It is true that many of them are religious or at least have a belief in God. But so did almost every great person I can think of, adding Einstein, The founding fathers of the U.S., Ghandi, Schweitzer, etc. I don't think a belief in God should disqualify anyone from the office. These people either have already displayed leadership qualities, insight, understanding, a willingness to stand for beliefs, or particular willingness and knowledge to reject a lot of mainstream politics while still being involved with politics themselves. As to what end they could inspire it would be different based on which one of the people I mentioned. Ask about any of them, and I will tell you why I think they could make a good president.
i sometimes think about recent candidates that, for one reason or another, didn't make it out of the primaries. for instance, imagine a 2000 race between John McCain and Bill Bradley. Bradley was actually my preferred choice entering the race. i have my doubts about what kind of president mccain would be- he's certainly an interesting politician, but i somehow feel bradley would've been a much more effective president. besides, i've always felt we needed a president who could fake right, and go left....
Oh, by "preacher-type", I didn't mean religious people. I meant, they have a strong will and have the ability to inspire people. I would be curious to see Martin Luther King Jr. 's stance on international policy, economics, and social welfare. I can imagine him creating a generous social welfare system, perhaps to the detriment of the economy. How would he handle Pearl Harbor? The Cold War? He's an amazing person, but does he really have the background necessary to lead the entire United States? He's just one example, of course.
Yes, we certainly agree that RFK would have won. I watched his victory speech the night he was gunned down. It was about 3am, Houston time, and I had stayed up for it. I continued watching as the media attempted to follow him after the speech. I watched as he was shot, total chaos, wondering if he was badly hurt. All these things rush through your head in a moment, although it seemed longer than that. Then the cameraman got to him and showed Kennedy laying on the concrete. One look, and you knew he was dying. I just couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it happened. America lurched in a different direction, from that moment, and has yet to find it's way. So many deaths, in so short a time. Jack, Dr. King, Robert... still hard to fathom, and their deaths exacted a terrible price we are still paying. Those who didn't experience that period, who were too young to remember it, will never truly understand what we lost. Keep D&D Civil.
I don't know that his program would have been more dramatic than LBJ's. They could have been, but the reason I think MLK would have been a good president is that he was willing to not abandon what he believed in, in the face of adversity. He had a way of showing all people that equality and justice was good for everybody, not just those who previously were impoverished or oppressed. I think if he saw people abusing a welfare system he would have had the charisma and leadership to sway them from that and show them how that was detrimental. On foreign affairs we know he was against the Viet Nam war, so that is a good start. Whatever his foreign policy decisions would be, I think it is fair to presume they would have been principled. Yet he was also someone who would stand up for things that were right. He wasn't a push over. Like Clinton, W Bush, Reagon, and many other presidents he didn't have a lot of foreign policy experience. I don't think that would rule him out though.
George Clinton! er... I mean George Clinton! also John Hancock, who signed the Declaration of Independence 1<sup>st</sup>, and made sure to sign big as a big F*** You to King George. He pretty much embodies the American character and was a president of the Constitutional Congress. John Jay, the first Justice of the Supreme Court, co-author of the Federalist Papers w/ Alexander Hamelton, and foreign diplomat. Thomas Paine, radical revolutionary, philosopher and author whose works are still quoted by people in government today. Gouverneur Morris, who wrote quite a bit of the Constution and was one of the first Senators. John Dickinson, early congressman and govenor of both Pensylvania and Deleware. The two worst candidates from the early years would have been Aaron Burr, who would have made Richard Nixon look honest, and Benjaman Franklin who would have made Bill Clinton look chaste. He also would have likely been the only president to include fart jokes in the State of the Union. (He wrote many bawdy essays, including "Fart Proudly" and "On Choosing a Mistress")
