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Bystander in Chief

Bystander in Chief

by Adam on March 25, 2016 at 12:58 am
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Discussion (21) ¬

  1. chazz
    chazz
    March 25, 2016, 1:27 am | # | Reply

    I think it was Robert Heinlein who said, “The desire to be President of the United States should automatically disqualify one from that office. The ideal President would be dragged kicking and screaming into the Oval Office… but once there, would do a good job in hopes of getting time off for good behavior.”

    • Jim
      Jim
      March 25, 2016, 9:08 am | # | Reply

      Sounds like something Heinlein would say, but I can’t find a source to back that he said it.

    • sidehack
      sidehack
      March 25, 2016, 9:58 am | # | Reply

      Similar to the sentiment from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, where the most competent ruler is the least competent person and the actual elected official is there as a distraction?
      If I’m remembering that right. Been 15 years since I read the series.

      • CharlotteML
        CharlotteML
        April 4, 2016, 4:25 am | # | Reply

        sidehack I think one of the sequels (Restaurant at the end of the Universe IIRC) also has the supreme ruler of the Universe turn out to be an old man leaving alone in on a random asteroid who occasionally get visited by and asked questions by polite men in suit. He has no idea he holds the position.

    • Lancinator
      Lancinator
      March 25, 2016, 1:26 pm | # | Reply

      I agree that it sounds like Heinlein, but it’s actually Gore Vidal: “Any American who is prepared to run for president should automatically, by definition, be disqualified from ever doing so. ~Gore Vidal.
      http://www.theguardian.com/books/2012/aug/01/gore-vidal-best-quotes

    • Saskfan
      Saskfan
      March 25, 2016, 3:01 pm | # | Reply

      In his book “Imperial Earth,” Arthur C. Clarke suggested that the president would be selected by a committee and would do a good job in order to have a his time in the office reduced. Over twenty five years since I last read it, so the idea of time off for good behaviour sounds familiar. He may have some sort of comment similar to that.

      • JGJones
        JGJones
        March 25, 2016, 5:40 pm | # | Reply

        I too was about to comment on that, remembering that Arthur C. Clarke saying that in his book Imperial Earth.

        “For the last century, almost all top political appointments [on the planet Earth] had been made by random computer selection from the pool of individuals who had the necessary qualifications. It had taken the human race several thousand years to realize that there were some jobs that should never be given to the people who volunteered for them, especially if they showed too much enthusiasm. As one shrewed political commentator had remarked: “We want a President who has to be carried screaming and kicking into the White House — but will then do the best job he possibly can, so that he’ll get time off for good behavior.”
        ― Arthur C. Clarke, Imperial Earth

        However if you read that, you’ll see that he’s actually using the quote which I think is from Gore Vidal so not original to Arthur C. Clarke then 🙂

    • Rat
      Rat
      March 26, 2016, 3:37 am | # | Reply

      Or go the Asimov route – summary of the short story “Franchise” (available online): voting for a US president? Bad idea for the most part.

      • strawdog
        strawdog
        March 29, 2016, 1:29 am | # | Reply

        Don’t vote, it only encourages them. ~Billy Connolly, An Audience with Billy Connolly, 1985

    • GuesssWho
      GuesssWho
      April 7, 2016, 3:35 pm | # | Reply

      To summarize the summary of the summary, people are a problem.

  2. thats enough political-ness for the comments now....
    thats enough political-ness for the comments now....
    March 25, 2016, 1:53 am | # | Reply

    it does seem to be too many positive things to have for having the position, which is adding alot of potential money for corruption to grow
    perhaps we should be adding ardifcal negitives to it (other then negivitve cartoons of course)

    infact, why stop there? lets add some negitives to other positions too

    its sad that Im not even sure that im joking.

  3. Mental Mouse
    Mental Mouse
    March 25, 2016, 7:15 am | # | Reply

    Zombie Teddy Roosevelt goes looking for his successor. (Did you forget we already did have a big-game hunter as president?)

  4. Pink Floyd
    Pink Floyd
    March 25, 2016, 7:23 am | # | Reply

    Third panel…bug to the far left with blonde(?) hair…is his name Ted? He looks like a Ted.
    And the new guy waking up from the tranq dart in his neck and realizing he’s the new POTUS and saying “oh no” is just…just…priceless!

    • Majdan
      Majdan
      March 25, 2016, 8:33 am | # | Reply

      He looks more like a Newt to me. That is TOTALLY Newt Bugrich. 😉

      • crazy quilter
        crazy quilter
        March 25, 2016, 9:55 pm | # | Reply

        With that hair, its Trey Gowdy.

  5. aylatrigger
    aylatrigger
    March 25, 2016, 11:59 am | # | Reply

    I think I would vote for that ‘candidate’.

  6. Eoraptor
    Eoraptor
    March 25, 2016, 12:11 pm | # | Reply

    Well No less than Douglas Adams said “To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job.”

    • GuesssWho
      GuesssWho
      April 7, 2016, 3:37 pm | # | Reply

      To summarize the summary of the summary, people are a problem.

  7. Von
    Von
    March 25, 2016, 12:18 pm | # | Reply

    “After every Presidential Election the loser(s) shalt be put to death.”

    It would do wonders for quality control.

  8. Mirvanna Scythes
    Mirvanna Scythes
    March 25, 2016, 5:42 pm | # | Reply

    I support the methodology employed in the game I’m currently playing where the wannabe emperor must run a gauntlet of traps, monsters and mazes too be worthy of consideration. (Path of Exile)

    Also, I’ve always wanted too cap out the earnings of everyone in parliament too the average wage of the people, security bonus and anonymous only donation (signed donation has ruined a lot of Australia), just too see who would take office and if they’d be more effective. The paychecks here are just maaaaad.

  9. Chris Rivan
    Chris Rivan
    April 5, 2018, 6:58 pm | # | Reply

    In David Eddings’ “The Elenium” The island of Tega is a democracy. If you are nominated for office you are arrested and your goods confiscated and sold. The money is placed in the treasury and if the island’s economy makes a profit, so do you. If not, it’s possible to lose your life’s work.

    Some people literally work themselves to death in office. I’d take that over the current crop of no-term-limited mentally-deficient barnacles we can’t seem to scrape off the national hull. Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell, Maxine Waters (god that woman is an idiot), Shirley Jackson Lee… and it doesn’t matter what letter follows their name. Every year I beg whatever gods are listening for a meteor strike to hit DC eight minutes after congress goes into session.

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