I don't know about you all, but I am very, very tired of hearing about who the GOP will nominate in 2012. Speculation about speculation is exhausting, and it doesn't get any more tiresome than Donald Trump. No matter what your political affiliation, let's all agree that the country probably does need someone with the catchphrase "You're fired" to bring them out of a recession.
Anyway, while Obama begins his re-election campaign and the other side tries desperately to get their shit together, let's go into the weekend thinking about a much more pleasant presidential election - a fictional one.
Which literary character would you most like to see run for president? And remember because it's fictional, your choices don't need to be limited to pesky rules like age limits and U.S. citizenship.
My dream ticket would be Hermione Granger and Tracy Flick. If there are any two people who can lead the free world, it's them. And I'd be happy to sit back and, for once, not worry about what the people in Washington are doing to me. The hardest part would be choosing the top of the ticket, but I guess I'll go with Hermione since she can keep cooler under pressure.
Honorable mention: Atticus Finch. Not only is a natural leader, but he'd make us all better human beings. Plus, he's pro-civil rights, from the deep south, has a background in law, and (if you think of him as Gregory Peck) has a simultaneously dreamy and commanding presence. Kind of hard to beat.
What say you, readers (American and non-American alike!)?
It's funny to think that the kind of books I enjoy most do not come with characters I'd safely elect, lol. But I can't help thinking Katniss would be pretty popular in a grassroots campaign.
ReplyDeleteAragorn from LOTR. Her seemed to do alright by Middle Earth. Perhaps he could straighten things out here for us as well!
ReplyDeleteFirst choice: Black Beauty as POTUS and Babe as VPOTUS. Why? Because when you talk about politicians, you usually bring up horses' asses and pork, so you might as well have the real thing.
ReplyDeleteSecond choice: Edmund Pevensie as POTUS and King Leonidas from The Winter's Tale as VPOTUS. Flawed, strong and they learned much from their mistakes.
Lord Eddard Stark from A Song Of Ice And Fire.
ReplyDelete"A man who passes the sentence should swing the sword."
What we lack in today's "lords" is basic honor and common wisdom.
Of course, Eddard wouldn't survive as one noble man against a million contemporary politicans. Not unless he got Tyrion Lannister as VP, ready to Heads>Spikes>BusinessAsUsual.
I'm an anarcho-capitalist, so if I had to pick a fictional character to to run it would be someone who would be the type to dismantle the system once they got into power.
ReplyDeleteOffhand the first character I thought of was Sunday from Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday, but the whole group flirted with violence, so that's just a "maybe" pick.
Good choices so far! I think I'd actually want Katniss as Secretary of Defense. Someone who knows how to fight but would avoid war at all costs.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to throw Anne Elliot from Persuasion into the ring. Calm, clear head. Listens to counsel but knows when to step up and own her decisions.
I might have to say Alice Cullen. It would be nice to have a president who would be able to see the impact of her decisions before she follows through with them.
ReplyDeleteBut I have to agree that Hermione would be awesome too!
@Jay - Tyler Durden, perhaps? (Yikes!)
ReplyDeleteGreat responses so far, everyone!
Another possibility, although he seemed too much of a Marxist offshoot/collectivist for my personal tastes.
ReplyDeletePeeta from Hunger Games would win my vote. Especially with Katniss behind him.
ReplyDeleteThough it would be amusing to see what kind of speeches come out of Simon and Jace from Mortal Instruments Series running for pres. against each other.
Rhett Butler, because he'd at least have a sense of humor about it.
ReplyDeleteCharles Halloway from Something Wicked This Way Comes vs. Cleveland Arning from The Mysteries of Pittsburgh.
ReplyDeleteCleveland's earlier mischief lands him into hot water with the press and the nation while Charles Halloway spews pages and pages of wisdom endearing him to the people. In the end its Halloway in a landslide, his Everyman appeal helping to seal the deal.
Hermione Granger for Pres sounds good to me!!
ReplyDeletePeter the Great from Chronicles of Narnia as the President, Lucy the Valiant as VP.
ReplyDeleteIf Tyler Durden, there's a chance that nobody could talk about it and the pundits would shut it.
ReplyDeleteThough I'm not being overly serious in my seconding here, media silence could be an appealing side benefit.
Havelock Vetinari. He already has political experience as Ankh Morpork's patrician. Totally kick ass character who already knows everything about anyone and will call them out on their shit. And even if you don't understand his methods the main thing to keep in mind is that they WORK.
ReplyDeleteAtticus for President, on a platform of tolerance.
ReplyDeleteDumbledore for Minister for Magic... oh wait....
Frodo Baggins for Pres. and I'd have to agree with Beth on Lucy the Valiant as VP.
ReplyDeleteGandalf. Although he might go disappearing frequently... so I guess I second the Hermione Granger vote.
ReplyDeleteOh, I vote for Hermione! Definitely. But I want Benvolio from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet as her running mate. He ALWAYS knows what's going on and is ever in favor of peace. (Note that in the story he's the only teenager who manages to stay alive.)
ReplyDeleteAnd can we get Minerva McGonagal for Secretary of Education? Perhaps she'd have the sense to get rid of W.'s leftover NCLB nightmare. And Aragon from LOTR as Secretary of Defense. (Okay, we don't vote for these people, but they're fictional anyway, so does it matter?)
Pippi Longstocking for president!
ReplyDelete(Just found you via Nathan's blog.)
I second the vote for Atticus as POTUS and I love the idea of McGonagall for Secretary of Education (former English teacher here).
ReplyDeleteI'm really torn here because instinctual I want to say Ender Wiggin for president, but I don't think he'd want the job, whereas Peter Wiggin does and would then proceed to unite the world under him. So I'm going to go with a Peter/Peter ticket.
ReplyDeletePeter Pevensie as President (because he's awesome and trustworthy and a good ruler) and then Peter Wiggin as VP (because he's got the shrewdness to do the behind the scenes stuff that Peter P. might not be able to handle).
I would say Peter Wiggin as Pres. (Bittersweet totally read my mind with the Ender/Peter thing). He's ambitious and smart and not afraid to take action. And deep down he's a good person. And for VP, Ellen Foster from the book of the same name. That is one spunky girl. She collected her own welfare checks and bought her own Christmas presents, then found herself a new family, and then a new new family ... all at the age of 8-ish.
ReplyDeleteHermione is a great choice as well! And now that I'm on the Wiggin trail, I like the idea of Valentine ... so many good choices.
Found you from Nathan's blog. Great topic--I'm going to keep reading. :)