# The drawbacks of being President of the United States **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 17, 2015, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-drawbacks-of-being-president-of-the-united-states/712935 "2015-02-17T18:34:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-drawbacks-of-being-president-of-the-united-states/712935/41 "2015-02-18T18:08:18Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I have often thought that the desire to be President immediately and paradoxically disqualifies the person from the office based on questionable mental stability. Doc Daneeka would approve of this conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2015, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-drawbacks-of-being-president-of-the-united-states/712935/42 "2015-02-18T19:26:44Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Sounds like that’s an advantage to being Pope over being POTUS, then 😃 The guy in the white dress gets to try on all kinds of funny hats! …and some [seriously fly shoes!](http://www.glaaforum.org/.a/6a0111686ab237970c014e8acc2f1f970d-500wi) ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-drawbacks-of-being-president-of-the-united-states/712935/43 "2015-02-19T02:14:22Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I have often thought that the desire to be President immediately and paradoxically disqualifies the person from the office based on questionable mental stability. Douglas Adams would approve. > [@](#): > > The major problem—one of the major problems, for there are several—one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them. > To summarize: it is a well-known fact that those people who must want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. > To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. ― Douglas Adams, The Restaurant at the End of the Universe ---
**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:** [February 19, 2015, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-drawbacks-of-being-president-of-the-united-states/712935/44 "2015-02-19T02:55:52Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Wouldn’t surprise me if either pair did meet periodically. Well, it would surprise and disturb me a little if Carter was still meeting with Ford. ---
**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:** [February 19, 2015, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-drawbacks-of-being-president-of-the-united-states/712935/45 "2015-02-19T03:00:58Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Well, it would surprise and disturb me a little if Carter was still meeting with Ford. I was using “did” to create past tense, not as an intensifier. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-drawbacks-of-being-president-of-the-united-states/712935/46 "2015-02-19T04:08:59Z")
Subjunctive, **Skald**. sorry ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-drawbacks-of-being-president-of-the-united-states/712935/47 "2015-02-19T04:23:51Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Do you want a President who doesn’t want to be President? How effective would such a person be? I know. That’s part of the paradox. I like the story of [Cincinnatus at the Plow.](http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=baldwin&book=fifty&story=cincinnatus) ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2015, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-drawbacks-of-being-president-of-the-united-states/712935/48 "2015-02-19T06:40:22Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Do you want a President who doesn’t want to be President? How effective would such a person be? I think what happens is a person becomes president without really thinking about what it all entails. Unless a person was a governor of course then often being president is just a step above. I’m not trying to be political here but one can sense that with the Obama’s it was a rude awakening when they actually won and had everything put on them all at once. ---
**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:** [February 19, 2015, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-drawbacks-of-being-president-of-the-united-states/712935/49 "2015-02-19T13:25:16Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Subjunctive, **Skald**. sorry “People called the Romanes…” ---
**Author:** ![X.L.Lent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a5b964/32.png) [@X.L.Lent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X.L.Lent)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-drawbacks-of-being-president-of-the-united-states/712935/50 "2015-02-20T09:13:52Z")
No matter how hard you work you can never be promoted. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2015, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-drawbacks-of-being-president-of-the-united-states/712935/51 "2015-02-20T17:10:57Z")
The last few episodes of The West Wing showed a little of this. The new family having their house turned into a fortress and adjusting to staff and security 24/7. For me an issue would be smiling and meeting with leaders you find repugnant and not being able to call them on their bullshit without it becoming a riot. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-drawbacks-of-being-president-of-the-united-states/712935.md?page=2)