Your perception as an American

[Expertise]

My view is that the two best candidates for the job did not get on the ballot. One by choice the other by vote (McCain)

Overall my view is that Colin Powell had he chosen to run would have been infinitely superior to Gore or Bush, but, and its a big fucking but.

As an african-american would he have been electable?

I am not asking if you personaly would have voted for him, I have seen little or no racism here. But do you believe that the United States electorate as a whole would have supported him for the position.

 

[forgetunome]

JMHO...

If Colin Powell had run I think he would have stood a good chance. I think he has alot of respect of people but...that's just my thoughts. I like him and had he been running in this race I know I would have voted for him because I didn't like Gore or Bush or Nader or Buchannan or etc. etc. etc. So, I wrote in my cat.

 

[Expertise]

Is that why Socks is demanding a recount in Wyoming?

 

[forgetunome]

You got it! At least maybe he would chase the rats out of the White House...Oh geez there wouldn't be anyone left would there?

 

[Cheyenne]

As an african-american would he have been electable?

Yes, I think he would have been electable. Especially if he was running against Gore. Powell would likely be the only African-American right now, however, who I think would have had a legitimate chance at winning. Nothing to do with ability, but everything to do with the perception of the general public. Which is what I think your question was getting at.

I will add that I thought Gore would have a harder time having picked an orthodox Jew as his running mate. I was happily surprised to see that religion was not made a huge issue in the campaign by either side or special interest groups. For the most part, it was a non-issue in the election.

We've come a long way from the days when having a Catholic run for president was big news.

 

[KillerMuffin]

I think Powell could've gotten elected, in this election I think people voted more for party because the two favorites didn't offer a lessor of two evils option. I don't know if Powell would be a good prez. The StudMuffin says he is too passive and lets people run over him, that he is more of a yes man nowdays, even when he was one of the joint cheifs. I think that he would have been a better prez than either Gore or Bush. I wasn't too sure about McCain, but I would have preferred him over Bush. Why don't we get to vote in the primaries? Oh well, I never understood that system anyway.

I fervently wish that Nader could have carried a state, that would have been COOL as hell. Oregon was his best shot at it, c'mon guys, be radical! It's not like the rest of the nation seems to count much, only the heavy population centers.

 

[Flagg]

On a similar note - how would America react to a woman running for presidency? It doesn't seem that unfeasible that good 'ol Hilary would have a bash at it some day.

From a UK perspective having a woman in power was a fucking nightmare but of course it would be ridiculous to think it was anything to do with her gender. Or would it?

 

[CreamyLady]

Flagg, we had her evil twin -- and she at least had a working brain.

I got the impression, while watching her victory speech, that she was projecing herself eight-twelve years ahead into a White House run.

I'm not sure about the gender issue at all. On the one hand, women run things every day without too many problems. On the other hand, many who get to positions of authority got there by being just like a man -- and what does THAT say?

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

It sounds unfair, but the day Mondale announced Geraldine Ferraro as his running mate was the day I knew he'd lose the election. It's not that Americans weren't ready to elect a woman as Vice President, it's just that they weren't ready to not let that be the ONLY damn thing to talk about ad infinitum. She wasn't undone by her gender, but by the novelty of her gender (in that office anyway). Once the American public starts unabated discourse on something that inconsequential, you have no hope of getting your platform messages across.

That didn't happen with Lieberman, I'm happy to say. He was Jewish. Oh, isn't that interesting? Okay, now -- what about the issues? Much better this time around.

I believe that when Jesse Jackson ran for President, his message, too, was drown out by the incessant "Can a black man win the Presidency?" water coolering. Who has time to read Rainbow Coalition literature when you're busy worrying about sniper scenarios and reading up on Booker T. Washington?

But today, yes, I think a black man, or even woman, could run for President. I don't know that the country as a whole would elect him or her, and the racists would continue to hate quietly, but I do think the bulk of the louder more public debate would not be on race or gender, but on character, experience and issues.

As far as the constant lesser-of-two-evils choices for Presidents we always seem to get, I agree that some of the best people are left behind in the Primaries, or even the previous year's conventions. John Anderson would have been a very interesting President, and I voted for him. And if Mario Cuomo would have run for President during the election after he gave that stirring keynote speech, I would have voted for him.

But the guys who ultimately rise to the top do so by repsonding to the country as a whole. Whether they lied to get into those positions or not, they're usually the ones who have tried to embrace the country as an entire nation, good and bad, north and south, urban and country, hick and sophisticate. They may not be the best men for the job, but that isn't what gets you the Presidency. It's about being the best man for the job who can get elected.

Politics is the art of the possible.

[Edited by Dixon Carter Lee on 11-09-2000 at 09:02 AM]

 

[Sparky Kronkite]

Well to me, all that depends....

{sorry'bout this data gobbledegook - I crashed and only by the grace of God got this back here to post}

On your definition of the word - "candidate."

If that word means - "the person or persons, man or woman, whose (in my opinion twisted) ego and (fortunate from daddy) finances, allowed themselves the (mad?) drive to be offered up and (sickly?) battle toward being nominated, "as a candidate" via his or her selected (also sick?) peers, within our current systems rules," - then yes, those two were probably the best two.

Then again - the best two, who won all the time-wasting political battles and who, so archaic-like, surfaced (bubbled up) to become candidates for President of the US.

But -

If that word means - "the best man/men (or woman/women) out there - capable of doing the smartest, efficient and honest job of - President of the US." Then those two - Bush and Gore, and even add Powell in there too - they (these average people) are all - far from what I would term, "the best.".

But for the sake of convenience - let's "resign ourselves" - (ho hum) - to the "contemporary realities" of - "our system and how it works, - or in my opinion, how it doesn't work." I will temporarily resign to the madness of the small thinking masses.

With that regression -

Powell would have had a good shot.

But so would have McCain.

And Newt could've made a bigger dent - third party wise (which he would never do or course) - than Nader did. Hell Ventura would have made a bigger dent - third party wise than Nader.

But, but, but - just listen to what I just wrote.... and the names..... my God!!! Al of'em - not so far mentioned from the guys who made it to the top....

Then you might begin to realize my frustration with the "contemporary realities" of our current system.

 

[CW]

You got it! At least maybe he would chase the rats out of the White House...Oh geez there wouldn't be anyone left would there?

Well, once the polictial rats were evicted,,, surely there'd still be house staff and secret service members,,, after all someone needs to be there to feed and look after Socks,,,

OKAY, Question at hand,,,
I personally think that General Powell would have an excellent chance of being elected, and yes, I WOULD vote for him.

For sure the rednecks in this country would have a fit if he (or any minority) was on the ballot. And the obverse side of that coin is that the minorities would turn out in record numbers.

I do believe that more veterans would turn out as well,,, as it is now, quite a few of my fellow veterans are shunning the polls as a silent protest to having to elect a leader who has absolutely no fucking clue about leadership, about the downside of war and/or peace keeping missions, has no intention of helping to provide them with benefits that are realistic and NOT just platitudes from the Veterans Administration, and has no clue about priorities,,, the thinking being that you need to tend to the ailments at home BEFORE you play nurse maid to the world.

General Powell has shown leadership, the ability to make decisions under pressure ( a function of leadership), and like most military officers has little regard for the mud slinging tactics of politicians. As far as him being a "yes man", I'd not heard that aspect before this thread,,, and the "yes man" factor would be a consideration.

One other argument that can be made against General Powell is, that being from the military, he is bloodthirsty and will lead us to war. BUNK!!! Anyone who has ever been in war realizes that war is not the solution of choice.

Still, I believe that a proven leader would be refreshing in the White House.

Okay, tried to keep it short and the boredom factor low.