Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: cKGunslinger
Exactly how some of us feel about Carter. Great guy, fantastic humanitarian, horrible President.
And back on topic (sort of) I can't believe anyone in their right mind would even consider a vote for Guiliani. *shudder*
Actually, I also feel that way about Carter...and Clinton too for that matter. I think Clinton was the best President we've had for a while, but that's not saying a whole lot. I think we've spent the last several decades trying to elect our next door neighbor President. We have this sort of "revenge of the populist" idea going on where what makes a man qualified to be President is how folksy and charming he is, and whether we'd want him at our July 4th cookout or have him over to watch the Superbowl.
The greatest sin in presidential politics today is actually seeming like you ARE more qualified to be President than some random guy off the street. One of the things I liked about Kerry, despite his MANY flaws, was that he actually seemed like a smart guy and a good leader who wasn't afraid to act that way. And I know a lot of people dislike that because they think it's "elitist", but honestly, I WANT someone who's "elite" in the Oval Office. He (or maybe she) is the President, for crying out loud, if he's not better at this stuff than the rest of us, what the hell is he doing with the job?
Edit: And to also throw in an on topic comment as well
, I agree that Guiliani's popularity is truly astounding. There are some Republicans I think would do a decent job as President, but for the love of God, why is Guiliani among the most popular of Republicans? It can't be because he's a good conservative, except for his bizarre warmongering, he's a HUGE liberal on most issues. It can't be because he'd be a good uniter, his aforementioned warmongering is making liberals absolutely despise him. And it can't be because he'd be a good leader, he is easily the least qualified of all the major candidates on the national level. His level of experience is usually what you get from the Green party candidate for President.