# So tell me about John Bolton... **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 13, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967 "2015-05-13T20:35:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/1 "2015-05-13T20:35:21Z")
John Bolton, former ambassador to the United Nations is likely to announce his candidacy for POTUS as a republican. > [@](#): > > Before serving as George W. Bush’s U.N. ambassador, Bolton served in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He has never held elective office. Read more: [http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/john-bolton-ambassador-united-nations-president-2016-117912.html#ixzz3a3KvdlC8](http://www.politico.com/story/2015/05/john-bolton-ambassador-united-nations-president-2016-117912.html#ixzz3a3KvdlC8) I believe that I’ve seen him on various political news shows, but never knew of his political office aspirations. For those that know, what are his political positions, how would he be differentiated in the now crowded republican nominee field? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/2 "2015-05-13T20:40:01Z")
And as soon as he’s elected, he’ll turn over the country to UN control! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/3 "2015-05-13T20:48:50Z")
Neoconservative. Believes in the use of force - the military - to further US goals. Known to have a temper and was once accused by an aide of screaming and pounding on her door when she didn’t want to talk to him. She accused him of harassing her or something. Has epic class mustache. Also has no chance of ever being elected president. > **[John Bolton](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_R._Bolton)** > > John Robert Bolton (born November 20, 1948) is an American attorney, diplomat, Republican consultant, and political commentator. He served as the 25th United States Ambassador to the United Nations from 2005 to 2006, and as the 26th United States National Security Advisor from 2018 to 2019. > Bolton served as a United States Assistant Attorney General for President Ronald Reagan from 1985 to 1989. He served in the State Department as Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Af... In all, a distinguished career at the highest levels of government. But he’s a functionary, not an executive nor a politician. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/4 "2015-05-13T21:04:56Z")
The more people who get into this thing, the more \*other \*people think “Look at all those clowns. Hell, why couldn’t _I_ win it?” Bolton won’t be the last. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/5 "2015-05-13T21:55:14Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Neoconservative. Believes in the use of force - the military - to further US goals. Known to have a temper and was once accused by an aide of screaming and pounding on her door when she didn’t want to talk to him. She accused him of harassing her or something. Was this the same aide who Bolton asked to dig up evidence of Cuban WMDs so Cuba could be added to the “Axis of Evil” nations? If so, Bolton’s screaming and pounding on the aide’s door was part of an epic temper tantrum that came about when the aide reported there was no evidence of any Cuban WMDs. ---
**Author:** ![Itself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d07c76/32.png) [@Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/6 "2015-05-13T22:11:05Z")
Total nonstarter. Either he’s angling for a cabinet position (State would be the obvious one, but he’s also a nonstarter there), or he’s just delusional. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/7 "2015-05-13T22:26:40Z")
It’s nice to see someone with foreign policy experience getting in on the Republican side. He’s not someone I agree that much with and he’s more than a bit abrasive in the role. I like to think of him as our Bernie Sanders pulling the discussion towards the things I care most about in selecting a President… before getting curb stomped. I see he’s a Fox News commentator. The average doper watches more of that than I do as a Republican so maybe someone has seen him?!? ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/8 "2015-05-13T23:26:57Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > It’s nice to see someone with foreign policy experience \*No \*experience might be better than \*his \*experience, wouldn’t you say? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/9 "2015-05-14T00:43:28Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > The more people who get into this thing, the more \*other \*people think “Look at all those clowns. Hell, why couldn’t _I_ win it?” Bolton won’t be the last. New Bolton slogan: “Why vote for the _other_ no-talent ass-clown?” ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/10 "2015-05-14T00:56:13Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > John Bolton, former ambassador to the United Nations is likely to announce his candidacy for POTUS as a republican. And only a recess appointment at that. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/11 "2015-05-14T01:47:59Z")
He was the Curtis LeMay of the '90s! And that moustache tickles like hell when he goes down on you. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/12 "2015-05-14T02:26:08Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > \*No \*experience might be better than \*his \*experience, wouldn’t you say? I could easily see someone who was smart and reasonably aware of the world doing better with the right mind set. I could also see someone worse in that ever expanding field. I wasn’t talking about voting for Bolton anyway. He will be a voice inside the debates that might be able to sort the wheat from the chaff though. He can certainly call out those bluffing their way through it. He’s just the abrasive in your face kind of guy to do it too. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Greenjeans](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.greenjeans/32/551_2.png) [@Mr.Greenjeans](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Greenjeans)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/13 "2015-05-14T10:54:11Z")
> [@Itself](#): > > …or he’s just delusional. Well, then, he’ll fit right in. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2015, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/14 "2015-05-14T13:54:15Z")
If you get invited to a wedding where he’s a guest DON’T GO!!! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/15 "2015-05-14T14:34:14Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > I see he’s a Fox News commentator. The average doper watches more of that than I do as a Republican so maybe someone has seen him?!? Hey, now. This ain’t the Pit, you know. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/16 "2015-05-14T14:47:35Z")
We’d be better off with Ramsay Bolton. ---
**Author:** ![ShadowFacts](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shadowfacts/32/2934_2.png) [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/17 "2015-05-14T18:30:03Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > We’d be better off with Ramsay Bolton. /win ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/18 "2015-05-14T18:42:03Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > Neoconservative. Believes in the use of force - the military - to further US goals. > > Has epic class mustache. He’d have had a pretty good chance in, oh, 1916. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/19 "2015-05-14T21:50:36Z")
[Bolton says he’s not running](http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/14/politics/election-2016-john-bolton-george-pataki-announcements/). I think Newt Gingrich has more relevance to 2016 and that’s not saying much. > [@VinylTurnip](#): > > We’d be better off with Ramsay Bolton. It’s no skin off my back. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967/20 "2015-05-14T22:35:13Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > He was the Curtis LeMay of the '90s! That’s unfair to LeMay. General LeMay saw actual battle in WWII; Bolton supported the Vietnam war in every way except for fighting it. We won WWII. Bush’s Iraq War was a grand clusterf\*\*k. An expert shaper of intelligence around policy, Bolton would forbid those with awkward information from attending meetings and withheld intelligence from Colon Powell. A longtime recipient of wingnut welfare, Bolton enjoys stays at the American Enterprise Institute when he isn’t dispensing terrible advice inside Republican regimes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-tell-me-about-john-bolton/719967.md?page=2)