Precisely. She’s sort of the opposite of Groucho Marx: she ardently wishes to become a member of a club that will never have her, and for which she’s much too good anyway (although Renly did, much to his credit, name her to his Kingsguard).
And I agree with the criticism of Stannis by Merijeek. He thinks he’s being good, but he’s too driven and narrow-minded to see that he’s using evil means to win the crown of Westeros.
I’m pretty sure this was Sam’s dad - Randyll Tarly in A Feast for Crows.
As for the list of ‘good characters’ I think you could make a strong argument that Daenrys belongs on the list.
Hmmm…possibly. She certainly got more of the Rhaegar-type Targaryen genes (as opposed to Viserys having gotten more of the Aerys-type Targaryen genes). She’s a little too expedient in reaching her (otherwise admirable) goals for me to unhesitatingly put her in the “mostly good” list. We will likely get a better insight in DwD when it comes out.
It’ll be worse than that. In all likelihood, Myrcella’s a goner because of the prophecy which, up to this point, has come true in almost (?) every detail.
Zev Steinhardt
Yeah, the moment when she buys the Unsullied was one of the best in the books, IMO.
Man, in the TV show I’m soooo looking forward to Belwas The Strong. How far off is he?
Apparently I’m going to have to reread. Anyway, what’s the prophecy? Don’t remember…
-Joe
As a child, she and a friend meet a woman (a magei (?)) who tells their fortune. The friend was going to die very soon. Cersei would marry a king. He would have 16 kids, she would have three, and all three would die before she was killed by the valquanar (I’m sure I spelled that wrong).
The friend did, indeed die very soon afterward.
Cersei did marry a king
We don’t know how many kids Robert had, but 16 sounds about right.
She had three children.
One(Joffrey) has already died.
Zev Steinhardt
Well, that sucks for Tommen and Myrcella. Are valquanar Targaryen or dragons?
-Joe
Neither. IIRC, it means “younger brother.” Take your pick.
Zev Steinhardt
You know, I just had an insight into this that hadn’t hit me before, to the point where I actually went to search and check some facts. Cersei is fixated on the idea that the valquanar is Tyrion…but Jaime was born AFTER Cersei. I can see that scenario playing out.
Yeah, that prophesy is the reason for her utter hate of Tyrion and it is more than likely extremely misplaced.
I found Maggy the Frog’s prophecy. Take careful note of the wording (bolding mine):
Assuming GRRM is going to be faithful to what he wrote, one of two scenarios have to happen:
Zev Steinhardt
“Valonquar”, btw…I just Googled to confirm the spelling.
The only problem with Jaime being the valonquar is that the prophecy says that he will put his hands around her throat.
Sorry, zev…this was in editing mode so long while I googled the prophecy and the spelling of valonquar that I missed that you’d posted.
ETA: Hmmm…it could also be that it needn’t be Cersei’s valonquar…Sandor is the younger brother among the Cleganes, right? For that matter, if we go outside it needing to be HER family, we’ve got living Starks who are the younger sons. And if Jon is R&L’s, he’s the deceased Aegon’s younger brother, right?
Or he uses his golden hand? 
Possible. But considering the rest of the prophecy was about Cersei (her kids, her husband), I don’t see any compelling reason to say that it’s not her brother.
Of course, I’ll defer to what GRRM thinks on the matter. 
Zev Steinhardt
Dany is planning on making war on hundreds of thousands of people for her pride. She’s not good.
Tyrion murdered his father. He’s not good.
At least nowhere near as good as Jon or Sam.
Jamie’s more moral act of his entire life was when he broke a vow. Vow’s don’t mean anything if they prevent you from acting in the right way.
Tyrion’s father was a monster and the world is better off without him. I don’t have the ability to read that scene and not be utterly on Tyrion’s side in that.
Another tangent: I’ve just hit the point in my re-read where Khal Drogo’s khalasar attacks the “lamb men” and Dany rescues the raped women including Mirri Maz Duur. Then she finds out the woman has studied in Asshai (which has an awful reputation) and she’s the priestess/healer for the village which has just been destroyed… and Dany INSISTS on letting this woman treat Drogo’s wounds. Seriously, what the hell? Why in the WORLD would Dany think that Mirri would actually happily treat Drogo’s wound? Why WOULDN’T she have poisoned him and otherwise harmed him? What else does she really have to lose?
Dany, like Eddard, Sansa and Cat, seems to suffer from absolutely fatal naivete that’s amazing to witness. When they put on their stupid hat, they really strap it on! 
Ditto.
For her pride? Nonsense. She’s fighting for survival. The whole point of the game of thrones is to survive; being king or queen just means you’ve got a better shot at it than a peasant farmer in the riverlands, a begger in Flea Bottom, or some hedge knight.
That’s what made Eddard’s “honor” so contemptible. Varys, Littlefinger, AND Cersei gave him more than enough advance warning that acting solely in the interests of what he felt was honorable was foolhardy, that nobody was playing by the same rules. Yet he stubbornly put his family and the entire realm in danger.
She has to invade places to survive? She’s extremely rich and has to cause the deaths of thousands of people to survive? This is demonstrably false. She has people offer to take care of her for the rest of her life.
She’s “rich” only insofar as she can induce people to follow her. When it was just her and Viserys, she had nothing. When Khal Drogo fell from his horse, she had nothing. After Khal Drogo died, all she had was her dragon babies and her will to lead. If she doesn’t lead them, another khal will swallow them up.