# Who COULD run this country? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 29, 2016, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705 "2016-06-29T14:18:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/1 "2016-06-29T14:18:51Z")
Obviously in a country of almost 320 million people we have better options than [ul] [li]a boor and a lout with little-to-no impulse control [/li][li]the living embodiment of the Peter Principle[/li][/ul] Who are some of the people who would be genuinely good choices to sit behind the big desk in the Oval Office? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/2 "2016-06-29T14:29:26Z")
Barack Obama ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/3 "2016-06-29T14:31:19Z")
Robert Gates. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/4 "2016-06-29T14:36:26Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Barack Obama Yup, but white so the GOP doesn’t actively fight against the nation succeeding. ---
**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:** [June 29, 2016, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/5 "2016-06-29T14:43:45Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > Yup, but white so the GOP doesn’t actively fight against the nation succeeding. You mean like Bill Clinton, who the Republicans tried to impeach? Republican opposition to Obama hasn’t been based on racism. The Republicans oppose Obama because he’s not a Republican. Racism is just a handy tool they use against him. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/6 "2016-06-29T15:29:59Z")
Hillary. > [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You mean like Bill Clinton, who the Republicans tried to impeach? They did impeach him. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/7 "2016-06-29T15:31:35Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You mean like Bill Clinton, who the Republicans tried to impeach? > > Republican opposition to Obama hasn’t been based on racism. The Republicans oppose Obama because he’s not a Republican. Racism is just a handy tool they use against him. Fair point, and Clinton was practically a Republican. Basically, I don’t think anyone can lead us, we’ve become two distinct nations with incompatible visions for the future. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/8 "2016-06-29T15:33:37Z")
The Oligarchy, which is exactly who is running it. It matters little whom they position in the window. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/9 "2016-06-29T15:36:25Z")
Jerry Brown. John Kerry. And, absolutely all things considered including reality but discounting the flailing temper tantrums of the GOP, which are likely to turn to Cheyne-Stokes respiration in 2017… HRC. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/10 "2016-06-29T15:42:48Z")
You assume the President runs this country; I’m not so sure about that. With the division of responsibility between our three branches of government I see the post as some sort of leadership but a sort of figurehead as well; someone with influence but not always with the power we think. That being said I think most career politicians or CEOs/COOs could serve well but I think few have the force of will needed to win the post. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/11 "2016-06-29T15:51:15Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > You assume the President runs this country; I’m not so sure about that. With the division of responsibility between our three branches of government I see the post as some sort of leadership but a sort of figurehead as well; someone with influence but not always with the power we think. That being said I think most career politicians or CEOs/COOs could serve well but I think few have the force of will needed to win the post. I think this discussion is best keeping in mind the limitations and reality of the Executive Office as well as grade-school ideas about the President “running the country.” It’s the top-level executive position, with all the rights, responsibilities AND limitations pertaining thereof. (“…in ink!”) However, I disagree that business experience qualifies a person to be a good to great President. The whole notion of “running the country like a business” is pernicious nonsense, half-thought sapistry, and without powerful skills in purely political/governmental areas, the best CEO you can name would flounder badly as Prez. I find “run the US like a business” a useful touchstone for pundits and candidates to run like hell away from. (Someone wise once said that if there are ten things about running the US and ten things about running a major business, five of them are very similar while the other five in each case are wildly different.) ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2016, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/12 "2016-06-29T18:54:37Z")
Never voted for a republican in my life. But, I liked that Jon Hunstman Jr kid. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/13 "2016-06-30T00:54:22Z")
Any number of ordinary people would be light years ahead of the narcissists and psychopaths who currently infest the body politic. This is the problem, democracy is devolving into simple mob rule. Have often considered that many public offices should be filled by lot, or a “draft” as it were, from a pool of otherwise qualified individuals - business owners for example. Politics as a profession is a huge part of the problem, no sane competent individual tends to want to subject themselves to the scrutiny and hassle. So we’re too often left with busybodies and control freaks and defective individuals with authoritarian tendencies, etc. There are some fine, quality individuals in politics but they are outnumbered. Many of them belong in prison, there’s no getting around that. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/14 "2016-06-30T01:17:26Z")
> [@Common\_Tater](#): > > Any number of ordinary people would be light years ahead of the narcissists and psychopaths who currently infest the body politic. Isn’t that just bucket loads of industrial strength naivety? [QUOTE=Toby in West Wing Series 7 Episode 8 “Undecideds”] A man in that job shouldn’t have to be presented with anything. It’s for someone who grabs it and holds onto it. For someone who thinks the gods have conspired to bring him to this place. That destiny demands of him this service! You don’t have that kind of drive, that hubris, how in the hell are you gonna make the kind of decisions that stump every other person in this country? How in the hell are you gonna hold that kind of power in your hand?" [/quote] ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/15 "2016-06-30T01:21:53Z")
Good OP name/thread title combo. ---
**Author:** ![Chihuahua](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dec6dc/32.png) [@Chihuahua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chihuahua)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/16 "2016-06-30T02:12:14Z")
Ender Wiggins. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/17 "2016-06-30T02:26:39Z")
Jesse Ventura. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/18 "2016-06-30T02:29:11Z")
You don’t actually think the elected buffoons run the country do you? It’s the citizens and the endless numbers of bureaucrats that run it. The politicians just posture and provide fodder for anger/talk. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/19 "2016-06-30T02:37:07Z")
Living or dead? Dead, I’d pick LBJ or FDR. Living, give Obama a 3rd term or Bill Clinton. Elon Musk would be pretty damn competent, but I don’t know if president would give him the abilities to enact his agenda. Plus he isn’t US born. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2016, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705/20 "2016-06-30T03:31:22Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > However, I disagree that business experience qualifies a person to be a good to great President. The whole notion of “running the country like a business” is pernicious nonsense, half-thought sapistry, and without powerful skills in purely political/governmental areas, the best CEO you can name would flounder badly as Prez. Some day it would be interesting to see which one of us is right. Not this time around; Trump doesn’t have a chance. But he is setting the stage, so to speak. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-could-run-this-country/758705.md?page=2)