# Would You Want to Be President of the United States? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 13, 2006, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-president-of-the-united-states/383993 "2006-12-13T18:13:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![sunstone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunstone/32/3372_2.png) [@sunstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sunstone)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-president-of-the-united-states/383993/21 "2006-12-14T04:11:26Z")
The only condition under which I would accept the job is that I would replace Bush. I could do nothing…and that would be a vast improvement over the present presidency. Of course, I could open communications with other countries…listen to other folk’s ideas on Iraq…work on a national health plan…cut funding ties with special interest groups…Owh! My head hurts…must not think, must not think… ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-president-of-the-united-states/383993/22 "2006-12-14T04:46:43Z")
Of course I would . . . not for the job itself, but as a useful steppingstone on the path to global domination. ---
**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:** [December 14, 2006, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-president-of-the-united-states/383993/23 "2006-12-14T04:48:37Z")
[QUOTE=Sunrazor] Oh, great, here come the damn monkeys again! [/QUOTE] In the first place, it’s genetically-engineered, flame-breathing, flesh-eating, venom-spewing winged howler monkeys. Not “damn” monkeys." In the second place, I only plan to use them if I must conquer this wretched orb by military force. If I am US president presumably I have been elected and thus won’t need them. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-president-of-the-united-states/383993/24 "2006-12-14T06:47:09Z")
[QUOTE=Argent Towers] It begs the question - is _anyone_ wualified to be President? [/QUOTE] I’d like to be President so I could be wualified to command the nuclear wessels. I’m really fool enough to want the job. I think I could do some good, and I trust myself to do it (whatever would be involved) more than I trust the people doing the job. > [@Skald the Rhymer](#): > > In the first place, it’s genetically-engineered, flame-breathing, flesh-eating, venom-spewing winged howler monkeys. Not “damn” monkeys." > > In the second place, I only plan to use them if I must conquer this wretched orb by military force. If I am US president presumably I have been elected and thus won’t need them. In the third place, the monkeys will seem like nothing after the Nazis on dinosaurs. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-president-of-the-united-states/383993/25 "2006-12-14T08:37:59Z")
I think I would need at least a year to prepare myself for the position and assemble a staff, but I think I could and would like to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 9:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-president-of-the-united-states/383993/26 "2006-12-14T09:22:25Z")
Not especially—right now, I don’t think I’d be that good at it; I’m not good enough at schmoozing or politicking. Plus, I don’t think enough people in the U.S. agree with my politics for me to get any support, much less get anything done. But, on the other hand, I might make a better _dictator_. I wouldn’t have to worry about getting votes, or public opinion, or making deals with other politicians to _slowly_ get watered down bills passed through the house. Just orders and results. The real _tricky_ part, as I sees it, would be getting enough charisma and cult of personality to make people willing to die or kill for me, but not so much that I start believing my own bullshit, completely lose my marbles, and run the country into the ground. Y’know, try to be more like Vespasian than Elagabalus. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-president-of-the-united-states/383993/27 "2006-12-14T09:35:01Z")
My father was in politics, as well as my brother - granted, they weren’t exactly in Washington DC, but high enough up that I got a close look and lived through it all. My answer: No way. You are constantly under a microscope - every word, every action is under public scrutiny. You no longer have a private life, nor does anyone in your family. We had a nutcase circling our house in the middle of the night with a shotgun, threatening to kill my father - our house had police protection after that little incident. Not that I don’t think I could do a better job than the person currently holding the office, I just wouldn’t want to put myself, or my family, through that. And certainly you have all noticed how quickly Presidents age while in office - take a look at their pictures before the Inauguration, and take a look at their pictures 8 years later - usually they look like they have aged 20 years in that time, and I know first hand why. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-president-of-the-united-states/383993/28 "2006-12-14T16:09:26Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] I’d like to be President so I could be wualified to command the nuclear wessels. I’m really fool enough to want the job. I think I could do some good, and I trust myself to do it (whatever would be involved) more than I trust the people doing the job. In the third place, the monkeys will seem like nothing after the Nazis on dinosaurs. [/QUOTE] HA! What about the Nazi Dinosaurs? ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-president-of-the-united-states/383993/29 "2006-12-14T17:10:00Z")
[QUOTE=monica] I don’t necessarily want to be _President_ just the person who’s pulling all the strings behind the scenes. 😛 The only reason I even want that much is because when I’m unhappy with the way our government is going, I hate feeling that there’s not much I can do about it that I don’t already do (campaigning and such). [/QUOTE] But Secretary of State, however… ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-president-of-the-united-states/383993/30 "2006-12-14T17:23:09Z")
[QUOTE=DMark] My father was in politics, as well as my brother - granted, they weren’t exactly in Washington DC, but high enough up that I got a close look and lived through it all. My answer: No way. You are constantly under a microscope - every word, every action is under public scrutiny. You no longer have a private life, nor does anyone in your family. We had a nutcase circling our house in the middle of the night with a shotgun, threatening to kill my father - our house had police protection after that little incident. Not that I don’t think I could do a better job than the person currently holding the office, I just wouldn’t want to put myself, or my family, through that. And certainly you have all noticed how quickly Presidents age while in office - take a look at their pictures before the Inauguration, and take a look at their pictures 8 years later - usually they look like they have aged 20 years in that time, and I know first hand why. [/QUOTE] I’m a single guy, have a small family, and look younger than I actually am. I’d go for it. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-president-of-the-united-states/383993/31 "2006-12-14T17:50:17Z")
No, I what a terrible job that must be. I have no interest whatsoever [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-want-to-be-president-of-the-united-states/383993.md?page=1)