# Let's make a list of 144 (or more) facts you should know before running for US president.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-144-or-more-facts-you-should-know-before-running-for-us-president/607765>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 29, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-144-or-more-facts-you-should-know-before-running-for-us-president/607765 "2011-12-29T22:15:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 11\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-144-or-more-facts-you-should-know-before-running-for-us-president/607765/61 "2012-01-01T17:31:23Z")

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> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> I generally agree with what you’re saying. I’ve never understood the importance some people attach to memorizing capital cities. What does it matter if the capital of Wyoming is Cheyenne or Laramie?
> 
> But I don’t see the things I mentioned as the same kind of trivia. Knowing what the top domestic and foreign policy issues are for a country are useful information not trivial pursuit questions.
> 
> Foolsguinea mentioned Suriname in his post. Their top foreign policy issue is a dispute over territorial waters with neighbouring Guyana. Sounds trivial right? But there are offshore oil fields involved. So which side do you think is right - Guyana or Suriname? And which side would be better getting these oil fields from an American point of view?
> 
> The President of Suriname is Desi Bouterse. If he died of a heart attack next week, should the reaction be _“Thank God, that dictator is finally dead and Suriname can be free”_ or _“Oh God, Bouterse was the only person capable of preventing a bloody civil war from erupting”_ or _“Who cares? Vice President Ameerali has been running the country for years anyway”_?

If we could find an answer, I’d bet you that no president in history has known all those details about every other country. Most of them haven’t been particularly good presidents, of course.

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**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-144-or-more-facts-you-should-know-before-running-for-us-president/607765/62 "2012-01-01T17:33:32Z")

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You should understand that actual facts, and if necessary scientific research to find those facts, are necessary to make decent public policy.

And that the Bible isn’t.

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**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-144-or-more-facts-you-should-know-before-running-for-us-president/607765/63 "2012-01-02T02:09:20Z")

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Should know the difference between Fascism, Nazism, and Communism

Should know what the Establishment Clause pertains to and how it affects religion in public places

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**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-144-or-more-facts-you-should-know-before-running-for-us-president/607765/64 "2012-01-02T14:09:14Z")

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> [@YogSosoth](#):
>
> Should know the difference between Fascism, Nazism, and Communism
> 
> Should know what the Establishment Clause pertains to and how it affects religion in public places

I don’t know, I think its a bit much to expect the average American to understand how you go from the Establishment Clause to where we are today.

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**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-144-or-more-facts-you-should-know-before-running-for-us-president/607765/65 "2012-01-02T16:10:55Z")

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> [@What\_the](#):
>
> I don’t know, I think its a bit much to expect the average American to understand how you go from the Establishment Clause to where we are today.

I don’t think we expect the average American to run for President.

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**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-144-or-more-facts-you-should-know-before-running-for-us-president/607765/66 "2012-01-02T16:14:54Z")

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> [@Gyrate](#):
>
> I don’t think we expect the average American to run for President.

Given today’s candidates, the average American is too smart to run.

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**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-144-or-more-facts-you-should-know-before-running-for-us-president/607765/67 "2012-01-02T16:23:57Z")

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> [@Gyrate](#):
>
> I don’t think we expect the average American to run for President.

Wasn’t s/he the GOP frontrunner for a little while?

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**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-144-or-more-facts-you-should-know-before-running-for-us-president/607765/68 "2012-01-02T17:58:17Z")

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I think it would be nice if they were honest, moral (not so much in a religious way but a humanitarian way ) and have the good of the American people as their top or next to top priority.

Sadly I seem to be asking for that which does not exist… IMO

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**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-144-or-more-facts-you-should-know-before-running-for-us-president/607765/69 "2012-01-02T18:00:16Z")

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> [@GusNSpot](#):
>
> I think it would be nice if they were honest, moral (not so much in a religious way but a humanitarian way ) and have the good of the American people as their top or next to top priority.
> 
> Sadly I seem to be asking for that which does not exist… IMO

The OP asks for _facts_ a presidential contender should be aware of, not character traits she or he should possess.

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**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-144-or-more-facts-you-should-know-before-running-for-us-president/607765/70 "2012-01-03T04:14:48Z")

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> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#):
>
> The OP asks for _facts_ a presidential contender should be aware of, not character traits she or he should possess.

Oh my God !!! Do we want the OP to vote if that is all he cares about??? \<–j/k ( for the impaired… )

Knowing what moral or honest means is just a trait and no facts need apply? Well blow me over…

Should he know if his running mate is a crook? Is dishonest? Wait, they are politicians… Never mind the stupid question.

Actually, IMO, there is no fact that they need to know if they do not have traits as described.

I think they should know how much one of their vacations cost the public. that is a fact they can find out & I think they should & report it publicly before they go on the vacation.

Thanks for keeping me on track in this thread.

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**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-make-a-list-of-144-or-more-facts-you-should-know-before-running-for-us-president/607765/71 "2012-01-03T04:49:12Z")

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> [@GusNSpot](#):
>
> I think they should know how much one of their vacations cost the public. that is a fact they can find out & I think they should & report it publicly before they go on the vacation.

Hmmm…I can kinda understand why you’d see this as important, but why? It’s not like they have all that much control over it? You don’t really expect the Pres to fly coach with a budget airline to save money do you?

I’d add into the mix that a president (actually any head of state) should know the key points of difference for all the major (and not so major) religions, their key tenets and key points of intersectarian argument.

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