# Would you rather be president of the USA or spend a week in jail? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711 "2011-05-12T22:00:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/1 "2011-05-12T22:00:15Z")
A book I’m reading right now (A Bathroom Reader) has one of the little trivia things (at the bottom of every page) that reads: “Fifty-two percent of Americans would rather ‘spend a week in jail’ than be president”. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/2 "2011-05-12T22:02:50Z")
Depends. Do I have to go through an election cycle? I think I could do well in the office, but I’d rather have a week’s vacation than go through the hell of a campaign. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/3 "2011-05-12T22:07:08Z")
I answered President but only because I would feel dumb telling someone I picked going to jail. I feel the duty to push my boundaries sometimes. I think going to jail for a week would be much easier overall and I might pick it if I was feeling especially lazy that day but that wouldn’t reflect very well on me. I would give the presidency a go for a week but I don’t think it would be much fun. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/4 "2011-05-12T22:15:02Z")
Thinking only of me, I’d rather be President. But considering the welfare of my country, jail is a much safer place for me to be. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/5 "2011-05-12T22:23:49Z")
Jail. The pressures of the presidency are not something that I’m equipped to handle. But I could easily spend a week bored out of my mind. Prison on the other hand… ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/6 "2011-05-12T22:26:30Z")
What type of gaol? Are you President for a week only too? ---
**Author:** ![classyladyhp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5ac83/32.png) [@classyladyhp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/classyladyhp)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/7 "2011-05-12T22:31:41Z")
I’d rather be President. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/8 "2011-05-12T22:36:08Z")
President for a term or for a week? If it’s for a term, then I’d probably choose being President. For a week? I’d choose jail. Face it, there’s nothing you’ll be able to accomplish being President for a week. There’s a hell of a lot you could learn from a week in jail though. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/9 "2011-05-12T22:36:34Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > But I could easily spend a week bored out of my mind. Prison on the other hand… That’s the problem with either: the sheer boredom. Also: if you have to be president for only a week, it’s easier than if it’s for four years. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/10 "2011-05-12T22:40:52Z")
Why not the option of both? Be president for a while, then spend a week in prison for what you’ve done as president? I think I’d rather be president, then, whenever faced with a tough decision, ask: (1) What would Washington do? (2) What would Lincoln do? (3) What would Roosevelt\* do? and then go with what a majority of those gentlemen would do. \*By Roosevelt I mean, of course, the 26th President, not the wimpy liberal who was the 32nd President. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/11 "2011-05-12T22:44:15Z")
No brainer for me. POTUS Oak has a nice ring to it…and the wailing and gnashing of teeth from certain board liberals would be music to my ears. Might have to ship some of the more obnoxious ones off to GITMO… ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/12 "2011-05-12T23:06:32Z")
I dunno, it doesn’t specify being president for a week. The book just says people would choose going to jail for a week over being president (period). The way I took it, it means being president fully (not just for a week)…but I guess you can take/read it how you wish. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/13 "2011-05-12T23:09:18Z")
Do I have to do a good job as Prez? Like, could I sleep late or skip out on meetings to go for walks with Sasha, Mahlia, and Bo? ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/14 "2011-05-12T23:15:36Z")
I like money and if I have a criminal record, I might not be able to get a job because of it. I’ll take the presidency, but I can see why a majority of people would not. ---
**Author:** ![horsetech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dec6dc/32.png) [@horsetech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/horsetech)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2011, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/15 "2011-05-12T23:16:00Z")
Couldn’t you agree to be President, then resign after a week and let your VP finish the term? ---
**Author:** ![Foggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foggy/32/1082_2.png) [@Foggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Foggy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/16 "2011-05-13T00:26:34Z")
Jail ---
**Author:** ![Martin\_Hyde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@Martin\_Hyde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martin_Hyde)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/17 "2011-05-13T00:50:11Z")
I’ve always thought I’d be okay with being a King back in the middle ages or early Renaissance when they had real power. I don’t shy away from responsibility, and if you were born into it you wouldn’t “miss” the things you have to give up by not living an ordinary life. Plus, in that time frame Kings had vastly more privacy from the public than leaders of today. The problem I’d have with being President is: -Much that I care passionately about is too controversial for there to be any great likelihood of me effecting lasting policy changes -My term in office would be followed up by me essentially never being able to live a normal life again, I truly value my privacy. I’ve been in jail before (not for a week, but for a weekend or so), it’s not bad enough that a week of jail is so off putting to me that I’d pick giving up my private life just to stay out of jail for a week. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/18 "2011-05-13T01:01:20Z")
I’ll take president. Only one term though. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/19 "2011-05-13T01:06:36Z")
My term as President would be rather amusing. For me at least. At this point in my life I would basically not give a fuck and I would do what I believed was right, and say what I thought and felt, without any regard for Washington sensibilities. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711/20 "2011-05-13T01:18:40Z")
I could go with one term, other than by declaring nuclear war it is honestly fairly hard to permanently fuck the country up so that it couldn’t be restored. I have a bit of accounting, a bit of psychology, a bit of sociology, a bit of poly sci and a fair amount of life experience as a military dependent. I think I could find a decent cabinet, and a decent kitchen cabinet and at least I read and watch news other than Fox and Huffington Post … I know I would piss off the rich, and big business trying to get the tax structure turned upside down - tax the rich more than the poor [or more a case of closing loopholes], try to get jobs retained or created in the US instead of offshoring everything. Fuck the businesses and banks that want to be bailed out for profiteering and fucking the economy. Turfing the TSA and Homeland Security we have now and restoring a few of the more raped constitutional rights by seeing exactly _what_ we need to use. Legalizing weed and getting the DEA to concentrate on the seriously nasty drugs like meth crack and such. As much as I am pro military, we do really need to back out of the middle east and let them go to hell if that is what they really want want. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-rather-be-president-of-the-usa-or-spend-a-week-in-jail/581711.md?page=2)