What makes the best president?

[ajetrumpet]

So what do you consider the "criteria" for being the best leader of a country? and who is the best president based on your opinion?


I don't know many pres's of this country, but from what I know I choose Ronald Reagan. Why? Because I think the best president is the one that can keep the people of the country the most quiet. The quieter the people, the less they have to complain publicly about, thus the less "noise" the president is making for himself.

 

[boblarson]

Wooden teeth.

 

[Minkey]

Being David Palmer

 

[ajetrumpet]

Black skin.

 

[boblarson]

Black wooden teeth

 

[Kryst51]

Chopping down a cherry tree with an axe - and not lying about it

 

[PNGBill]

Capable of getting good advice and acting on it.

Reagan wasn't that smart and didn't try to pretend he was.

Bush (jnr) thought he could get his advice from his Confidential Source and then acted on this as if it was All Seeing!

Kennedy made a real attempt to get good advisers - don't know how effective this was but he did make an attempt.

How many times are Advisers selected from Special Interest Groups or Family or anywhere else other then a good cross section of knowledgeable people - for the issue at hand.

Just like smart children can manipulate their parents, Advisers can manipulate a country through their puppet on a string.

 

[TessB]

Capable of getting good advice and acting on it.

I like that answer. I find quite a lot of truth in it.


Here's a question.... is the best president someone who acts in the best interest of his countrymen at all times?

 

[GaryPanic]

well from my stand point Clinton - weird but he seem to have a grasp on World politics - a safe set of hands - might of been a real "bounder" with the women - but I think he had a lot more respect than most modern policitians -

THis current one - has pretty much insulted all of the US allies - seems to point the finger at other people/counties - and try to deflect his lack of action on home affairs :-

It may be that we are too removed (here in the UK) but he doesn't seem to have done anything other than look "pretty" and say "I'm gonna kick butt" -

I ramble - Its just that he seems to be very anti British in his attitude - and I think the Brits are begining to get a bit pissed with this

 

[Vassago]

Being David Palmer

Haha, that's what I was going to say!

 

[PNGBill]

Define "Best Interest".

What is Best today may well prove costly in the future.

One big disadvantage we have over our ancestors from the middle ages is we no longer have Magicians and Fortune Tellers (Not really sure on this) to see the Future and we vote out a Leader when they don't give us Ice Cream for Free when in fact, we only had to see two years into the future and we would have agreed with the leader.

If Children could Sack their parents none of us would hold our jobs for very long and our children would be lucky to survive but fortunately they have no choice but to accept our decisions and in time, they "may" see we were right.

Our leaders have to give us what is best today and tomorrow. Pretty hard criteria to use.

 

[Adam Caramon]

To me the "best" president would be someone who connects with the common man and woman. The average person in America makes 50k/year or less. Politicians spend 100+x that on the campaign to get elected. They naturally lose sight of what it is to be a regular guy/gal.

 

[Vassago]

Here's a question.... is the best president someone who acts in the best interest of his countrymen at all times?

Yes and No. It's not just what's best for the countrymen, but for the country as an independent entity. Like or not, the way the rest of the world views our country is very important, especially in these times of economic depression and increased technology where news travels fast and communication is more open than ever. I find that many Americans are still stuck in the 20th century, not understanding that we are not the powerhouse we were in the past and more and more countries are catching up, or even passing us, in every avenue of development. Also, countrymen don't always know what's best for them.

 

[PNGBill]

One Candidate knew all about the Common Man. He proved this with Joe, the Plumber. Except, he couldn't always depend on the Common Man to be there when he was expected to be

Also, if the Average person is unlicensed and behind in taxes the Country has some basic issues to sort out before going forward.

 

[ajetrumpet]

Chopping down a cherry tree with an axe - and not lying about it

a WOODEN axe? LOL

Our leaders have to give us what is best today and tomorrow. Pretty hard criteria to use.

you have just defined human desire. do it "now", because I won't be here in 100 years so I don't care. That's the way the world pushes the 1% of us that don't think that way.

One Candidate knew all about the Common Man..

just because a pres connects with the common man/woman doesn't mean jack. Obama makes common people smile simply because he's likeable, but if he came up to me with his fake smile I would probably walk away before he put his hand out.

 

[Lightwave]

(Not quite a president but) I was always quite impressed with John James Cowperthwaite

from wikipedia....

April 25, 1915 – January 21, 2006 he was Financial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1961 to 1971. His introduction of free market economic policies are widely credited with turning postwar Hong Kong into a thriving global financial centre.

He returned to Hong Kong in 1945 and continued to rise through the ranks. He was asked to find ways in which the government could boost post-war economic outlook, but he found the economy was recovering swiftly without any government intervention. He took the lesson to heart, and positive non-interventionism became the focus of his economic policy as Financial Secretary. He refused to collect economic statistics for fear it would encourage officials to meddle in the economy.

He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1960, Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1964, and knighted in 1968. He was highly praised by Nobel laureate Milton Friedman just before his death.

 

[oumahexi]

My personal favourit is Robert Mgabe

 

[Pauldohert]

My personal favourit is Robert Mgabe

The Knighthood, and the Honoray Degrees from places like Edinburgh, are testament to his good work early on.

Similar to Hitler being Times man of the year I guess.

Mussy's are similar too.

 

[Jacob Mathai]

The art of politics is given below:
1. Get votes from the poor promising to transfer wealth from the rich to them.
2. Get money from the rich promising to protect them from the poor.

Individual politicians are smart to use some adaptation of this theme. For example, some will claim they are "Community Organizers." The idea is the same.

Seriously, I think of Kennedy & Reagan as great leaders. They were able to inspire people for service. Both were great communicators.

 

[dkinley]

Unfortunately, the office of the Presidency (US) has changed over time. The President shouldn't have 'programs' or 'agendas' when they assume office. This wasn't the original intent of the President.

States interest are served by the other delegates in Washington (Senators, Representatives) and elected accordingly. The difference is the President is elected by all the People to represent all the people. The Presidents main job is keep the balance checked, execute the laws of Congress and represent the US.

The balance of power was for the President to keep the other two houses in-check so they wouldn't become the royal families as there were in the days of old. This is why 1 person was invested the veto power. Power corrupts absolutely so non-vetos were traded for votes on 'programs' thus they could then run on 'agendas' and, in turn, become part of the royal family themselves.

Qualities as a President? The ability to return to the Constitution and treat the office with the respect and integrity.

Favorite? Tie between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Every conservative that followed looked to them ...

Washington - "The spirit of encroachment tends to consolidate the powers of all the departments in one, and thus to create whatever the form of government, a real despotism. A just estimate of that love of power, and proneness to abuse it, which predominates in the human heart is sufficient to satisfy us of the truth of this position."

Jefferson - "It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes."

-dK