# Time's Person of the Year **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 17, 2004, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212 "2004-11-17T05:44:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Evil\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/45deac/32.png) [@Evil\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_One)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/21 "2004-11-17T15:04:51Z")
I’ve got it. No applause necessary. “The American Voter”. The picture will probably be a voting booth. Biggest turnout in years, more people than ever involved in the process, blah blah blah. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/22 "2004-11-17T15:31:12Z")
> [@Malodorous](#): > > They did The Whistleblowers the year before that, so they’re not totally adverse to doing consecutive years of generic people. > > Christopher Reeves is interesting, but I don’t think they’ve ever done a posthumous POY. > > No one person has arisen in Iraq that could really be said to be _the_ central player. If the Times was honest, they’d choose the Iraqi Insurgent, but like the OP said, they don’t choose bad guys anymore. > > Something relevant to the election, perhaps The Conservatives or **The Evangelicals.** > Ariel Sharon, for championing the new stategy of unilateral disengagement with the palestinians. > > Maybe something like the “The Spin Doctors” and have Karl Rove, Joe Trippi and others who played an important roll in the 2004 election. You might even be able to fit bloggers in under the same heading. This is my favorite idea, as it would be a way to reference the election (probably the biggest story of the year) without doing Bush a second time in 4 years. Are we taking bets? The article writes itself. The religious right comes out in record numbers, elects a president, the new political power blah blah blah. ---
**Author:** ![Zagadka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zagadka/32/7272_2.png) [@Zagadka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zagadka)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/23 "2004-11-17T15:33:21Z")
The Iraqi insurgent ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/24 "2004-11-17T15:48:44Z")
Of course the over-riding concern is not who had the most impact on the world. It’s what cover will sell the most magazines. I stand by my prediction. Anyone know when it comes out? ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/25 "2004-11-17T15:58:36Z")
The Massachusetts Supreme Court or Gavin Newsome, mayor of SF. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/26 "2004-11-17T16:15:11Z")
BobLibDem: > [@](#): > > Justin Timberlake. He blew the cover off one of the biggest stories of the year and led to overreactions by the FCC and the broadcasters. Too late, he’s been upstaged by Nicolette Sheridan. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/27 "2004-11-18T18:50:24Z")
How about the team that won the X Prize? That would be a nonpartisan, feel-good choice. ---
**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:** [November 18, 2004, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/28 "2004-11-18T19:01:28Z")
> [@ITR champion](#): > > How about the team that won the X Prize? That’s an interesting idea. It’s not going to be Obama, or even Arnold. The person has to have influence in the WORLD, not just in some local election, even if “local” is CA. And, for the same reason, it’s not going to be Newsome. This year was not very eventful. I’d guess Bush or possibly Rove. Condi won’t get it as she hasn’t done anything yet as Sec of State (she’s not even confirmed). ---
**Author:** ![Rashak\_Mani](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ea666f/32.png) [@Rashak\_Mani](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rashak_Mani)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/29 "2004-11-18T19:12:12Z")
Arnold ? He is “likeable” and almost a Democrat… and almost a Republican I think “The Voter” is a viable opinion… (someone posted it above) ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/30 "2004-11-18T19:27:18Z")
John Mace: > [@](#): > > The person has to have influence in the WORLD, not just in some local election, even if “local” is CA. And, for the same reason, it’s not going to be Newsome. But Newsome’s (and the MA Supreme Court’s) actions pretty much started a nationwide debate on a subject that was once shrugged off as a political impossibility in the USA. Granted, that’s not necessarily WORLD, but Time (as do most American institutions) has a history of thinking that what’s important in America is important world-wide. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/31 "2004-11-18T19:38:57Z")
> [@roger thornhill](#): > > There’s Yasser Arafat. He died. And they never had him yet, as far as I recall. > > They used to have loads of foreigners: Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin (twice). Makes you wonder. I’m expecting Arafat, personally. _puke_ -Joe ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/32 "2004-11-19T04:11:27Z")
Cool posts. I’m now betting on Burt Rutan (the X-Prize guy) or the first couple that got married legally (the Same seX-Prize 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![NotWithoutRage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NotWithoutRage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NotWithoutRage)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/33 "2004-11-19T04:22:56Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > I’m expecting Arafat, personally. > > _puke_ > > -Joe Time doesn’t award posthumous Person of the Years. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/34 "2004-11-19T06:54:01Z")
The Red Sox. ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/35 "2004-11-19T17:10:50Z")
Whatshisname - you know, the lawyer (Attorney General?) back east (NY?) that’s blowing the doors off all the accounting mishaps and mutual fund coverups. Ah - Elliot Spitzer. Him. I think he’s a good candidate, and his actions can have worldwide impact. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/36 "2004-11-19T17:21:32Z")
They focused on accounting scandals last year with “The Whistleblowers”, I would be seriously suprised if they picked Elliot Sptizer this time around. > [@Rashak Mani](#): > > I think “The Voter” is a viable opinion… (someone posted it above) That would be cool because I could tell girls in bars that I’m technically Time’s Man of the Year (hey, I voted). This idea is also good because you could tie it in to the Afgan elections and the upcoming (fingers crossed) Iraqi elections. Keeping with the “freedom on the march” theme. Also, that would mean that the soldier that gave 60 minutes the Abu Garib photos was man of the year in 2002 (American Soliders), 2003 (Whistleblowers), and 2004 (assuming he voted this year). This would tie him with FDR as most selected person for man of the year. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/37 "2004-11-19T17:45:01Z")
> [@NotWithoutRage](#): > > Time doesn’t award posthumous Person of the Years. I don’t know about that. Albert Einstein was Time’s Man of the Century. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Corrado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a88e4f/32.png) [@John\_Corrado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Corrado)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/38 "2004-11-19T17:46:48Z")
> [@Malodorous](#): > > Looking through the list of past selections, they rarely choose a US president for being elected to a second term. ? 1936, 1940, 1944- FDR not chosen. (0/3). 1948- Truman chosen. (1/4) 1956 - Eisenhower not chosen. (1/5) 1964 - LBJ chosen. (2/6) 1972 - Nixon chosen. (3/7) 1984 - Reagan not chosen. (3/8) 1996 - Clinton not chosen. (3/9) That’s one out of three. Not a great chance, but not what I’d call rare, either… ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/39 "2004-11-19T17:54:08Z")
when you consider that LBJ and HST technically were not running for re-election, then the batting average is 1 for 7. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212/40 "2004-11-19T17:55:43Z")
**John Corrado** I wasn’t counting LBJ or Truman since each was technically on their first election for pres. even though they were president earlier via succession. That drops the ratio to (1/7), or in other words, Nixon. But he probably sent somebody to break into the Times office and rig the selection process 🙂 I see your point though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/275212.md?page=3)