Running for US President

[xaeniac]

Can a regular person run to be president, or do you have to be a career politician? It pretty much sucks that we only have a few people that have been in the system for a long time. To me for anything to change in the nation some fresh faces would have to get in power, but where are the fresh faces that are not groomed to be professional politicians? What ever happened to the idea of a normal person running? Do the citizens have any power left in government? It seems the country will be bankrupt in a few decades. Am I wrong in these assumptions?

CLiffs: Where are the normal people for President along with other rants. Worth a quick read.

 

[mugs]

As long as you're [at least] 35, a natural-born citizen and you've lived here for 14 years, you can be president.

The "average Joe" has pretty much no chance of winning a presidential election. Shoot for the US House of Representatives first.

 

[tasmanian]

Pretty sure any one can run for president. They wont win or even come close but they can run.

Wiki: The President must be a natural born citizen of the United States (or a citizen of the United States at the time the U.S. Constitution was adopted), at least 35 years of age, and a resident of the United States for at least fourteen years.

 

[FoBoT]

a "regular" person can't run , you won't get on the ballot

even the 3rd party candidates are not "regular" , they are nutjobs, you have to be a nutjob to get nominated by the socialists or green party etc etc

and the only ones that can get on as republican or democrat are career politicians

 

[xeemzor]

Anybody can run for president as long as they meet constitutional requirements, such as age and resideny. However, without ballot access and federal or private funding you don't really have a chance to succeed.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
even the 3rd party candidates are not "regular" , they are nutjobs, you have to be a nutjob to get nominated by the socialists or green party etc etc

Boooooo-urns :thumbsdown:

 

[Ricemarine]

Wasn't there a president who was never in Congress that when he got in, he didn't really fit well as president because Congress didn't agree with his ideas?... I forgot who...

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: xeemzor
However, without ballot access...

you can't get on the ballot without a lot of resources

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Wasn't there a president who was never in Congress that when he got in, he didn't really fit well as president because Congress didn't agree with his ideas?... I forgot who...

W

 

[xeemzor]

Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Wasn't there a president who was never in Congress that when he got in, he didn't really fit well as president because Congress didn't agree with his ideas?... I forgot who...

Andrew Johnson.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Wasn't there a president who was never in Congress that when he got in, he didn't really fit well as president because Congress didn't agree with his ideas?... I forgot who...

Sounds like you're describing Andrew Johnson. Not sure if he was ever in congress.

Edit: He was a senator. But he did have issues when he succeeded Lincoln because he was not from the same party as Lincoln.

 

[everman]

You need mountains of money to become Pres.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Pepsi90919

Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Wasn't there a president who was never in Congress that when he got in, he didn't really fit well as president because Congress didn't agree with his ideas?... I forgot who...

W

Haha, good point. I don't think it's uncommon for a person to become president without having been in Congress. The last 4 presidents were never congressmen (Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush)

Edit: Carter wasn't either.

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: xeemzor

Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Wasn't there a president who was never in Congress that when he got in, he didn't really fit well as president because Congress didn't agree with his ideas?... I forgot who...

Andrew Johnson.

?

Johnson was a U.S. Senator from Tennessee at the time of the secession of the southern states. He was the only Southern Senator not to quit his post upon secession, and became the most prominent War Democrat from the South. In 1862 Lincoln appointed Johnson military governor of Tennessee, where he proved energetic and effective in fighting the rebellion.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: mugs
As long as you're [at least] 35, a natural-born citizen and you've lived here for 14 years, you can be president.

The "average Joe" has pretty much no chance of winning a presidential election. Shoot for the US House of Representatives first.

Exactly. You'll need the backing of people with lots of money. You're also going to want to invest in a good shower and a lot of soap, because you're going to feel very very dirty at the end of each day.

 

[Special K]

Were there any presidents who did not have rich/famous families and/or pre-existing ties to the government before they ran for office?

 

[Rastus]

All you need is money and airspeed.

 

[Ricemarine]

Originally posted by: Special K
Were there any presidents who did not have rich/famous families and/or pre-existing ties to the government before they ran for office?

IIRC, no.

 

[FoBoT]

Originally posted by: Special K
Were there any presidents who did not have rich/famous families and/or pre-existing ties to the government before they ran for office?

the closest ones would be the generals, andrew jackson and Grant, eisenhower, they were "regular" people before they became generals

 

[JS80]

Would u want someone with no business experience to be the CEO of your company?

 

[dmcowen674]

Originally posted by: xaeniac
Can a regular person run to be president, or do you have to be a career politician? It pretty much sucks that we only have a few people that have been in the system for a long time. To me for anything to change in the nation some fresh faces would have to get in power, but where are the fresh faces that are not groomed to be professional politicians? What ever happened to the idea of a normal person running? Do the citizens have any power left in government? It seems the country will be bankrupt in a few decades. Am I wrong in these assumptions?

CLiffs: Where are the normal people for President along with other rants. Worth a quick read.

Not possible anymore.

It costs $5,000 just to file first piece of paperwork with FEC and that money cannot be from contributors.

 

[eits]

Originally posted by: mugs
As long as you're [at least] 35, a natural-born citizen and you've lived here for 14 years, you can be president.

The "average Joe" has pretty much no chance of winning a presidential election. Shoot for the US House of Representatives first.

yup... you gotta have proof that you know what you're doing and you know your way around dc (well... for the most part... unless you're that dipshit bush)

 

[Parasitic]

Anybody with a college GPA higher than 3.0 is not eligible to run in the presidential election.

 

[txrandom]

Originally posted by: Ricemarine
Wasn't there a president who was never in Congress that when he got in, he didn't really fit well as president because Congress didn't agree with his ideas?... I forgot who...

George Washington

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674

Originally posted by: xaeniac
Can a regular person run to be president, or do you have to be a career politician? It pretty much sucks that we only have a few people that have been in the system for a long time. To me for anything to change in the nation some fresh faces would have to get in power, but where are the fresh faces that are not groomed to be professional politicians? What ever happened to the idea of a normal person running? Do the citizens have any power left in government? It seems the country will be bankrupt in a few decades. Am I wrong in these assumptions?

CLiffs: Where are the normal people for President along with other rants. Worth a quick read.

Not possible anymore.

It costs $5,000 just to file first piece of paperwork with FEC and that money cannot be from contributors.

Ah, you didn't want to put up the $5000 to run? Our loss.