Despite this new information, which I appreciate, I’m still going to have to turn it down. 
No.
a/ I wouldn’t be very good at it.
b/ I’d have to become an American citizen.
c/ I’d have to live in America for the duration.
With the exception between May 2001-March 2003, and the present admin, I would have said “Fuck No”. Even though I’m pretty bright, I don’t think that I can normally predict the future accurately, and there’s usually no way I want to be the point man to fix the current admin’s mess.
In May 2001, there was a speech that made me realize that Bush wanted to go into Iraq, and it just went downhill from there. Anytime before March 2003, I could have stopped it if I were President, and would have. After that, I don’t have any really good answers for what I saw as the worst mistake the nation had made in my lifetime.
Until now, of course. I’d have left Nixon in office if your only choice to replace him was me (plus, I was way too young). He was a fucker of the first degree all day long, who I disagree with on just about every social issue. But he at least understood that the country existed as something other than his plaything, even if he was a pretty terrible President.
The current fucktard understands less than I do about how to lead an organization and run a government, and I’m pretty sure I’d suck. But I’d at least be somewhat functioning, which the current administration is not doing. If that machine’s well oiled, it’s in the sense that it’s knocked a hole in the side of the block with a thrown rod, and spilled all of its oil on the outside.
I would take the job and, with no interest in re-election, I would hopefully be able to make some of the hard decisions that need to be made in that office.
Bonus time!
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Better than Nixon, worse than LBJ
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I don’t have a party, but the closest historically would be the Bull Moose party. By declaring myself a Moose, maybe it would rekindle interest and there would be 2 or 3 new representatives.
I seriously doubt I would take the job, but if I did it would be on the premise that I would not, under any circumstances, spend time or money in a campaign for a second term. If the people wanted me for a second term based on my record in term one, I’d likely acquiesce. Absolutely no personal campaigning, though. Too much real work to do.
I think I would take the job. I am not in debt, nor am I beholden to any paticular countries, industries, or other special interest groups, nor can I be blackmailed. I am smart enough to know what I do not know and to ask those who are smarter than me for advice. I wouldn’t mind having Pence for V.P. because someone has to do the less important meet n’ greets…and that will be pretty much all that he would be allowed to do.
No. I couldn’t even humbly accept it, declaring my own inadequacy for the position. It would legitimately not be in the best interest of the country for me to be president.
There’s no one on this board who wouldn’t be an utter disaster. But would you be an actively malevolent disaster?
No, but given how much influence the government can have over people’s lives (or at least certain segments of people), I could easily end up making their lives just as miserable as someone who is actively malevolent. But then again, I’m sure most actively malevolent people would not see themselves as actively malevolent.
Of course I would. I’d do the best I could. I’d tell Pence: “you know that podium in the Senate chamber? That’s where you’re going to be every day. Your job is to preside over the Senate and call the White House daily to inquire about my health. Other than that, get lost.”
I’d rescind Gorsuch’s nomination and nominate Michael Moore for Supreme Court. I’d put some blue state Republican Senators on my cabinet so they can be replaced by Democrats in special elections. My political director would be assigned to identify the state legislator and senate seats most vulnerable to flipping from red to blue and to pour everything we have into flipping them so that we can do the gerrymandering. I’d grant blanket amnesty to all undocumented workers in the US. Then I’d push though massive tax hikes on the rich. Finally, I’d start posing for my head for Mt Rushmore.
I don’t agree with this. I actually think there’s a lot of folks on this board who would do just fine. Being a good President is mostly about willingness to recognize and listen to people who are smarter than you are; it’s the main reason the current guy is such a failure.
I’m surprised at how many people are saying they’d take the job… reluctantly. Yes… if I had to.
I’d take the job without a second thought and be exceptionally pleased to have the opportunity. Aside from it being the honor of a lifetime to serve in such a role, it’d open doors for my children that I’ll never be able to open myself. I’d ask Vice President Pence for his resignation, but in the interest of honoring the electorate’s wishes at least to some degree I’d replace him not with a liberal but with an intelligent and ethical conservative. I’d then ask that person to be an active part of governing the country.
I’d withdraw Gorsuch’s nomination and re-nominate Merrick Garland.
I’d be a pretty aggressively activist president when it comes to the issues that I consider uncomplicated and obvious: LGTBQ rights, environmental protection, etc. On everything else I’d shut my mouth and listen to the smart people, then try to distill their ideas and knowledge into action.
Shit, I think I’d be halfway decent. I think a lot of you all would be, too.
Except that was exactly what Nixon did. He treated the office of President as his plaything with which to conduct war on Americans on every front. He viewed anybody and everybody as his enemy who should be brought down and eliminated and he condoned illegal activity to bring about that result.
Considering that most Dopers aren’t insane, and can string two coherent sentences together, I think that by the new standards most of you are over-qualified
Yes of course I would. I’d listen, I’d attend ALL THE SECURITY BRIEFINGS, ask lots of questions, surround myself with intelligent people. I don’t have an agenda, and I’m not the sort who has a list of what I’d do if I were president.
Probably keep the best parts of Obamacare. Probably the most controversial thing I’d do is take a very close look at military spending. As a veteran, people would expect me to support the military, which I would, but I also know the Pentagon wastes a ridiculous amount.
Now, to take this thread in a non-political direction: What mundane, every day-to-day things would you do differently as president?
Would you need the White House meals to be gluten-free?
Drastically decrease the number of speeches you’d deliver?
Use a teleprompter?
Avoid the media?
Sleep in to 10 AM every morning?
Have all the furniture and drapes, decorations, replaced?
Want your coffee black? Splenda?
Use Facebook, Twitter?
Etc.
Would you need the White House meals to be gluten-free? Nope
Drastically decrease the number of speeches you’d deliver? I’d give a daily update.
Use a teleprompter? Yes
Avoid the media? No
Sleep in to 10 AM every morning? No
Have all the furniture and drapes, decorations, replaced? Not unless they’re real garish or worn.
Want your coffee black? Splenda? Nope, just have a dedicated refrigerator for Diet Coke.
Use Facebook, Twitter? No and no.
Also, instead of shouting “Mr. President!” reporters would be instructed to say “What’s up, dude?”
No vacations or trips. I stay in the White House and save a fortune is SS costs.
I would not say “and may God bless the United States of America” at the end of my speeches, nor any other time. Enough of that pompous bullshit.
I’d choose one tourist every day and have him/her come to the Oval Office for 15 minutes and tell me what they’re thinking.
I’d say the State of the Union in rap style and have the whole chamber clap the rhythm.
No dress code for me or my staff. Come to work in your pajamas for all I care.
I wouldn’t horn in on sports championships by phoning in the clubhouse after the game. Half the players and fans won’t want to hear me and I’d respect their desire to avoid politics for a day.
I’d give televised chats with power point presentations and provide citations for my figures.
Bernie Sanders would be my vice president and Elizabeth Warren would be my adviser. I’ll show up on TV and special events and just give stuff away like Oprah, just to piss a little less than half the people off. We’d have new infrastructure, healthcare for all and open borders. How you ask? By spending 15% less on defense.
Would you need the White House meals to be gluten-free?
Only when Republicans visit, with a large amount of fanfare
Drastically decrease the number of speeches you’d deliver?
Hell, we’re having a fireside chat every night, but I’ll appear as a hologram, like Snoak.
Use a teleprompter?
Religiously. I’ll even take one to church with me on Sunday, so I don’t have to open a hymnal or anything.
Avoid the media?
Absolutely. Throw the bums out. We’re all going to party down the street anyway, why stick around in that stuffy press room?
Sleep in to 10 AM every morning?
Only on the morning after the dreaded 3 AM phone call. You know, “Mr. President, the bars are all closed and it’s time for you to go home.” So yeah, every morning.
Have all the furniture and drapes, decorations, replaced?
My first official act will be commissioning a massive painting. Then I’m getting prints made and using that shit as drapes, wallpaper, furniture covers, carpet, and toilet bowls Everywhere you go, I’m watching as you walk on me, sit on me, and shit on me.
Want your coffee black? Splenda?
With Bailey’s.
Use Facebook, Twitter?
Can I use eminent domain to seize @realDonaldTrump? I want that.
As to the OP, and slightly more serious (or am I?), if I was eligible (not yet, take that Father Time!), I would. There are incredibly smart people out there with a knack for policy. Finding and recruiting them to serve would be the number one goal. Well…after convincing McConnell to be Secretary of Who Cares and asking for his resignation, publicly, after his Senate seat has been filled. I don’t need that Turtle blaming me for his mistakes too.
Since I’d technically still be president, I’ll go ahead and answer the questions.
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Between 44th and 45th, since there is one obviously worse (Trump) and two possibly worse, if you count Harrison (because he died) and Wilson who had his wife take over because he was mentally incapacitated. Though both could argue to have done more than I did, and thus be better.
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I’m technically a registered Republican, and I would avoid letting anyone know I’m actually a liberal. This would be to decrease the loss if a Democratic President were to turn it over to Pence and make the Democrats look weak.
Would you need the White House meals to be gluten-free? For myself, yes. But, since it’s more expensive, I would not insist on it for anyone else, though I would give them the option.
Drastically decrease the number of speeches you’d deliver? Yes, as I’d not need to speak.
Use a teleprompter? I hope not, because I would hope to never have to give a speech.
Avoid the media? Yes, because they’ll want details. Fortunately, I do no harm to the country by doing this.
Sleep in to 10 AM every morning? Yes.
Have all the furniture and drapes, decorations, replaced? Not all of them, but the ones in the rooms I stay in could be replaced temporarily to feel more like home.
Want your coffee black? Splenda? I don’t like caffeine, so replace it with other hot drinks.
Use Facebook, Twitter? Only under a pseudonym.
If it were somehow forced upon me, my scorn would be reserved mostly for Congress (primarily but not only Republicans). I’d walk into my first televised press conference carrying a case of VETO stamps and demonstrate their use for the audience. I would then go on to explain how I would veto any and every bill that passed my desk that I didn’t totally agree with. Added riders with pork-barrel spending or preventing trans people from using whatever restroom they felt they should? Chop.
You think you’ve seen an obstinate Congress? They’d have nothin’ on me. Let 'em threaten not to extend the debt. I’d respond that we all needed a vacation anyway, and since I’m not going to be reelected (or elected, for that matter) anyway, I really don’t care. Let them deal with the consequences. And all of this in Technicolor on every media site I could find, placing the backwash squarely on them. (And forget about social networks. I’d be far too busy to be posting inane lies.)
Any and all news outlets would be invited, but obviously right ones would be shut down as soon as they identified themselves.
“Joe Blow, Fox News.”
“Next questioner…”
And keep the gourmet coffee flowing. I’d need every ounce.