An idea for an ATS community project: A Crowd Sourced Ideal Presidential Candidate

originally posted by: cmdrkeenkid
a reply to: SkepticOverlord

Short of everyone listing their ideal traits, which would shortly get out of hand and often contradictory, how do you plan on managing what the "ideal" candidate becomes?

I suggest another poll. Take the hot issues, the traits, and make a poll. The poll could be the old fashioned 1-10 of least-most important or something similar. Get the beliefs and positions narrowed down that way. The rest (gender, race, age, etc...) can be done with a multiple choice poll, similar to the original poll.

As for a name, it seems rather trivial. So run through the random name generator and make ten of each male, female, and ambiguous names. I ran it through, selecting all categories with a first and last name.

Here are ten random masculine names:
Richárd Knopf
Adam Starosta
Drystan Kendrick
Chandra Lu
Montague Lin
Makena Nováček
Alfarr Roux
Rostam Koziol
Thanasis Bergfalk
Yvon O'Malley

Ten random feminine names:
Ethelyn Breckinridge
Sallie Van Laar
Ester Sas
Derorit Griffin
Tamsin Plank
Tellervo Motta
Usha Jardine
Edna Zellweger
Banu Harrelson
Paulina Lohrenz

And ten ambiguous names:
Rowan Antonisen
Izzy Maas
Shun Headley
Mavuto Victore
Gili Róg
Chisomo Wirt
Ariel Mikkelsen
Tracey Kneib
Nuka Tinker
Amal Patenaude

The Candidates name should be hardcore Americana, like two first names smashed together.....like
Mark Gary
Mary Suzanne

Nothing commie like Joseph, Jihad like Hussein, or Mexican like Juan it throws off potential votes and panders to a small audience. And nothing with too many syllables, it sounds like they were born with a silver spoon.

I think it would be easier to design a ATS Presidential Candidate based in movie characters.

HAL 9000 FOR PRESIDENT!

a reply to: cmdrkeenkid

LOL....those sound more like character names from a Douglas Adams novel. I swear I saw a "Bebelbrox" in there somewhere.

I love this idea. Get people to think about what matters to them, instead of just parroting the daily talking points of their own political party.

It does seem that the "flat tax" is popular on ATS. If that means you can disband the IRS....great. Otherwise, consumption tax would be an alternative i'd suggest.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

It does seem that the "flat tax" is popular on ATS

Flat tax is dumb. Someone who makes 200k a year and someone who makes 20K a year are not the same. 15% from 20K is much harder when you have very little money to begin with. Bush Jr. ran on the first 30-40 K was tax free, after that then a flat tax would make sense. Of course he never did that but it was a good idea.

a reply to: smurfy

That's discrimination!

You're from Ireland. Why are you posting on what makes a good American President.

originally posted by: Variable
a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

It does seem that the "flat tax" is popular on ATS

Flat tax is dumb. Someone who makes 200k a year and someone who makes 20K a year are not the same. 15% from 20K is much harder when you have very little money to begin with. Bush Jr. ran on the first 30-40 K was tax free, after that then a flat tax would make sense. Of course he never did that but it was a good idea.

But when you do this really all you're doing is making it a progressive tax rate for the majority of people. The ultra rich get around it by paying an even lower amount in taxes. A flat tax ultimately offloads even more of the tax burden to the middle class.

originally posted by: Variable
Has to look the part, preferably around 6 foot. Distinguished looking.
Someone who has ran a business and was successful even if after a few attempts.
Married with at least two kids. Wife should not be involved in politics.
Calm and intelligent. Believes logic is important. Possibly went to College as an adult. At least didn't have rich parents who paid for everything.
Believes that people should strive to be better through hard work and education.
Owns a pistol and knows how to use it. Owns a rifle and is a good shot.
Has a general disdain for Washington politics
Has been in a fist fight.
Has to be a guy you could depend on if **#** went down.

Why do they have to run a business? Business owners tend to be managers, not the people that make things happen. To give an example, I was talking to the VP of a technology firm earlier today. He knew about managing programmers and giving them directives, but the moment I started talking about the code solutions to their businesses integration plans he went completely blank on me despite the fact that it was 95% of everything their business does.

Why should someone be married with kids? Can you only hold values if you have a family? What if you believe in reducing the global population to a more sustainable level (peacefully). Should someone who isn't reproducing at the replacement rate have that held against them?

Why does a person need to own a gun? Doesn't that mean they have a higher propensity to move to force before looking for other solutions? What if they own a rifle but they're a bad shot? What if they're the type of person that will shoot a federal judge in the face, and then make the judge publicly apologize for getting in the way of the bullet like Dick Cheney did?

Is a disdain for Washington politics a bad thing? Doesn't it make sense that a person who has a passion for politics and understands how they work will not only be a more effective leader, but better able to reform the systems in Washington? Hating the very mechanism of how your job functions is like being a carpenter who has a disdain for using nails or an electrician that avoids using copper wiring.

So in order to be president you need to be in a fist fight? I don't even know where to begin with this one.

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord

This artificial person would truly represent the people's candidate. A message to the system of the person we want, not the person they want to shove down our throats.

The "people's candidate"? Really? Such hubris! That assumes the "people" participating represent the "people" as a whole, and if we're talking the "people" who frequent ATS my guess is they are not a microcosm of the "people" as a whole at all. Not that we don't have a wide range of opinions. After all, we can choose between chemtrail conspiracies, Reptilian conspiracies, and the grand schemes of the Illuminati to enslave us all under a One World government from their bases inside the Hollow Earth. Really down to earth well-grounded stuff which we can be quite sure the rest of the country will embrace like a breath of fresh air.

The very idea that ATS is capable of "sending a message to the system" that will be heeded by anyone of any import or influence at all is probably the most laughable endeavor ever attempted here. It really is funny, in a sad sort of way. Meanwhile the rest of the world, if they notice at all, will be suggesting those Woo-woo UFO guys stick to the Star Trek conventions when they come out of the basement rather than dabble in politics.

I don't see what's wrong with Rand Paul, myself. At least he's a real person, not an artificial one.

originally posted by: schuyler

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord

This artificial person would truly represent the people's candidate. A message to the system of the person we want, not the person they want to shove down our throats.

I don't see what's wrong with Rand Paul, myself. At least he's a real person, not an artificial one.

While Rand Paul is real, other people see him as the son of the kooky candidate who never made it past go.
I think he will do slightly better than his father because he has a more active roll in Congress on relevant subjects and is distanced far enough from those racist newsletters in his fathers closet but that only gets him from 10% to 20%.

a reply to: Aazadan

hould someone who isn't reproducing at the replacement rate have that held against them?

You got it.

Why does a person need to own a gun? Doesn't that mean they have a higher propensity to move to force before looking for other solutions

Of course not. I doubt you would understand.

So in order to be president you need to be in a fist fight? I don't even know where to begin with this one.

I doubt you would understand this either. No need to explain it. I think we know what kind of person you are quite clearly. I wouldn't want you on my side if **#** went down. You sound like the exact opposite in fact. Different strokes i guess.

V

originally posted by: SkepticOverlord
a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

That's optional in today's politicians. In fact, do they ever actually read it?

Don't derail your own thread 3 posts in =)

But he is right adherence to the constitution..Number one, good place to start.

I'd like to add Strict Anti Corruption Laws'..Prison or worse.. If you get caught being dirty in Politics not only are you barred from Politics the rest of your life, anyone related to you can't hold elected office or be appointed to any special government office..period.

Someone also for Term Limits

Adding..

Someone also that will make a law that stops Politicians from getting rich off insider trader info.. Which is not currently not against the law.


editing again ---just give me Ron or Rand Paul and I'll be happy =) Yea I know they are not perfect but who is..

originally posted by: schuyler
I don't see what's wrong with Rand Paul, myself. At least he's a real person, not an artificial one.

Congressmen rarely make good presidents. That doesn't stop a lot of them from trying to use the position as a stepping stone (as Rand is trying now) but if you sit down and think about it they have wildly different job descriptions. A representative goes to congress to give the people a voice while a senator goes to congress to give the state a voice. A president on the other hand isn't there to be the voice of anyone, the president is a leader. He/she sets an agenda, and attempts to make people follow with the goal of implementing that agenda. Just as a CEO doesn't pick only the popular viewpoint when determining the direction of a company, a president shouldn't be beholden to the popular view of the people. The job of a president is to be a visionary and lead. If the president can't make their case to congress and the people that just means they weren't an effective leader. To put this another way, where we tell congress what we want, the president tells us what he is going to do and it's up to us to ultimately decide if that makes sense.

With this in mind, the position that makes for the best presidents in my opinion is governor though I also think that people who aren't career politicians also make good presidents. The career is best left for congress.

a reply to: Variable

Yep. Sounds like you want someone whose violent and has no concept of sustainability. Different people indeed.

So I'll just leave you with this thought. A family man is likely to put the well being of his family before the American people. Whether that's blackmail, threats to harm them, or bribery to keep them in comfort. A person who has no family, only has the rest of society, aka the people.

I really fail to see how not being a family oriented individual is a bad thing.

Edit: I'll say this on the use of force too. Getting into a fist fight is utterly stupid. If you're going to get into a fight, knife the bastard from behind in a sneak attack, or walk away, follow them later, and pull a gun on them while their back is turned. A fist fight greatly increases your chance of personal injury while also limiting the effectiveness of your attack, and if you do start to win it gives your targets friends a motive to jump in. By every strategic and tactical metric it is a bad idea.

originally posted by: Grimpachi
a reply to: SkepticOverlord




I want a candidate that doesn't constantly say "I am not a scientist" that to me means we need to elect a freaking scientist that can understand the truly important s#!t.

A politician that majored in science, had a science background instead of law.

No physician's especially dentist's.

YES. I want someone who thinks just like Neal DeGrasse Tyson. To me, he would be perfect.

A.I. for president?

So we are going to find only ONE candidate that ALL of the ATS members can agree on.

This is so simple.

Sybil

Otherwise I wish you the best of luck in finding someone that everyone can agree on.

originally posted by: kaylaluv

originally posted by: Grimpachi
a reply to: SkepticOverlord




I want a candidate that doesn't constantly say "I am not a scientist" that to me means we need to elect a freaking scientist that can understand the truly important s#!t.

A politician that majored in science, had a science background instead of law.

No physician's especially dentist's.

YES. I want someone who thinks just like Neal DeGrasse Tyson. To me, he would be perfect.

I think if I had to I could compromise for a candidate that could at least understand Neal DeGrasse Tyson.

Looking at the list of potentials in the poll I am not confident any have even met that standard.

a reply to: Variable

however it is to be done.

but the weaponized IRS sure isn't all rainbows and butterflies.

originally posted by: Variable
Bush Jr. ran on the first 30-40 K was tax free, after that then a flat tax would make sense. Of course he never did that but it was a good idea.

I would be open to a modified system like that.

Rick Grimes for president.

Michonne for VP.

Daryl for Dept. of Defense.

That's the type of people I want as representatives. No-one would EVER attack us again.