# Arthur Branch for POTUS? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 12, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613 "2007-03-12T15:53:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MilTan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@MilTan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MilTan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2007, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613/21 "2007-03-13T21:32:26Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] [QUOTE=Debaser] Conservatives are something like 45% of the population… [/QUOTE] Really? [/QUOTE] [Nope.](http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=444) More like 33% ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613/22 "2007-03-15T01:26:03Z")
[QUOTE=nameless] Didn’t McCoy just start some group dedicated to founding or fostering centrism in American politics? He’s certainly become more involved of late. [/QUOTE] Jack McCoy, as in Sam Waterston’s character on _Law & Order_, has been involved in politics recently? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613/23 "2007-03-15T13:35:19Z")
[QUOTE=MilTan] [Nope.](http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=444) More like 33% [/QUOTE] I got the 45% from a zogby poll. I’ve posted it to the SDMB before but I can’t seem to find it now. It’s possible that less people self identify as “conservative” now with the war and Bush’s unpopularity. Who knows. Howver, even that cite says conservatives outnumber liberals by about two to one. That’s the larger point. There’s lots of conservatives out there and they’re not happy with the current Republican offerings. Oh, and **Cervaise** : nice one. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613/24 "2007-03-15T17:47:08Z")
[QUOTE=Debaser] However, even that cite says conservatives outnumber liberals by about two to one. That’s the larger point. There’s lots of conservatives out there and they’re not happy with the current Republican offerings. [/QUOTE] Yeah, sure. 33%:18% is almost 2:1. But self-proclaimed “moderates” are 40%, which I guess outnumbers “conservatives” almost 5:4–or heck, let’s say almost 4:3, since we’re estimating! ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613/25 "2007-03-15T17:50:17Z")
Many people who I know hold views we would call “liberal” refuse to self-identify as such. I’m sure it’s part and parcel of the demonization of the word. Most of these people consider themselves “moderate”. Most people in general probably consider themselves “moderate”, but I think “conservative” (until recently) had less baggage than “liberal”. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613/26 "2007-03-15T18:18:02Z")
"National Journal’s Alyssa Rosenberg throws out the idea that Ex-Sen. Fred Thompson, an independent Republican, and Sam Waterston, a liberal affiliated with the Unity '08 group, could run together on the Unity '08 ticket. A Law and Order presidency." ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613/27 "2007-03-15T19:57:26Z")
Didn’t he basically leave the Senate to concentrate on acting? I don’t know much about him, but doesn’t that cast a little bit of doubt on his dedication? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613/28 "2007-03-15T20:06:25Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] Didn’t he basically leave the Senate to concentrate on acting? I don’t know much about him, but doesn’t that cast a little bit of doubt on his dedication? [/QUOTE] It’s the surest path to the Presidency. Obama is touted as a new hunk; John “Ken-doll” Edwards tries to\* look\* like a movie star. Reagan & Schwarzenegger are unduly loved by the right; Romney is an actor in a sense… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613/29 "2007-03-15T21:11:15Z")
[QUOTE=stolichnaya] Many people who I know hold views we would call “liberal” refuse to self-identify as such. [/QUOTE] The word has largely been replaced by “progressive.” ---
**Author:** ![stolichnaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bcef8e/32.png) [@stolichnaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stolichnaya)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2007, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613/30 "2007-03-15T21:21:07Z")
In that case, I would like a progressive amount of oral sex. ---
**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:** [March 16, 2007, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613/31 "2007-03-16T19:02:26Z")
[QUOTE=want2know] [Fred Thompson considering run in 2008](http://www.postchronicle.com/commentary/article_21268410.shtml) [/QUOTE] From your cite: > [@](#): > > Additionally, he is now a frequent substitute for legendary radio commentator Paul Harvey. Tells me everything I need to know. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2007, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613/32 "2007-03-16T19:17:47Z")
[QUOTE=foolsguinea] Romney is an actor in a sense… [/QUOTE] I think you’re abusing the term here. Romney’s an actor in the same way Pinocchio was an actor. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/arthur-branch-for-potus/395613.md?page=1)