What background would you like the leader of your country to come from?

political, military, academic are very important to me. It also helps if he did some labor union stuff and had some expertise in business (though I would be a bit suspicious if he did corporate stuff). It would probablly count against him a bit in my book if he did legal or entertainment stuff, though exceptions can be made.

I don't really care, but it would seem that a legal background would help, with knowledge of the law.

It doesn't matter a whole lot. Someone that worked to get where they are and didn't have everything handed to them on a silver platter is a good thing, though.

Medical. They see the results of a lot of social policy.

I can't believe so many people voted for academics. In my experience they are among the most out of touch. They are also notoriously socialist which is ironic considering the poverty that is widespread in socialist countries.

Great Survey.... all of these imply a certain bias. I never really thought about things from this point of view. I picked legal, since making laws is bound up in what they do and I think it really helps to know the law. I also picked technical/eng because that's my personal bias. Also academic... just because it seems right, though I have to admit that of the academics I know in government, I'm not that impressed.

To elaborate...

Dr. Paul Wolfowitz is an an academic. He is the architect of the "Hawkish" (aggressive, warmongering) policy that Bush has adopted post 9/11. (e.g. "Axis of Evil" and War in Iraq)

On the other side of the spectrum, Robert Reich is also an academic, who served under Clinton. I really like a lot of what he has to say (he has been a commentator on NPR as well), but I don't feel that his tenure as Secretary of Labor was effective.

Jimmy Carter was an engineer... *sigh*

I think it would be good to have someone with military knowledge. If we don't have national security, then nothing else matters.
A corporate executive type would know how to run a successful business and how not to bankrupt things.
They need some legal training to know how our legal system works and the ins and outs of our Constitution.
A medical background would enable them to know a little about how the healthcare system works and that the government shouldn't screw it up anymore than it already is.
And I checked religious too. I'd prefer someone who answers to a higher power and operates him/herself in that manner.

thank you! I was thinking the other day about Howard Dean's background (medical and political) and thinking about how that differed from Bush's...

by religious background I meant someone who has religious training (say as a minister, priest, rabbi, monk, nun) , more so than someone who simply practices their religion devoutly.

I don't trust anyone who's worked in unions. What if the president decided he'd go on strike? That's what those unions do best and they screw millions of people in the process.
Not to mention the mob connections in unions.

I am NOT and NEVER will be a union person. They had their purpose in the past, but all they do now is cause trouble.
Grocery store workers in St. Louis went on strike a couple months ago. There were people in other businesses who lost their jobs because of it. The strikers were b(i)tching about having to contribute to their own healthcare plans. Waa, watch me lose a lot of tears over that one.
Some of them finally grew up and realized they were asking WAY too much. Few people in STL had sympathy for the whiney babies.

Political, medical, legal, agricultural, military/security, technical/engineering, academic, and labor would all be fine with me.

My current favorite, John Edwards , has legal and political experience.

I dont care as long as he/she takes into account all backgrounds when doing his/her job.

I wouldn't really have a preference as long as I agreed with their agenda, but I've always thought someone with a business background might be better able to balance the budget and take care of the business end of things.

Any of these, really, with the exception of professional politician.

I don't care as long as he or she can do the job...

Labor. I'm hoping that someone who actually had to work for a living instead of having everything handed to them on a silver platter might be a more effective leader.

I understood that, but I'd still like them to have the admission that they are not the end-all be-all.

> I don't trust anyone who's worked in unions.

That probablly depends on whats your definition of trust is. Certainly, I would be suspicious of a union person the same way I would be suspicious of a corporate ceo, simply because they might have other competing interests. What I was getting at is a moderate union person who had some experince on both sides of the fence. A union guy who understands the plight of the working man, as opposed to someone who had everything handed to them on a silver platter, but at the same time, worked his way up and eventlually became a boss or something. Anyway, I was getting at a FORMER union leader, someone who left behind their labor loyalties at the door. I want someone with good experience with managing things on the upper business level, but at the same time, having some history of working in the "pits".

What if the president
> decided he'd go on strike? That's what those unions do best and they
> screw millions of people in the process.
> Not to mention the mob connections in unions.

That probabbly depends on the union. Some unions are more greedy than others. Not to mention the nepothism tha goes on in them. And a mob connetion doesnt shock me either. Actually, I think you should watch "the Wire", a series on HBO about the drug war. Their 2nd or 3rd season deals with the police department going up againts unions.

But again, not all unions are like that. I want someone who isnt too deep into their union, and someone who doesnt carry the baggage of snobbery along them, about the same way I wouldnt want an overly religious guy in government.

I'd settle for one who had a good command of grammar and the English language. You know, someone different from George W. Bush!!

Hi Sue! I've missed you guys!

A dirt poor back ground....like from the ghetto,

Hi! Where ya been? I've just started frequenting SC again, and wondered what happened to you. Glad to see you! Did you get busy with other stuff for awhile like I did?

Well now, THAT would be interesting! It might actually be a good perspective if they had ideas for helping poor neighborhoods without just handing them everything on a silver platter.

Political. They know how government operates, and they know the rules of the game.

Huh!

Yeah. I started taking Paint Shop Pro lessons in my MSN group, so I have been busy playing with that, and doing other things in my MSN groups. Also, my mom has been sick, and was in the hospital for almost 2 weeks. On top of that, my sister has taken a leave of absence to help with Mom, so that also cuts into my computer time. But today, it dawned on me that I really wanted to come back to SC more, because I miss all my SC buddies!

I'm glad to see you back!

I'm glad to see you back, too!

Thanks, romkey! I missed you guys!

10 years ago I might have thought that having a businessman in the white house would be useful, but now I think it only leads to corruption. Still, I think Bloomberg (Mayor of NYC) is doing a good job, so perhaps I shouldn't generalize.

Political with a team of ministers with backgrounds in the field they are appointed to.

Actually, our mayor has a background in business, and he's been fighting corruption ever since hes got into office.

I shouldn't generalize

i wish that one of our presidents was an average person................. you know, living an average middle income life and knew the struggle of the average person!

Don't care as long as they are cute!

(joke )

Welcome back Julie babes. Don't leave it too long next time!

I won't!! It's great to be back with my SC friends!

It doesn't matter...as long as he is white...

yes, you shouldnt.

All generaliztions are false

A military agricultural person. There's to many Lawyers in office already.

Hi! Welcome back! You didn't think I was going to not join the welome back wagon, did you?

Well, I sure hoped you would join the welcome back wagon!! Great to see ya!

Academic, but I argued with my friend and he says how it's possible. I claim it's impossible. Real intellectual is not nasty enough to be a succesful politician.

Just because someone speaks well doesn't mean they would make a good president. Hitler was a good speaker and look what he did.
At least Bush's fallacies prove he's human and capable of making mistakes.

Hard fudging labor making just above minimum wage, struggling to make ends meet. Ok, the person would have an extra $100 at the end of the month after all bills are paid, working middle class, and I don't mean some posh desk job either.

Military Background...Ooooh, like GWBush???
http://www.talion.com/georgebush.html

I totally agree with you, there. I guess I was just being facetious. You do make an excellent point!

I hope your mom is doing okay now.

Thank you -- you're a good, good friend.

i clicked corporate executive to me business experience is the most important background

She is doing a lot better. Today, she went to the doctor because she has been retainin a lot of fluid. She also has a cold, so it is kind of hard to tell how much of her weakness and fatigue is the illness, and how much is just the cold. He gave her a prescription for Lasix-a diuretic. She still has to have some tests on her colon after she is feeling a little better. She was in the hospital with pneumonia, a urinary tract infection, and a bowel infection. She had such bad diarrhea that she got dehydrated, which led to a high fever and delirium. The delirium was scary-especially when she thouht she saw my Dad (He passed away in 1989)
She is much better now, just run down from the cold, and still kind of weak. But she really had us scared for a couple weeks there. My sister was able to get a leave of absence from work to help out. That is nice, but she isn't getting paid, so I will try my best to help her out with that. Thanks, Sue! (Sorry this is so long!)

Wow, she got a triple whammy, poor thing. I'm glad she's doing better, and I sure hope she recovers fully soon. BTW, how are you doing these days? Last I heard it seems you had really improved. Still doing okay?

Mom is improving every day. The doctor gave her antibiotics and a diuretic, and told us to see that she eats more protein. We have been preparing fish and other high protein foods. As for me, I am doing GREAT! My walking is almost as good as ever, and I go to work, to the mall, and all my regular stuff. I still take a lot of meds and go for routine blood tests, but no big deal there. Thanks for asking!

I'd certainly want them to have several years of political experience - a decade or two. Prior to that, I suppose if they had worked I would have liked to have seen them in a profession rather than a trade, but that's only nowadays when the most intelligent people are largely able to go to university rather than ust the richest.

Yay! Glad to hear your mom is improving, and that you're doing so well! I know that was scary for you.

Thanks!

no more politicians...military is out....no more corporate crushers, no lawyers, and no more religious people.
The leader I see would have to come from either the technical/engineering or academia backgrounds.
I'd want to shake things up a bit.

anything of the above except for religious (and by religious I mean religious nut), sex worker, entertainment, or military

gay or lesbian and a female for once. One who knows and hasnt lost there sense of what it is to be a citzen of the united states and one who actually realizes what it means to live or be in the united states. What the USA was created for. One who is not to high on him or her self to get down and dirty with the rest of the population and who can become a whole with out going on a huge power trip

OTHER---HUMAN

I think that a sex worker President could be rather interesting...

I chose military and labor, because knowledge in those fields can usually be put to good use.