give you one quick example. There is a man here tonight named George McKinney from Milwaukee. He's 70 years old, has high blood pressure, his wife has heart trouble. They have an income of $25,000 a year. They can't pay for their prescription drugs. They're some of the ones that go to Canada regularly in order to get their prescription drugs. Under my plan, half of their costs would be paid right away. Under Governor Bush's plan, they would get not one penny for four to five years and then they would be forced to go into an HMO or to an insurance company and ask them for coverage, but there would be no limit on the premiums or the deductibles or any of the terms and conditions."

Bush: "I cannot let this go by, the old-style Washington politics, if we're going to scare you in the voting booth. Under my plan, the man gets immediate help with prescription drugs. It's called Immediate Helping Hand. Instead of squabbling and finger-pointing, he gets immediate help. Let me say something."

Moderator (Jim Lehrer, PBS): "You're -"

Gore: "They get $25,000 a year income: that makes them ineligible."

Bush: "Look, this is a man who has great numbers. He talks about numbers. I'm beginning to think not only did he invent the internet, but he invented the calculator. It's fuzzy math."

Unsurprisingly, Bush wins the argument.

That rules out everyone who is running.

Quite unfortunately, yes. :(

However, I can try and pick the closest... Which is basically the voters' equivalent of picking whether steaming elephant shit or steaming donkey shit smells worse.

...

Oh, wait...

The ability to see things long-term. Especially with the environment.

I doubt any of you realise how lucky you are. Firstly, you have a President. We have a Prime Minister, the main issues being that we still have a monarchy, and, for this specific PM we have now, not a single person in this country (United Kingdom, for those who hadn't cottoned on) outside of the Labour Party voted for this man to lead the country.

The second reason you're lucky is the one thing going for James Gordon Brown. At least he's not Thatcher. Your lot didn't have to suffer Thatcher. Your country isn't still on its knees what what Thatcher did to it. I'd have your right-wing lunatics over ours any day.



Oh, and to make it relevant, there should never be any Toffs in power. I know it sounds something of a juvenile statement, but when has there been any good froman upper-class twat at the helm of a nation? A leader needs to be 'in touch' with its people. Not in a David Cameron sort of way "You know, I was a right little stoner, back in the day," and not in a George W. way "I like drink-driving."

Essentially, we need a proletarian (forgive the archaic, perhaps inappropriate term) to come to power. Somebody who realises what the class system is about in this (and your) country, and get it sorted out.


Thank you, you were a lovely audience. Bed beckons.

The absence of a pulse.
Once the Zambah Party has taken power, all taxes shall be abolished. You need no longer fear for the safety of your pay checks, but need only turn over a small portion of your delicious brains at the first of each february.

Generally I like a candidate who doesn't say remarkably stupid things. That rules out just about everyone.

a president who isn't scared to grab the world by the balls and squeeze them until they submit to his/her/its will