# President Kerry's first official act should be... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 15, 2004, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359 "2004-10-15T12:27:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/41 "2004-10-16T17:38:31Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > This won’t happen, but I think his first act as President should be to request the resignation of Chief Justice Rhenquist. I know Kerry can’t force him to step down, but the media attention on Rhenquist would be interesting. I really doubt Rhenquist will be able to last 4 more years. A sitting President asking a sitting Supreme Court Justice to step down strikes me as being wildly inappropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/42 "2004-10-16T17:42:12Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > A sitting President asking a sitting Supreme Court Justice to step down strikes me as being wildly inappropriate. I agree. Its strange how we’re all so ready to bring our own ‘criminal’ leaders into account at an international court, but non too willing to bring actual murderers who lead countries all over the world into account as well. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/43 "2004-10-16T18:42:47Z")
His first act as head of a country ought to be given Quebec its independence. What? Canadians love Kerry according to polls…they should be glad to have him as prime minister. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/44 "2004-10-16T18:49:04Z")
I’d laugh if the whole world wanted Kerry as president, and Bush won. I love Irony. A message to all Americans from me: Vote for whoever you want, don’t let world opinion screw you over, because remember, why would they want a president of the worlds greatest country in the modern age doing things that would be detremental to them? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2004, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/45 "2004-10-16T23:01:41Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#): > > Vote for whoever you want, don’t let world opinion screw you over, because remember, why would they want a president of the worlds greatest country in the modern age doing things that would be detremental to them? Yeah, dem kooky foreigners with their crazy ideas, like having a President who _cooperates_ with them instead of being a jerk. Whotta bunch’a nuts! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/46 "2004-10-17T00:00:12Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#): > > I’d laugh if the whole world wanted Kerry as president, and Bush won. > > I love Irony. Except you obviously don’t know what it means. :smack: > [@](#): > > Vote for whoever you want, don’t let world opinion screw you over, because remember, why would they want a president of the worlds greatest country in the modern age doing things that would be detremental to them? Our undecided voters are obviously waiting to hear what the rest of the world thinks, so this is good advice. ANYWAY, to the OP: > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Going with the supposition that Kerry wins the election, what do you think his first official act… > > 1. …will be? He’s said his first act in office will be to undo the Global Gag Rule, a.k.a. the Mexico City policy, which bans US aid to any family planning program overseas that discusses abortion as an option. > [@](#): > > 1. …should be? I like a lot of the suggestions here, but I’m fine with nixing the Global Gag Rule as Step One. I think that was Bush’s first act in office, and Kerry might as well start with an executive order like that, as opposed to something that others can block. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/47 "2004-10-17T01:55:38Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > A sitting President asking a sitting Supreme Court Justice to step down strikes me as being wildly inappropriate. IIRC, FDR had conflicts with his Supreme Court, and despite having enough clout to get elected to four terms of office, was never able to do much beyond waiting them out. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/48 "2004-10-17T10:07:41Z")
> [@rjung](#): > > Yeah, dem kooky foreigners with their crazy ideas, like having a President who _cooperates_ with them instead of being a jerk. Whotta bunch’a nuts! What am getting at is foreign nations aren’t then United States, and just because they oppose what America has done doesn’t make them right, it doesn’t mean that the US is any more morally superior, but its for the people of that country to decide, not others. Do you really think anti American sentiment will just dissapear because of Bush being elected out of office? This is what will happen, Kerry will get in, anti Americanism will quieten down for a few months, then Kerry will then do a policy change on Iraq which numerous countries dislike, and you’re back to square one. So voting to get other foreigners to like your country is dumb and downright stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/49 "2004-10-17T10:35:28Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > His first act as head of a country ought to be given Quebec its independence. > > What? Canadians love Kerry according to polls…they should be glad to have him as prime minister. Actually, we only love him because he’s not Bush. Frankly, Bush scares most of us up here, and sitting next to you guys while he’s President is like sitting next to a ticking time bomb in a crowded metro car. I’m really scared of what he’ll do when he wins a second term and no longer needs to worry about re-election. Besides, no vote for independence has ever won a majority in this province, and support for it is dropping. I don’t know what Kerry’s first act will be. I won’t comment on domestic policy (how you run your country within its own borders is your business), but his first foreign policy decision should be an act of faith to show other countries the US isn’t going to play cowboy on the international stage anymore. Ratifying the kyoto accord, signing small arms bans, etc, something along those lines. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/50 "2004-10-17T10:51:17Z")
I would WAG a massive shifting of troops, just to appear like he knows something as how to use the millitary - not that it would actually do anything, and perhaps would make things worse, and possiable allow some drugs from Canada. [prediction]Whatever it is I expect a big media blitz and praise on how much this will help the little guy, but when it falls flat you won’t hear a peep, except for the ‘alternate media’.[/prediction] ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/51 "2004-10-17T15:48:27Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I would WAG a massive shifting of troops, just to appear like he knows something as how to use the millitary - not that it would actually do anything, and perhaps would make things worse, and possiable allow some drugs from Canada. > > [prediction]Whatever it is I expect a big media blitz and praise on how much this will help the little guy, but when it falls flat you won’t hear a peep, except for the ‘alternate media’.[/prediction] Well, on the evidence, Kerry is a decorated war hero while Bush and most of his advisors are chicken hawks. So Kerry might have a little more knowledge of how to use the military EFFECTIVELY than Bush and his armchair generals. ---
**Author:** ![Scarface\_Z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Scarface\_Z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarface_Z)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/52 "2004-10-17T23:10:26Z")
1. work on exit strategy for iraq 2. get CIA to assasinate all Neo-Conservatives 3. bribe india into launching nukes at pakistan (surely we can’t miss osama with that) :eek: ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2004, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/53 "2004-10-17T23:32:35Z")
How about this: Kerry should cut off all foreign aid to Israel until **all** the settlements in the Occupied Territories are evacuated. Or, until Israel makes a formal statement that the settlements will be considered abandoned and no longer the Israeli government’s responsibility in military or any other terms, and any Israelis who choose to remain there may no longer vote in Israeli elections. It would go a long way towards solving the problem. But he won’t. Kerry didn’t even mention the Palestinians in any of the three debates. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/54 "2004-10-18T00:23:18Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > Why would pandering to the irrational fears of some people be an outstanding idea? A true leader would ignore that crap and realize that it’s best for the country to keep the registration in place in case there’s an emergency need. > > Don’t get me wrong… I’m opposed to the draft in all but the most dire circumstances. I just don’t think presidents should make policy based on silly internet rumors. Yeah, they shouldn’t. Using it to try to scare people away from voting for the opposition [shouldn’t be done either.](http://apnews.myway.com/article/20041017/D85P74H00.html) -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359/55 "2004-10-18T03:59:36Z")
**Scarface Z** > [@](#): > > 1. get CIA to assasinate all Neo-Conservatives > 2. bribe india into launching nukes at pakistan (surely we can’t miss osama with that) [Moderator Hat ON] Do NOT espouse assasination of Americans or ethnic cleansing on these boards. That is QUITE enough. [Moderator Hat OFF] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/president-kerrys-first-official-act-should-be/269359.md?page=2)