Advise The President

[jwoodie]

Scenario: You are a political adviser to the President. The 2014 elections have given the GOP control of the House and Senate. 2016 looks just as bad. Continuing gridlock is expected, with endless investigations and opposition to all of the President's policy initiatives and political appointments. Greater American military involvement in the Middle East seems inevitable. The President has been offered the position of heading the World Health Organization. Should he resign from the Presidency and take this job?

As a loyal Democrat, what would you advise the President to do and why?

 

[Luddly Neddite]

He has made some mistakes but he has also done a lot exactly right, exactly what we need.

 

[jwoodie]

Pleas read the OP before responding: "What would you advise the President to do and why?" Example:

Take the job. Otherwise, there will be continuing investigations and possible criminal indictments. Hillary will have a better chance at being elected if she doesn't have to run with you as the lame duck incumbent. You will not have to make any ground war decisions, and Biden will be happy to grant pardons. You can leave office on a high note, taking credit for the positive while avoiding responsibility for the negative. It's a win-win proposition.

 

[Saigon]

My advice would be to take action against lobbyists and the revolving door policy between the White House and Monsanto, Goldman Sachs etc.

I understood that he was going to do this, but it doesn't seem to have happened.

As he enters his last year in office, I think he could afford to really take a stand on organisations and firms who really poison the water of democracy - the two firms mentioned above, but also the NRA, AIPAC and a few others. The way I would suggest he do this is by making both their funding and their political donations transparent.

 

[jwoodie]

We seem to be having a problem with reading comprehension. The question is, under the OP scenario, would you advise* the President to resign and take the WHO position? The appropriate response is yes or no, followed by an explanation.

*As a loyal Democrat, you are equally interested in preserving the President's legacy and
maximizing Hillary's chances in 2016.

 

[Tom Sweetnam]

I'd advise the president to contact the UN and have them commit at least a brigade of armor and a division of infantry to his old Chicago senatorial riding, where 42 democrats were shot this past weekend, three of them dead so far, including a 3 year-old toddler who was collateral damage in a Crip-related drive-by shooting.

You remember the Crips, right? Michael Brown's old fraternity? Jolly good fellows they, just out being innocent, and upstanding, and responsible democrat Americans, just like their late, innocent, upstanding, jolly good democrat fraternity brother, Michael.

I'd further advise the president to pay a visit to Chicago, bringing his bullhorn along, so he could whip all the jolly good fellows into a savage lather, on account of it being whitey's fault that 41 brothers gunned each other down on Chicago's streets this past weekend. Oh that darned whitey; the carnage he causes. What's an ignorant race-baiting token to do?

 

[Saigon]

Jwoodie -

If you ask a nonsensical question, you'll only get nonsensical answers. Obiously no one thinks Obama is going to resign, and the sane 99% of Americans know that he has no reason to anyway.

Given you may get some interesting responses that focus on what we would advise the President to do whilst still in office - why not go with that?

 

[jwoodie]

Jwoodie -

If you ask a nonsensical question, you'll only get nonsensical answers. Obiously no one thinks Obama is going to resign, and the sane 99% of Americans know that he has no reason to anyway.

Given you may get some interesting responses that focus on what we would advise the President to do whilst still in office - why not go with that?

What, exactly, is nonsensical? The GOP winning the Senate? Joint Congressional investigations? Appointment of a special prosecutor and possible criminal indictments? Ground troops back in Iraq? Increasing health insurance rates as federal guarantees expire next year? Diminishing prospects for Hillary?

Many observers recognize that Obama's Presidency is in danger of being viewed as a failure. His diehard supporters may be willing to go down with with that ship, but cooler heads in the Democratic Party are worried about their future prospects. Jimmy Carter's incompetence led to 12 years of GOP rule, and Obama is poised to repeat that. A graceful exit may by the only way to avoid this eventuality.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

The Presidency is too small a job for him, he needs to resign and become King of the World

 

[CrusaderFrank]

He has made some mistakes but he has also done a lot exactly right, exactly what we need.

Different place, for sure; better place, absolutely not

 

[Saigon]

Woodie -

What is nonsensical is the idea that ANY sitting president would leave their post before an election in order to work for WHO.

Put it this way - when did it last happen?

 

[007]

I'd advise Barry to hightail it back to kenya before he loses all power and protection of the presidency, because those protecting him will eventually fall by the wayside and he'll be indicted for the fraud he's committed, and he'll more than likely wind up in prison, and/or suffer capitol punishment.

 

[jwoodie]

Woodie -

What is nonsensical is the idea that ANY sitting president would leave their post before an election in order to work for WHO.

Put it this way - when did it last happen?

Before Andrew Johnson, it was nonsensical for any President to be impeached.

Before Richard Nixon, it was nonsensical for any President to resign.

Before Barack Obama, it was nonsensical for a President explicitly violate the Constitution, lie about the assassination of an American Ambassador, and refuse to investigate a federal official who refuses to testify before Congress because it might incriminate her and others in his administration.

 

[Saigon]

Jwoodie -

So just to be clear here - no sitting head of state, anywhere in the world, has EVER left office early to work for the UN in ANY capacity.

And you think Obama may be the first? Seriously?

 

[jwoodie]

Jwoodie -

So just to be clear here - no sitting head of state, anywhere in the world, has EVER left office early to work for the UN in ANY capacity.

And you think Obama may be the first? Seriously?

The scenario posed by this thread had more to do with Obama leaving office early than it did about him taking a particular job. (I don't know if the WHO or any other UN agency has any vacancies.) HOWEVER, it can be said that he views himself more as an international President than any of his predecessors. Taking a step up to the international level would give him a plausible excuse for resigning, especially when combined with the prospect of two more years of opposition/deadlock (which can be blamed on the racism in the GOP).

With his domestic policy tottering and his foreign policy in flames, would this not be a propitious opportunity to save the legacy of his Presidency (and his Nobel Peace Prize)? Wouldn't he rather leave as a man of hope and (unrealized) dreams than as an incompetent nincompoop? The writing is on the wall: The question is whether he will read it.

P.S. Isn't it nonsensical for an Attorney General to "resign" but stay in office indefinitely?

 

[Vigilante]

I'd advise him to go see Krugman, and see what he thinks, and ask him...

 

[norwegen]

"Yes, take the new job, Mr. President. Lord knows, the World Health Organization can use a leader with no medical expertise."

 

[jwoodie]

"Yes, take the new job, Mr. President. Lord knows, the World Health Organization can use a leader with no medical expertise."

LOL, sounds like his current job.

 

[LoneLaugher]

We seem to be having a problem with reading comprehension. The question is, under the OP scenario, would you advise* the President to resign and take the WHO position? The appropriate response is yes or no, followed by an explanation.

*As a loyal Democrat, you are equally interested in preserving the President's legacy and
maximizing Hillary's chances in 2016.

Your premise is stupid....and it is late in your dopey post that you give the dopey premise. Nobody cares enough to read your shit closely. Get over yourself.

 

[AvgGuyIA]

I would advise the president to work with the Republipcans because they have the best interests of the country in mind. Also, he should understand that voters want a new direction. This will become more apparent after the election which the GOP takes control of the senate which has been woefully neglected by the majority party. For this country to suceed, both houses of congress must work together and not take partisan sides against each other.

President Obama should tell the new senate majority leader, Mitchell, to dust off the bills that Harry Reid stored away and bring them to a vote after debate.

That's what I would advise Obama.