Who would be your combination for an ideal person for President?

[former-republican]

Ron Paul's foreign policy views on non intervention and stop being the world police is spot on.
I'm sick of sending billions on foreign aid to countries that hate us. Frankly I'm sick of sending billions in foreign aid to any country. He would also bring our troops home.

Hillary Clinton , she would have pushed harder for a single payer health care system .
I don't think she would have compromised.

Bill Clinton , he had and has a good grasp of domestic economic issues .

That would be my choice. Put them together and you would have an ideal President .

What's your list?

[Viva_La_Revolution]

1. Kucinich, Obama and Carter with a healthy dollop of FDR nt

[former-republican]

5. Kucinich is a good call also.

I should have included him in my list.

[Egalitarian Thug]

17. Viva! Indeed. +1 n/t

[jorno67]

2. oh boy....

[JoePhilly]

40. Watch for my post lower ... no one has said this one ... yet

[cbayer]

3. Barack Obama suits me just fine. Thanks.

[JudyM]

6. +1

[AsahinaKimi]

11. +2

Agree

[Whisp]

18. best answer.

besides, none of the three mentioned up there hold a candle to him.

sure Hillary could have got health care reform... IF
and I would be able to fly to the moon IF...

fact is, neither happened and will never.

[Douglas Carpenter]

21. well that's depressing

Don't get me wrong - I support his reelection 10000000% - especially in light of the alternative. And I will do all can to insure he does win reelection. There is NO alternative. But if this is as good as it gets - moderately socially liberal - with economics slightly to the right of old style traditional Republicans and a foreign policy only slightly moderated from the second term (not the first term when the necons dominated) of the Bush Jr. Administration - well, if this is as good as it gets - I am glad I'm growing older and don't have that many more decades in this world.

[movonne]

28. I really don't know what Obama will do in a 2nd term...hoping

he goes to the left more...there is something about Obama that I love...I also felt (maybe not as much as Obama) that way about Clinton...

[Douglas Carpenter]

32. Reaganism truly does triumph when we are at the point where a number of self-identified liberals

on one of the most liberal/left forums in America seriously have as their vision of utopia the Obama/Clinton agenda - center-left social issues/center right on economics and foreign policy. I can't imagine singing folk songs about that. Call me old fashioned and square, but back when I was young and thought about changing the world and rearranging the world I had in mind something a bit more radical than Nixonian Republicanism with a dash of social liberalism wrapped in feel good cliches and packaged in Madison Avenue patriotism.

[whatchamacallit]

39. Great post!

Love the folk song comment, surprisingly illustrative.

[cleduc]

29. +me

He's the best president of my lifetime

[DrewFlorida]

4. Obama and Bill Clinton

The best qualities of both Presidents combined, minus Monica Lewinski.

[Whisp]

19. I like Obama's honesty when he speaks and wouldn't want it diluted

with clinton blabber.

Bill can talk the good talk but a lot of the time he doesn't really say anything. but it sounds good.

[DrewFlorida]

48. I agree, Obama is a fantastic President!

My inclusion of Clinton had to do with his power to persuade.
For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of our President in every way.

[DJ13]

7. FDR, Elizabeth Warren, mixed with Truman's attitude

[Scuba]

10. I'm good with that. Maybe a little Carter humility.

[lumberjack_jeff]

8. Krugman's grasp of the economy, Hartmann's understanding of history...

... Bill Clinton's ability to connect with people and Obama's speaking ability.

... or Elizabeth Warren with a good speechwriting team.

[B Calm]

9. Sanders / Grayson

[hifiguy]

12. I'd have to reach to the past for the most part.

The passion and empathy of RFK and George McGovern

The brains and cool-headedness of Obama or JFK

LBJ's grasp on domestic policy and willing to do whatever needed to be done to better the lot of the people

Jimmy Carter's foreign policy, his disastrous decision to let the monstrous Shit, err, Shah of Iran into the country aside

FDR's vision and ability to inspire the people to unite.

I'd settle for that.

[Douglas Carpenter]

13. LBJ on domestic policy - George McGovern on foreign policy

Come to think of it George McGovern did pretty much have the same domestic policy as LBJ. So, really George McGovern with LBJ's political muscle.

[hifiguy]

38. Pretty damned good combination. nt

[DevonRex]

14. Obama with a ruthless streak. Seriously, folks.

If the makeup of Congress doesn't change it's gonna take some stuff you probably don't want to know about to get anything done.

[C_U_L8R]

15. Rambama

Obama goes Rambo.

[former-republican]

22. lol

I just wish he had more of a nonintervention view with his foreign policy

I'm glad he hasn't made the mistake with letting Israel drag us into another war.

[Egalitarian Thug]

16. General Butler, Paul Krugman, Thomas Jefferson, Eugene V. Debs., and Louis D. Brandeis. n/t

[quinnox]

20. Abraham Lincoln

I wouldn't put any president from the last 50 years as any part of what an ideal president would be. It has been one mediocrity after another.

[former-republican]

23. I wouldn't either but if you take some of their views

and combine them together.
Also it doesn't have to be a former President just someone who has held public office.
congressman , senator etc.

[Egalitarian Thug]

24. You didn't specify an office holder in the OP. n/t

[RagAss]

25. No Contest - Obama's brain and LBJ's (we'll be polite and say guts) !

[Comrade_McKenzie]

26. Someone to the left of FDR and Huey Long. nt

[ecstatic]

27. uggh. There are plenty of well rounded Dems who oppose all wars

Perhaps in the future you could mention them instead of the one-dimensional Ron Paul who wasn't even man enough to comment on Akin's remarks. Is he afraid his comments about "honest rape" would resurface?

Yes, Paul's right about the wars but THAT'S IT. He wants to end everything from the Dept. of Education to Social Security to a woman's right to choose.

[former-republican]

33. I only used his stance on foreign policy not domestic.

And it's not just war.
It's billions of dollars in aid and military weapons sent to countries.

If there are democrats in congress that always vote against that.
I am unaware of it.

Please list them

[ecstatic]

46. I know

I just get irate when I see Paul's name mentioned in a positive context.

I can't tell you which ones vote against the military each time, but even if there are none, there are democrats who are not currently in office who are completely against wars and unnecessary military spending. Like Howard Dean, etc.

[former-republican]

37. ?

FACT CHECK: Pres. Obama INCREASED Military Aid to Israel in FY2013 Budget
NJDC — February 17, 2012 – 1:07 pm | Barack Obama | Budget | Election 2012 | GOP Hypocrisies | Israel Comments (0) Add a comment


FACT CHECK: President Barack Obama has increased foreign military assistance to Israel in his FY2013 budget request. (Follow links to page 172 of the State Department’s FY2013 budget report, showing a $25 million overall year-to-year increase in the White House foreign military assistance budget request.)

The National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) responded today to the Republican Jewish Coalition’s latest divisive effort to use Israel as a partisan wedge issue during this election year. Following a report in Politico that the Jewish Republican group has released a web video attacking President Barack Obama surrounding his record-setting foreign military assistance budget request for Israel, NJDC President and CEO David A. Harris commented:

“The National Jewish Democratic Council applauds this increased, largest-ever military assistance requested for Israel under President Barack Obama—made all the more significant against the backdrop of a difficult budgetary climate. This is yet another example of how President Obama continues to stand with Israel, time and time again.

“We are truly through the looking glass here; only those with the most partisan, facts-be-damned agenda would view the largest military assistance package for any foreign country in history at a difficult budgetary time as anything but a powerful way of supporting our closest ally, Israel. The hypocrisy here is astonishing; the simple fact is that the overall budget request for military assistance to Israel is increasing. Further, as has been reported by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the missile defense funding previously requested by President George W. Bush for Israel needed to routinely be dramatically increased—and even doubled in 2003—by Congress. This was met with deafening silence on the part of Jewish Republicans, and by us as well, as this was hardly an indicator that President Bush was no friend of Israel.

“These Republicans continue to play a dangerous game with Israel’s security through such antics. By suggesting anything but the truth—that this Administration has dramatically strengthened Israel’s military capabilities—such tactics as these dreadful videos can incorrectly suggest to the Iranian leadership that now is the time to become even more belligerent against a supposedly weakened Israel. Here we have Republicans sadly placing partisanship above Israel’s safety and security—and placing politics above the rich tradition of bipartisan support for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship.

“This is the President who initiated the building of the Iron Dome missile defense shield over Israel and secured the funding to make it a reality, protecting the lives of Israelis on a daily basis today. One thing is certain here;

President Obama will ensure that Israel gets every dollar it needs

for missile defense

[brewens]

30. His name would be Teddy Grayson! n/t

[Taverner]

31. Eugene Debs. All of him.

With Henry Agard Wallace as VP

[undeterred]

34. George Clooney and Rachel Maddow.

You asked.

[former-republican]

35. Rachel Maddow

She needs to be a moderator in every single debate.

Now that would be some debates worth watching.

[JoePhilly]

42. I think she could debate each of the canddiates ... and make them answer questions they

don't want to answer.

[former-republican]

44. That's why you will never see her as a moderator

Can you imagine Ryan and Romney standing on stage with Rachel as the moderator.
Not letting them use the typical talking points that other moderators let them get away with.

We could sell ticket to a debate like that.

[JoePhilly]

47. And honestly, Obama and Biden would not want to do this either ...

She would dog them too.

And then the rest of the media would praise how well Romney and Ryan did, and scream that either Obama and Biden failed, or that Rachel did not hit them hard enough.

[ananda]

36. Bernie Sanders and . . .

. . . Bernie Sanders.

[JoePhilly]

41. Jesus?

Clearly a liberal, probably a socialist, healthcare advocate, not a fan of the money changers, or the self-righteous ... and the ability to turn water into wine.

[jorno67]

45. +1

For the win! Well done sir!

[TBF]

43. Lucy Parsons (P) and Eugene V. Debs (VP). nt