# Sorry, your country's leader can't beat this awesomeness **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 10, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152 "2011-08-10T01:37:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/1 "2011-08-10T01:37:28Z")
[Canada’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.](http://punditkitchen.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/e7729793-985d-4144-8e4d-1b63c4913288.jpg) And friends. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/2 "2011-08-10T01:43:25Z")
Seriously? ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/3 "2011-08-10T01:48:52Z")
> [@Larry\_Mudd](#): > > Seriously? Srsly. Kthnxbai. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/4 "2011-08-10T01:51:56Z")
Who were the politicians who described their opponents as ‘kitten-eating space aliens’? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/5 "2011-08-10T01:55:47Z")
Bill Clinton had his share of pussy. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/6 "2011-08-10T01:56:05Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Who were the politicians who described their opponents as ‘kitten-eating space aliens’? It was the Ontario Conservative Party under Ernie Eves. “Evil reptilian kitten eater from another planet” was the exact phrase. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lurker\_Above](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Lurker\_Above](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lurker_Above)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/7 "2011-08-10T02:21:00Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > [Canada’s Prime Minister, Stephen Harper.](http://punditkitchen.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/e7729793-985d-4144-8e4d-1b63c4913288.jpg) And friends. 🙂 Huh, was his blue sweater at the drycleaners? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/8 "2011-08-10T02:33:51Z")
The French [equivalent](http://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sarcozy-CarlaBruni53350.jpg) of the OP’s picture. You’ve been out-awesomed _by France_. ---
**Author:** ![keeganst94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@keeganst94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/keeganst94)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/9 "2011-08-10T03:18:49Z")
On the other hand, when was the last time your leaders [choked some guy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawinigan_Handshake)? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/10 "2011-08-10T04:23:04Z")
Here’s what [we](http://www.flickr.com/photos/24903553@N00/100474310/) have to offer. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/11 "2011-08-10T05:13:37Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > The French [equivalent](http://www.greanvillepost.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/sarcozy-CarlaBruni53350.jpg) of the OP’s picture. > > You’ve been out-awesomed _by France_. I reject your submission, because I don’t think she’s awesome. On a mostly-related subject, I will now always think of Pepe Le Peau whenever I see a picture of President Sarkozy. 🙂 > [@keeganst94](#): > > On the other hand, when was the last time your leaders [choked some guy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawinigan_Handshake)? I kept the newspaper with the picture of PM Chretién choking some dude on the front because it is also very awesome. I still have it downstairs. ETA: [The picture in question.](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_TnFcKwywc44/TF4YvDwn5RI/AAAAAAAABpU/4ayXMSrEN1w/s400/chretientakeshimout.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/12 "2011-08-10T05:30:43Z")
[East German’s guy was pretty awesome.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tessek_valasztani.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![ctnguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@ctnguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctnguy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/13 "2011-08-10T05:36:50Z")
Ah, but does your head of state do [this](http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01589/boynton-zuma3_1589001c.jpg)? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/14 "2011-08-10T10:41:03Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > Here’s what [we](http://www.flickr.com/photos/24903553@N00/100474310/) have to offer. Not to mention that the victim apologized to him! Now that’s hardcore. ---
**Author:** ![SecondJudith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@SecondJudith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecondJudith)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/15 "2011-08-10T10:58:25Z")
I thought this was going to be about the other thing I’ve heard about Stephen Harper recently, that he locked himself in a toilet in Brazil until Dilma Rousseff agreed to let him speak first at a luncheon, or something like that. Has anyone else heard that story, or did I dream it? ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/16 "2011-08-10T11:28:44Z")
[A man’s man.](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/features/2005/07/images/070904nipputin_3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/8483,news-comment,news-politics,putins-pecs,3&h=440&w=756&sz=146&tbnid=6QWM9tnyGtqn2M:&tbnh=70&tbnw=121&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dvladimir%2Bputin%2Bhunting%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=vladimir+putin+hunting&docid=KiF9dEhhI6Y9kM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=RmtCTvGaLePz0gGW-qi0CQ&sqi=2&ved=0CCUQ9QEwAg&dur=324) ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/17 "2011-08-10T12:32:04Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > [A man’s man.](http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/features/2005/07/images/070904nipputin_3.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/8483,news-comment,news-politics,putins-pecs,3&h=440&w=756&sz=146&tbnid=6QWM9tnyGtqn2M:&tbnh=70&tbnw=121&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dvladimir%2Bputin%2Bhunting%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=vladimir+putin+hunting&docid=KiF9dEhhI6Y9kM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=RmtCTvGaLePz0gGW-qi0CQ&sqi=2&ved=0CCUQ9QEwAg&dur=324) Teddy Roosevelt was staging manly photo ops a century ago. Feh. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/18 "2011-08-10T12:34:27Z")
[Here’s](http://davidprescott.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/cowendrunk.jpg) the last leader of Ireland who was recently chucked out. A more drunken Irish head you won’t see very often. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/19 "2011-08-10T12:43:07Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Teddy Roosevelt was staging manly photo ops a century ago. Feh. [http://www.life.com/image/53381173](http://www.life.com/image/53381173) This photo requires no caption. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152/20 "2011-08-10T12:53:47Z")
But have any of your countries ever actually lost a leader? I don’t mean died. I mean just disappeared, never to be found? [Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Holt#Disappearance) He went for a swim, in the presence of friends and bodyguards, and just never came back. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sorry-your-countrys-leader-cant-beat-this-awesomeness/592152.md?page=2)