# Americans: which foreigner would you like as POTUS? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 1, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464 "2007-12-01T16:29:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/1 "2007-12-01T16:29:13Z")
Americans, suppose you had to import someone as POTUS, who would it be? They can’t be an American citizen, so no Shwartznegger or Albright, or even of dual nationality. And what about the VP? Same restrictions. So, who would you import? I’m thinking that Vladimir Putin might be an interesting choice. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/2 "2007-12-01T17:36:05Z")
No one. The constitution specific forbids this (although I would allow nationalized citizens if it were up tio me) because it’s a really bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/3 "2007-12-01T17:57:20Z")
Nobody. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/4 "2007-12-01T17:59:24Z")
[QUOTE=Menocchio] No one. The constitution specific forbids this (although I would allow nationalized citizens if it were up tio me) because it’s a really bad idea. [/QUOTE] That does not apply in the OP’s hypothetical. I’d invite [“Red Ken” Livingstone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Livingstone) to be POTUS. He’s a leftist but not really a Communist, he’s not **too** bad an asshole as politicians go, he always seems to stand up for his beliefs and convictions regardless of whether they are popular at the moment, and he speaks English. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/5 "2007-12-01T18:51:41Z")
Eddie Izzard. ---
**Author:** ![Drake\_Tungsten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@Drake\_Tungsten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drake_Tungsten)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/6 "2007-12-01T19:39:57Z")
Muhammad Yunus, the Bengali Nobel Peace Prize winner for the Grameen Bank. I think he would be a boon for unique domestic policies as well as a more compassionate foreign relations presence. ---
**Author:** ![E.Thorp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@E.Thorp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E.Thorp)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/7 "2007-12-01T19:46:42Z")
Cicciolina. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/8 "2007-12-01T19:55:28Z")
Easy one: [**José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero**](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Luis_Rodr%C3%ADguez_Zapatero) ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/9 "2007-12-01T19:58:13Z")
[His Majesty, Juan Carlos I](http://youtube.com/watch?v=gB_fvVLdmRI) Or maybe Sir Ian McKellen. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/10 "2007-12-01T20:06:23Z")
Terry Pratchett. It’d be entertaining. Or Cicciolina. Sure. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/11 "2007-12-01T20:37:45Z")
Sir Richard Branson? ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/12 "2007-12-01T20:49:17Z")
Whenever I’ve seen Gary Kasparov on tv, it strikes me how much more intelligent and frank he sounds than any of our candidates. I even said, “Gee, I wish I could vote for _this_ guy.” ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/13 "2007-12-01T20:52:36Z")
Kylie Minogue? 😃 Failing that I’d second Richard Branson. It’d be great to have someone in the White House who was so astute yet so much fun. ---
**Author:** ![Rashaverak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a5b964/32.png) [@Rashaverak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashaverak)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/14 "2007-12-01T21:16:39Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] That does not apply in the OP’s hypothetical. I’d invite [“Red Ken” Livingstone](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Livingstone) to be POTUS. He’s a leftist but not really a Communist, he’s not **too** bad an asshole as politicians go, he always seems to stand up for his beliefs and convictions regardless of whether they are popular at the moment, and he speaks English. [/QUOTE] :eek: _Really_ **BrainGlutton**? I know you’re a lefty, but to most Americans he would seem only a tad to the right of Lenin. Heck, I’m a liberal and I can’t stand the bloke. Many Londoners would have stronger words… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/15 "2007-12-01T21:16:41Z")
[QUOTE=Baldwin] Whenever I’ve seen Gary Kasparov on tv, it strikes me how much more intelligent and frank he sounds than any of our candidates. " [/QUOTE] Yeah, I might vote for him. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/16 "2007-12-01T21:23:45Z")
William Shatner ---
**Author:** ![Ocean\_Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8797f3/32.png) [@Ocean\_Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ocean_Annie)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/17 "2007-12-01T21:51:52Z")
[QUOTE=Baldwin] Whenever I’ve seen Gary Kasparov on tv, it strikes me how much more intelligent and frank he sounds than any of our candidates. I even said, “Gee, I wish I could vote for _this_ guy.” [/QUOTE] I like Kasparov, too. Nicolas Sarkozy is another interesting choice. He is a charismatic public speaker. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/18 "2007-12-01T22:08:51Z")
I had an answer for this in the past but today I can’t remember who that was, so I vote for Eddie Izzard, then Terry Pratchett. Or Richard Dawkins. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/19 "2007-12-01T22:10:34Z")
Václav Havel. ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464/20 "2007-12-01T22:13:44Z")
Definitely HM Juan Carlos I. Peter Jennings for VP. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americans-which-foreigner-would-you-like-as-potus/428464.md?page=2)