# Does The President REALLY Have Magical powers? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 9, 2004, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802 "2004-11-09T07:23:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/1 "2004-11-09T07:23:51Z")
I don’t understand the idiotic commentary that accompanies US presidential elections. To read this nonsense, you would have to assume that the president is a man with magical powers; he/she is able to make the following problems go away!: -Education: education in this country is handled by local government. The fact that kids can’t read is because the prevailing culture does NOT require them to read; there is no evidence that any action by the White House will have any effect upon the reading performance of grade-school children. -“Family Values”: I like this one! What on earth can any president do to influence what parents do to raise their children? WE had 8 years of a completely immoral cheat (Bill Clinton); I don’t recall seeing any children being harmed by his nefarious behavior! -Gun Control: There is no evidence that federal regulation s have any influence on the levelof gun-related violence. Each state has its own firearm laws, and there is no conclusive evidence linking crime levels to the levelofgun ownership. (Massachusetts has hundreds of gun relaed laws, no more than a fraction are ever enforced. One (the Bartley-Fox Law, is routinely ignored by stae judges). -The economy and unemployment. Can the president just raise a wand and magically put people back to work? The economy is a huge sysem, and it goes through cycles of boom and bust…I don’t think the president has a lot of control over this. -Trust: No president can be trusted. His actions are checked by the congress and supreme court-that is the whole basis for the separation of powers. I think that we should elect a duck as president for 4 tyears-then compare the results with the preceding administrations. We might be pleasantly surprised! ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/2 "2004-11-09T07:47:31Z")
He cures scrofula with his touch, didn’t you know? ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/3 "2004-11-09T08:16:34Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > -Education: education in this country is handled by local government. The fact that kids can’t read is because the prevailing culture does NOT require them to read; there is no evidence that any action by the White House will have any effect upon the reading performance of grade-school children. He could issue an executive order that all illiterates above the age of nine be shot. _That_ might help. Yeah, I know…stupid Congress would probably veto that. Feh. Bunch of lousy paperpushers… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/4 "2004-11-09T08:41:37Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > I don’t understand the idiotic commentary that accompanies US presidential elections. To read this nonsense, you would have to assume that the president is a man with magical powers; he/she is able to make the following problems go away!: If Presidents and candidates didn’t make promises on all of these issues, perhaps you wouldn’t hear all the commentary that upsets you so much. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/5 "2004-11-09T09:13:37Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > He cures scrofula with his touch, didn’t you know? That only works for kings. “The President’s Evil” doesn’t have the same ring to it, unless you’re a Democrat. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/6 "2004-11-09T14:48:34Z")
The thread title made me think of George Bush flying through the air ala Pee-Wee Herman and saying, “I’m the luckiest boy in the WHOLE WORLD! Everybody wants to be me, because I’m Georgie!” ---
**Author:** ![smilingscar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@smilingscar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smilingscar)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/7 "2004-11-09T16:03:40Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > -The economy and unemployment. Can the president just raise a wand and magically put people back to work? The economy is a huge sysem, and it goes through cycles of boom and bust…I don’t think the president has a lot of control over this. FDR made a good bit of difference, and you might make the secretary of treasury cry with that comment ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/8 "2004-11-09T16:15:43Z")
> [@smilingscar](#): > > FDR made a good bit of difference, and you might make the secretary of treasury cry with that comment See there was this little thing called WWII, it put a lot of people back to work… ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/9 "2004-11-09T18:08:26Z")
Not many people know that the President visited the deepest part of the world’s oceans. But just once. For 20 minutes. In 1960. Pretty magical, though. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/10 "2004-11-09T18:14:50Z")
> [@](#): > > Does The President REALLY Have Magical powers? Yes…of course he does. He got re-elected didn’t he? 😉 The problem, of course, is that most people have a pretty murky idea of exactly what a President can…and CAN’T…do. Hell, they have a pretty murky idea of exactly what a President DOES do for that matter. -XT ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/11 "2004-11-10T00:22:03Z")
This guy seems to think so. Or at least Bush has magicians working for him. [http://www.livejournal.com/community/pagan/1334906.html?thread=14767226#t14767226](http://www.livejournal.com/community/pagan/1334906.html?thread=14767226#t14767226) > [@](#): > > I started hearing a calm, resonable, and powerful head-voice saying things like “Kerry doesn’t have the experience we need in these troubled times.” and “Give Bush a chance to make it better.” > > Anyone who knows me KNOWS these are not my thoughts! > > And besides, I voted last week. No, there’s no way in Hades these are my thoughts. > > Gods-damn it! The f\*cking Republicans have got Magical help pumping out a clear, unified, focused broadcast, and you can be sure, every sensitive is picking it up. > [@](#): > > I’ve been sensing, tracking, sorting, and identifying magical energies for over 23 years now. Please give me credit for knowing what the hell I’m talking about. This is the funniest thing I’ve read for weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/12 "2004-11-10T00:30:59Z")
Rant, let me introduce you to The BBQ Pit. Pit, this is my good friend Rant. I’d stay and chat with the both of you, but I see that the horsey dovers tray just got refreshed and I do so _love_ them little hotdogs wrapped in Bisquick. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/13 "2004-11-10T00:49:02Z")
> [@xtisme](#): > > Hell, they have a pretty murky idea of exactly what a President DOES do for that matter. Watches TV and attempts to eat pretzels. Hell, I could do that. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/14 "2004-11-10T01:04:25Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > -“Family Values”: I like this one! What on earth can any president do to influence what parents do to raise their children? WE had 8 years of a completely immoral cheat (Bill Clinton); I don’t recall seeing any children being harmed by his nefarious behavior! Funny, I recall a lot of non-conservatives saying this during the height of the Lewinsky bruhaha. But we were all drowned out by the right-wing dittoheads who insisted otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/15 "2004-11-10T01:27:38Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > -Education: education in this country is handled by local government. The fact that kids can’t read is because the prevailing culture does NOT require them to read; there is no evidence that any action by the White House will have any effect upon the reading performance of grade-school children. I agree. Which is why bullshit unfunded mandates from the federal government need to stop. But the President doesn’t seem to agree with us. _coughnochildleftbehindcough_. > [@](#): > > -“Family Values”: I like this one! What on earth can any president do to influence what parents do to raise their children? WE had 8 years of a completely immoral cheat (Bill Clinton); I don’t recall seeing any children being harmed by his nefarious behavior! As **rj** just pointed out, lots of people believe that there were. Face it, the President is one of the most visible people in the world. Even without mandating morality (marriage amendment, anyone? I believe it’s President Bush on point there), his words and behavior can arguably set an ethical and moral tone for the nation. > [@](#): > > -Gun Control: Again, you think the POTUS is without power or influence here? > [@](#): > > -The economy and unemployment. Can the president just raise a wand and magically put people back to work? The economy is a huge sysem, and it goes through cycles of boom and bust…I don’t think the president has a lot of control over this. Not directly, but he has huge amounts of indirect power. The POTUS nominates Fed members, for one thing. And has the power and authority to dump lots of money into the ecomomy in various ways for another. **Loach** ’s (IMO incorrect) comment that recovery from the Depression was solely due to WWII notwithstanding, FDR had an immense influence on the economy. > [@](#): > > -Trust: No president can be trusted. His actions are checked by the congress and supreme court-that is the whole basis for the separation of powers. I think you’re wrong here. The purpose behind separating powers was to protect against an untrustworthy President (or Legislature or Judiciary). that’s nto the same thing as saying none of them can ever be trusted. > [@](#): > > I think that we should elect a duck as president for 4 tyears-then compare the results with the preceding administrations. We might be pleasantly surprised! Ok, that’s funny. But untrue. You seem to be making the claim that the office of President is entirely meaningless. And that’s just completely and utterly wrong. ---
**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:** [November 10, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/16 "2004-11-10T02:53:54Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > See there was this little thing called WWII, it put a lot of people back to work… FDR became president in what-1934? The second WW didn’t even start until 1939 and the US didn’t step in until 1941. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/17 "2004-11-10T06:47:29Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > FDR became president in what-1934? The second WW didn’t even start until 1939 and the US didn’t step in until 1941. Right, and the claim here is that “FDR did some good”. While the economy certainly didn’t grow much _worse_ under FDR, it didn’t improve much either till we started to gear up for WWII. People can claim that if it weren’t for FDR’s policies it woulda been a lot worse, (some even claim a communist revolution was possible,) but it remains to be shown that FDR had much positive net direct effect on jobs and production. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/18 "2004-11-10T15:05:30Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > FDR became president in what-1934? The second WW didn’t even start until 1939 and the US didn’t step in until 1941. No shit. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/19 "2004-11-10T17:59:25Z")
The live action version of _The Grinch Who Stole Christmas_ sucked big green ones. It completely lost the spirit of Ted Geisel’s original story or the magic of Chuck Jones’ (I know, he wasn’t yet dead then, a minor detail) animated version. I recently got a chance to watch _The Cat in the Hat_ on cable. Apparently Dr. Seuss’ body hadn’t been adequately sodomized the first time. Now they’re making a Curios George movie starring SNL buffoon Will Ferrel. Won’t they let H. A. Rey rest in peace and refrain from plowing under another pleasant childhood memory. Aargh! Fucking fuckers! Sonofabitch I have to kick something! Now they have a car commercial, a blatant ripoff of _Field of Dreams_ though that part doesn’t bother me so mcuh. Instead of a baseball field the corn farmer makes a road racing track and pulls the new Mustang out of the barn so the steely eyed ghost of Steve McQueen can appear and drive a few circuits. Is nothing sacred? The thing that pissed me off the most is that the commercial made me really want to get a new Mustang. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802/20 "2004-11-10T18:01:39Z")
Goddamnit anyway. I hit the wrong button. I meant to start a new thread. Mods, can you please correct my error? At least it was in the right forum. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-president-really-have-magical-powers/273802.md?page=2)