Alternate Methods for Choosing Candidates-Page 2| Off-Topic Discussion forum |

autolex84 New Reader
9/6/08 9:51 a.m.

Duke wrote: I've long since thought that anybody who WANTS to be president should be kept far away from the White House. I've advocated that being president should be a 6-month term like jury duty: you get a summons in the mail, you get interviewed like a prospective juror, and then *poof* you're president. "Awww, crap, honey, guess what: I just got a letter for President Duty..."

"...one of the many major problems with governing people is that of whom you get to do it; or rather of who manages to get people to let them do it to them. To summarize: it is a well known fact, that those people who most want to rule people are, ipso facto, those least suited to do it. To summarize the summary: anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President should on no account be allowed to do the job. To summarize the summary of the summary: people are a problem." - Douglas Adams

integraguy Reader
9/6/08 11:09 a.m.

Philip K. Dick (author of the books that "inspired" Blade Runner and Total Recall) wrote a book called Solar Lottery that featured the idea that the presidency would be "won" via a drawing. However, as was the typical PKD story, the person who won the Solar Lottery WASN'T really a winner. Sort of a more elaborate expansion of the previously posted "presidency as jury duty" concept.

I also agree, anyone who WANTS to be president is immediately suspect.

I also believe that the voting for prez and vp should be allowed to cross party lines, as in the person of a party who gets the majority of the votes gets prez and the runner-up...of whatever party gets the vp slot. This is a concept other countries have embraced, tho not necessarily to their benefits.

Duke Dork
9/6/08 3:26 p.m.

In many states (Delaware among them) Governor and Lieutenant Governor are run separately. Are all states this way?

I believe in the olden days (pre-1820 or so) the VP slot went to the first runner up in the general election, but I could be mistaken about that.

Osterkraut Reader
9/6/08 4:37 p.m.

Duke wrote: In many states (Delaware among them) Governor and Lieutenant Governor are run separately. Are all states this way? I believe in the olden days (pre-1820 or so) the VP slot went to the first runner up in the general election, but I could be mistaken about that.

I believe you're correct.