What would make someone want to be President of the US?

[Raven]

This is a serious question. I don't want to hear about greed and ego and all of those kind of things. I want to talk about losing your privacy, your private life,your personal identity to a certain extent, being ridiculed, parodied, lied to, managed, manipulated, betrayed. Having to race across the country over and over again campaigning, having your family under extreme scrutiny... making life and death decisions about the future of your people, other nations, the world...what drives a George Bush, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton to want that. To want to serve your country is too simple, there must be more.

[JohnKleeb]

1. a genuine desire to better the country

I'd rather be sleeping though :).

[Raven]

2. Go practice your three point turns, young man!

:-)

[JohnKleeb]

14. hah

Ive been studying on General Knowledge and Traffic Signs.

[rwheeler31]

7. We are such a young country, we still think

we can fix things, we have the tools but we do not know which plan will work. Some very ambitious men feel strongly about their plan. This allows them to endure the brutality of politics.

[Old and In the Way]

3. Depends......

For personal profit, look to Bush. For a better idea of what America could be, look to Kerry.

The thing that bugs me is that Bush got handed a very solvent budget and vibrant economy from Clinton's hard work and his budget priorities. Through the actions of his policies, Bush will most likely be handing Kerry a mess. There ought to be a law against that.

[Raven]

4. Yes, I know but

somehow I don't think even Bush took the job with the aim of ruining the country...the scarey thing is that he thought it was the "right thing to do".

[Eurobabe]

8. beware of false prophets

Bu$h had every aim of systematically dismantling this country. Pay off to his rich cronies; that way he could get a "good job," when he was done fvcking 'us.'

[salib]

5. I think the worst part would be

having so many people that you owe to even get close to that position, let alone be in it. And they WILL come a callin', you can be on that. Oh well, goes with the territory, I guess, and it is certainly true that the more powerful you are, the less you can do, at least do well.

[Raven]

6. Good point!

You'd owe a huge number of people and if you were not of strong character, your life would not be your own.

[salib]

9. Even more so if of strong character, I think.

One's life would not be one's own. But, it is the nature of "service" to one's country/people/government.

[lagniappe]

10. 'Serve your country' is the plain reason for some people.

I would be president in a heartbeat if I could. I feel passionately about health care, education, the environment, and our country. Ridicule, loss of privacy, and politics are small prices to pay if you can significantly influence or change the direction of our nation and the world.

I am convinced that Bush ran to enrich himself and his cronies. However, I hope there are a few politicians that serve for a higher cause other than themselves. I think Howard Dean and John Kerry are two such individuals.

[fujiyama]

11. Power

The president of the US is probably the most powerful person in the world. They are the leader of the most powerful nation on earth.

For some it may be a genuine desire to help people and create a better world.

[Lefty Pragmatist]

12. A Psychological Disorder

Yes, yes, yes, I'm for Kerry and all that. But objectively speaking, wishing that upon yourself betrays some very interesting *issues* buried deep within the psyche. In the case of a Nixon or a Clinton, not so deep.

I would favor a system that automatically disqualifies anyone who would seek the office as too personally messed up to be president. I can understand a teen/20-something overflowing with the need to put his or her stamp on the face of the world -- individuating is part of personal growth. But once you hit 30, if you haven't found something a little more personally fulfilling to devote the primary goal of your life to, there's probably something wrong.

Still, we have our front man and godspeed to him.

[Jackpine Radical]

13. Well, yeah. You put it into a nutshell.

I've even said things like "We should never elect anybody who wants it badly enough to go through what it takes to get it."

BTW, you a shrink, Lefty? (reference to adolescent development piqued my curiosity)

[arwalden]

15. Power Gives Some Men Enormous Hard-Ons

I just had to say it. I know it's not the answer you were looking for, but I couldn't help myself.

-- Allen

[Cleita]

16. I'm really wondering myself.

Kerry is going to have an awful mess to unravel. Also, I am fearful of what he will do as a lame duck president, unless the Kerry camp can contain him until the inauguration, threats, anything. I hope they make the Bush camp understand.

[GreenArrow]

17. ego

.