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People share the person they wish would actually run for president

Some popular names got people excited, but descriptions of the ideal president were most telling.

Photos by Canva, NASA, Kris Harris King and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Jonny Kim, Dolly Parton and Jon Stewart were all suggested as POTUS candidates.

As we ramp up to the November 2024 U.S. presidential election, many Americans are feeling less-than-enthused about it. In our de facto two-party system, we will realistically have a Republican and Democrat candidate to choose from, and this year both of the top candidates are struggling to inspire a great deal of confidence or support.

While Joe Biden and Donald Trump will most likely be duking it out come November, people are imagining who they'd really like to see on the ballot. A Reddit thread asked, "Who do you WISH would run for President of America?" and the answers span from ideal descriptions to hilarious hypotheticals to actual people who have the knowledge, skills, experience and character to be a good presidential candidate.

Here's how people responded:

A good, smart middle-aged person

By far, the most popular answers for who they wish would run for president revolved around being a good, responsible, humble person who is somewhere in the middle-age range.

"I am in my 60’s. I would like a 40-60 year old who is honest, intelligent, moral, and has a sense of balance. Not a perfect person who never made a mistake, but someone who made mistakes and learned from them. Someone who has overcome hardship. This will allow them to have empathy for others. Someone that will make sure the tax burden is shared evenly, based on one’s income. Someone who can work with other countries and promote partnerships and be strong against corruption, violence, and war. Someone who understands they won’t ever fix all of societies problems, but strives to make our society better. Should I go on. Young people out there who want to make the world a better place, we need you to step up." – No-Grapefruit-83

"Some random 40-56 year old guy, who no one knows, has worked quietly in government for years, understands how it works and how to navigate it, with a smart wit and who just wants to help people.

And he has no desire to be POTUS because he'd rather do some nerdy hobby with his wife. But if elected he would feel he had to do the duty." – kirbyfox312

"This is so pie in the sky, but someone who loves this country but also understands we are a small part of a big world. Someone who is intelligent. Someone who is like in their 50's? (maybe) Someone who is not an asshat, but also not weak. Someone who reads. Someone who is willing to listen to all sides.

Is this too much'? Probably." – Catalyst886

Some fun suggestions

More than a few responses were pure comedy.

"With absolutely nothing to do with his politics, but senator Sheldon Whitehouse. I just want news anchors to have to say “president Whitehouse” with a straight face for 4-8 years as though it didn’t sound like something out of a cartoon." – nothomelandersacct

"The mayor of Idyllwild, CA, is a golden retriever named Max. I think it’s time for him to make the step up to the national stage." – piray003

"The guy who owns Arizona Ice Tea." – MumpsMoose

Although, that one may not be a joke, considering:

"I just saw an interview with him where the reporter asked him why not raise the prices, and his response was fantastic. Basically said they're doing well and have all their bases covered so why make it harder for struggling people to enjoy their products when there's no need? That alone gives me mad respect for him." – MindOverMedia

Personal recommendations

Some people offered up people they know personally who would make a great president.

"My stepdad. He has done truly impressive things for the university where he is president. He grew up dirt poor in eastern Kentucky. Worked his ass off to put himself and several siblings through college. He came from nothing to get a PhD. He is fair and kind and wise. He is extremely generous. As an example of one of the many reasons I find him qualified: He once sued the state of kentucky on the grounds of unconstitutional funding of public education (as a board of education member representing the poorest school in the state - with only a bachelor’s in accounting) and WON! He is an incredible human being and he is one of the only people I would trust to run this country." – Ok-Parfait-

"My 7th grade social studies teacher, he's tite." – luxury_yacht

"My mom. She’s awesome." – Miss_Medussa

A few fictional possibilities

If we're going to play an imaginary game, we might as well bring in some imaginary players, right?

"Aragorn, son of Arathorn." – Lord_Battlepants

"Pedro... I think he would get votes." – Pinorckle

"Josiah Bartlet." – VoteForLubo

"Leslie Knope. I feel like we would all be better off it she was in charge." – Odd_Mix_8675

"If I could Thanos snap my fingers and make Jean Luc Picard an American politician in the present day, I would have done it by now." – RiflemanLax

Real people who will likely never run

Lots of names were thrown out, but a few of the most popular ones were:

Jon Stewart

"He has expressed specific disinterest in being president.

Which makes him the ideal candidate." – DigNitty


Dolly Parton

"I especially love Dolly Parton's stance on early childhood literacy. She has worked to improve it." – leannmanderson


Jonny Kim

"Jonny Kim:

- Harvard doctor
- NASA astronaut
- Navy SEAL (Bronze Star and Silver Star: rescued wounded Iraqi soldiers in the face of enemy fire)
- Navy flight surgeon and naval aviator
- Grew up poor in south Los Angeles
- Dad ran a liquor store
- Mom was a substitute teacher
- He went to public school. He went to University of San Diego as an undergrad (summa cum laude in mathematics)
- He was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of his father
- The police killed his father in their attic
- Married with 3 kids
- is 40 years old

He understands poverty, being a victim, intimately familiar with police engagement in domestic situations, being a POC, going through the public school system, understands numbers, military, healthcare, and bleeding edge science. and invested in the future of our country with 3 young children."


Hank Green

"Hank Green, absolutely. We need a scientifically literate president." – WildLudicolo

And yes, some politicians, too

Many people did name some people in politics that they'd like to see run, with the most popular names being Secretary of Transportation Mayor Pete [Buttigieg], Kentucky governor Andy Beshear, Congresswoman Katie Porter, Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro, California governor Gavin Newsom and Congresswoman Tammy Duckworth.

Each of those established politicians received multiple shout outs with people praising the qualities they felt they had that they felt would make them a solid candidate among the current crop of lawmakers.

Will any of these folks actually run for president in the future? It's entirely possible. As we've learned, when it comes to modern American politics, literally anything is possible.

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Jon Stewart returns to the 'Daily show' and doesn't miss a beat

In his first episode back as host, Stewart didn't mince words listing off the ways Biden and Trump were "similarly challenged."

Montclair Film Festival/Wikipedia, Paramount/Wikipedia

Jon Stewart returns as host of "The Daily Show"

After a nine year hiatus, Jon Stewart has returned as host of “The Daily Show.” And it’s a comeback so seamless, it’s as though he never truly left.

The GOAT of late night satire has a reputation for pointed humor, informed commentary and genuine enthusiasm for the topics he covers (not to mention his relentless interviewing skills) and Monday’s show had all these elements we’ve come to expect.

Wasting no time, Stewart dove right into one of his brutal but balanced assessments—this one of both President Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

He didn’t mince words about Biden’s recent press conference gaffs and head-scratching TikToks, which he noted were huge missteps for dispelling fears about how the Biden's age is affecting his cognition. It’s a subject many liberals feel hesitant to acknowledge—but not Stewart.

“Fire everyone. Everyone!” he quipped. “How do you go on TikTok and end up looking older?”

Of course, he spared no punches with Trump’s age or mental faculties, referencing the former president's bizarre warnings of Pennsylvania name begin changed should Republicans lose the race, saying “Biden’s lost a step, but Trump regularly says things at rallies that would warrant a wellness check.”

He then showed clips of Trump and his family being deposed and, similar to Biden, not being able to recall rather basic facts, dropping this wise-crack: “It turns out that the leading cause of early onset dementia is being deposed.”

Of course, with Stewart it’s never just jokes. Getting more serious, he noted how both candidates might be “similarly challenged,” and how in both instances, voters and outside allies are the ones expected to “silence concerns and criticisms”, when in reality “it is the candidates’ job to assuage concerns, not the voters’ job not to mention [them].”

And even though Stewart has far more criticisms of Trump, he succinctly noted why this particular threat to democracy calls for either a better plan, or a stronger candidate.

“Look, Joe Biden isn’t Donald Trump,” he said. “He hasn’t been indicted as many times, hasn’t had as many fraudulent businesses or been convicted in a civil trial for sexual assault or been ordered to pay defamation charges or stiffed blue collar tradesman….. The stakes of this election don’t make Donald Trump’s opponent less subject to scrutiny. It actually makes him more subject to scrutiny. If the barbarians are at the gate, you want Conan [the Barbarian] standing on the ramparts, not chocolate chip cookie guy.”

This is all followed up by “on the plus side, I’m told at some point the sun will run out of hydrogen.” Jon Stewart at his finest.

Naturally, fans were thrilled to see Stewart back in action. Here’s what some had to say:

“THIS is how you return to a show. Utterly seamless.”

“John has so much personality that just cannot be replicated. This is amazing to have him back.”

“Welcome back ! The world needs you now, more than ever! Thank you for your courage.”

“This man's comedic timing is even better than before, and I sure did miss his sharp wit. I'm hoping I can find his full episodes somewhere where I don't have to pay. I pay enough for cable and internet as it is. WELCOME BACK JON!”

“All hail the king! JON STEWART IS BACK!”

Stewart will continue hosting the Monday night slot on Comedy Central's “The Daily Show” throughout the 2024 presidential election cycle. More gems to come.

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Inflation has been hard, but the meme about the $16 McDonald’s meal was misleading

It even caused a problem for the White House.

via TopherOlive/TikTok and Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons

A TikTok post about McDonald's prices and President Joe Biden speaking with attendees at the Moving America Forward Forum.

Sometimes, there are images that perfectly encapsulate a moment in time. In December 2022, a viral TikTok video featuring a burger meal at McDonald's that cost a whopping $16.10 went viral, and to many Americans struggling through inflation, the image rang true.

Topher Olive posted the TikTok video on December 10, 2022, showing a burger, large fries, and a large Coke that cost $16.10.

The price of a value meal at McDonald’s is something that every American understands. The Economist even uses the Big Mac sandwich as a tongue-in-cheek way of measuring the purchasing power between countries.

Surely, if a McDonald’s burger meal was becoming too expensive for the average American to eat for lunch every day, then the country must be headed in a disastrous direction. The image was the perfect weapon for those looking to blame President Biden for his handling of the economy in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The TikTok video was shared across social media and on Reddit, Newsmax, the Washington Examiner and The New York Post.

However, the TikTok video posted by Olive was a bit misleading, and some major media outlets didn't provide proper context during their coverage.

@topherolive

#prices #inflation #laborshortage #fastfood

The item pictured in the meal was a limited-edition “smoky” double quarter pounder BLT. The “smoky” quarter pounder BLT is known as the “most expensive” single patty burger on the McDonald’s menu, and this guy ordered a double.

According to McDonald's, the “smoky” double quarter pounder BLT is two slices of melty American cheese, thick-cut Applewood Smoked bacon, fresh Roma tomatoes, shredded lettuce, smoky sauce—and two quarter-pound patties all served on a toasted sesame seed bun. It sounds tasty, but it also sounds a bit more expensive and ingredient-heavy than a Big Mac, which currently costs the average American $5.15.

The image was so influential that it was flagged by the White House Office of Digital Strategy, and it had no idea how to push back against the viral story. “What are we supposed to do, tell the president or Chuck Schumer to send a tweet saying, ‘Hey, most Big Macs aren’t that expensive?’ It would look ridiculous,” an anonymous Democratic official told The Washington Post.

The McDonald’s story further proves that it is nearly impossible to create a coherent national narrative when misleading information spreads faster than facts. As the country dives headfirst into the 2024 election cycle, the story is an excellent reminder for all of us to be skeptical of what we see being passed around online or to at least look a little closer at the receipts when provided.

Even though the McDonald’s story was misleading, it doesn’t mean that it will be easy for the Biden White House to paint a rosy picture of the economy for the average American. According to J.P. Morgan, the economy is performing "better than expected," consumer spending is "resilient," interest rates are stabilizing, inflation is improving and the unemployment rate is low.

But those abstract ideas are complex to communicate when the average American spends about $700 more monthly than they did 2 years ago.

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Major wins last night for abortion rights spells huge victory for women's right to choose

The triumphs all came in states that could decide the 2024 presidential election.

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Gov. Wolf Stands Firm in Protecting Abortion Access in Pen… | Flickr

Since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in 2022, abortion-rights advocates have made key victories in multiple ballot initiatives.

Tuesday, Nov 7 saw three major wins.

One being in Virginia, where voters flipped the house of delegates to a Democrat majority and effectively rejected a Republican effort to take full control of the state government, which would have included Glenn Youngkin’s proposed 15-week abortion ban.

Another victory for reproductive rights activists happened Tuesday night in Ohio, where abortion rights were enshrined into the state’s constitution by an overwhelming vote of nearly 60% in favor

.

The ballot measure’s language guarantees every person in Ohio the right “to one’s own reproductive medical treatment, including but not limited to abortion,” and prohibits the state from “burdening, penalizing or prohibiting” those rights.

The amendment will essentially counteract the predominantly red state's “heartbeat bill” banning most abortions, which took effect immediately after the Dobbs decision but remains temporarily blocked.

This echoes a moment back in August when Kansas voters overwhelmingly struck down the “Value Them Both Amendment,” which would have removed key language that enshrined abortion rights in their state’s constitution.

And last and number three, Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear won re-election in red state Kentucky after supporting abortion rights as a core message of his re-election campaign.

Abortion rights advocates marked Tuesday’s success as a sign that by and large, Americans desire for women to have freedom of choice.

President Biden wrote that it “makes clear what we know: the majority of Americans agree that women should have access to abortion and should have the right to make their own health care decisions.”


Meanwhile, NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju said in a statement: "Reproductive freedom is a winning issue, now and in November. Anti-choice lawmakers take note: The voters have spoken, and they will turn out at the ballot box to oppose efforts to restrict reproductive freedom."

Scroll down to see more reactions:

With the upcoming presidential election in 2024, abortion rights seem destined to be a key issue. And while that might mean more narratives around it are construed to create political divides throughout our country, so far that hasn’t appeared to be the reality for most Americans—who, even in more conservative leaning states, actively support a woman's right to choose.

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