# In what order of importance should a President serve? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2017, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-order-of-importance-should-a-president-serve/789637 "2017-06-22T21:07:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [June 23, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-order-of-importance-should-a-president-serve/789637/21 "2017-06-23T20:43:08Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > The President should follow tradition hallowed by time, and do what the Voices tell him. > > It’s worked so far. > > Regards, > Shodan I would have accepted “Disembodied Voices” as a legitimate 4th choice on the ballot. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-order-of-importance-should-a-president-serve/789637/22 "2017-06-23T21:02:10Z")
Why isn’t “conscience” an option here? That’s far more important than any of the other three. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-order-of-importance-should-a-president-serve/789637/23 "2017-06-23T21:09:42Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > Why isn’t “conscience” an option here? That’s far more important than any of the other three. Isn’t that just Self? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-order-of-importance-should-a-president-serve/789637/24 "2017-06-23T21:18:24Z")
> [@Hector\_St\_Clare](#): > > Why isn’t “conscience” an option here? That’s far more important than any of the other three. Or, Constitution. I wouldn’t assume that constitution = country. ---
**Author:** ![Hector\_St\_Clare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Hector\_St\_Clare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hector_St_Clare)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-order-of-importance-should-a-president-serve/789637/25 "2017-06-23T21:57:46Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Isn’t that just Self? IN a sense, but I think of “self” meaning pursuit of power, personal satisfaction, money, sex, and so forth. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-order-of-importance-should-a-president-serve/789637/26 "2017-06-23T22:05:53Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Country, because that’s the duty you take on when you even choose to run for president. > > Self, because you need to be healthy and free of influence to take on the above. > > And party not at all. As far as I’m concerned, political parties aren’t some special, traditional entities worthy of protecting and preserving just for their own sake. They exist to serve their members and the country, not the other way around. Then you’ve just made the President far less powerful. Sure, if the president is an idiot, it is helpful. But if they are really serving the country, you want them to have the power to do so. And most of that power (except figurative and literal nuclear options) come from having your party in Congress. You did make a good argument about putting self second, though. Now I can’t decide. Normally I say to put self last, as I’m thinking about selfishness and self interest. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2017, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-order-of-importance-should-a-president-serve/789637/27 "2017-06-24T00:22:03Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Then you’ve just made the President far less powerful. Sure, if the president is an idiot, it is helpful. But if they are really serving the country, you want them to have the power to do so. And most of that power (except figurative and literal nuclear options) come from having your party in Congress. To me, that’s just an intermediary toward serving the country. I was thinking more of the sort of the “Party of Lincoln” types; those who tout a party as they would a sports team or a social club. If you join an organization because it’s a means of promoting something you believe in, that’s one thing. But if you’re just in it for the flag waving and the cheer leading, what’s the point? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-what-order-of-importance-should-a-president-serve/789637.md?page=1)