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People cast their vote for which fictional character would make the best president

Make it so.

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Leslie Knope, Jean-Luc Picard and Kermit the Frog.

Politics are truly a mixed bag and choosing a leader can be a dodgy process. In his farewell address in 1796, George Washington famously warned the American people against adopting a two-party system, citing that opposing political parties could have a negative effect on the country. Well, no one listened and Washington's warning has been...apt, to say the least. Through the democratic process, we've had over 40 presidents who have run the country to the best of their abilities, with some garnering more popularity than others. Still, all of these leaders have left something to be desired, which has led people to daydream about who they wish could run country...if only they were real.

In 2021, a thread on Ask Reddit posed the question, "Which fictional character would make a great U.S.A. president?" Some answers were simple and lighthearted. Others were drawn out and thoughtful. Some characters are well-known. Others are a bit more obscure. Regardless, it’s a fun read and offers an insightful way to look at what it really means to be a leader.

Optimus Prime—Transformers

optimus prime, transformers, television, fictional character, gif Optimus Prime GIF Giphy

This comment was so passionate I had to keep the entire thing:

“He's the perfect balance of introspection, deliberation, decisive action, compassion, toughness, fighting spirit, humility, and inspires others to greatness not because of his ego, but because he sincerely wants the best for everyone. He's eloquent enough to work with intellectuals, strong enough to keep corruption out, hard working and honest enough to connect with and inspire the working classes, and an absolute paragon of ethics. When it comes down to it, he puts his own ass on the line without hesitation. I'd vote for Optimus Prime. I'd work on his campaign staff. I'd canvas for Optimus. I'd fight his fights. He's the heroic leader we need. I wish he were here.” – Cephelopodia


Jean-Luc Picard—Star Trek: The Next Generation

jean luc picard, star trek, star trek next generation, gif Funny Face Lol GIF Giphy

“Make it so” is an awfully good campaign slogan.“This character has informed so much of what I think of as the political ideal that's it's almost absurd.” – Tactius_AMP


Aragorn—The Lord of the Rings


@myelessar

royalty #aragorn #lordoftherings #aragornedit #viggomortensen #lotr

The King of Gondor rallied some intense loyalty and humorous political banter.

“He would have my allegiance until my sons, sons die.” – Radda210

“Well, he’s got eight years.” – AutismFractal


Captain Raymond Holt—Brooklyn 99

brooklyn 99, holt, captain, show, television, gif not bad andre braugher GIF by Brooklyn Nine-Nine Giphy

The stoic, pragmatic and serious-to-the-point-of-absurd police captain would bring a level of sophistication to the role. Plus he stands up for what he thinks is right.

The only drawback is we might have the more frivolous holidays cancelled. Like Christmas.


President Josiah Bartlet—The West Wing

west wing, aaron sorkin, josiah bartlet, show, tv The West Wing Lesson GIF by HBO Max Giphy

“During 2020 with all the presidential speeches that sounded non presidential, I kept thinking that we needed a couple of Josiah Barlet speeches during that time.” – southdakotagirl


Uncle Iroh—Avatar: The Last Airbender


@_lion.turtle_

uncle iroh, the confucius of our generation #avatarthelastairbender#uncleiroh#uncleirohedit#uncleirohlovesyou#uncleirohlover911#uncleirohwisdom#uncleirohquotes#atla#atlatiktok#atlaedit#atlab#atlabtiktok#atlabedit#atlacosplay#lionturtle#edit#editor#inspiration#corecore#hopecore#hopecoretiktok#avatarthelastairbenderedit#avatarthelastairbender🌊🔥🗿🌪#viral#blowthisup#flopera

For those not familiar with Avatar: The Last Airbender, Uncle Iroh was not just a fan favorite, but universally beloved for being the show’s moral compass and source of wisdom. Hilarious and savvy, Iroh was always standing on business, helping others grow and thrive, and kept the bigger picture of the greatest good in mind, which was pretty remarkable considering he was technically on the “bad side.”

“Calm, wise, friendly and best of all he already got all that war crime stuff out of his system years ago. He’d be the best us President in history.” – Lord Noodles

“…Iroh is the benevolent father we need, with quiet dignity and terrifying power.” – spaceman_spyff


Kermit the Frog—The Muppets

kermit, kermit the frog, muppets, fiction, frog Press Conference Kermit GIF Giphy

“The lovers, the dreamers, and me would vote for him” – DrOddcat


Steve Rogers—Captain America

captain america, steve rogers, steve, america, gif ending captain america GIF Giphy

Steve Rogers is not a perfect soldier; he's just a really, really, really good man. I mean, he's everything America is supposed to be and models those ideals perfectly. He has integrity, courage, compassion, and let’s not forget stamina. He can do this all day, after all.


Leslie Knope—Parks and Recreation

@evilhagsbae

#LESLIEKNOPE || biggest cutie and girl kisser going omg 😦 #leslieknopeedit #agathaharkness #aprilludgate #annperkins #parksandrec #parksandrecreationedit #parksandrecreation #edit #aubreyplaza #softedit #evilhagsbae #core #amypoehler #annperkinscore #annandaprilcore #aprilludgatecore #aprilludgateedit #rashidajones #leslieandben

“Leslie wouldn’t get sucked in to corruption. She would negotiate and compromise, as one should, but she wouldn’t “make deals” like most politicians. Above all else, she would always be honest!” – Happy_Camper45

“And she has binders of plans for everything” – Big_Economy_1729

(Sadly, there were very few female characters I saw on the thread. I’m hoping I just didn’t scroll far down enough.)


Captain Planet—Captain Planet and the Planeteers

captain planet, climate action, cartoon, fictional character, gif Captain Planet Film GIF Giphy

Maybe then we’d take climate change seriously.


So, maybe it’s impossible for a real-life person to 100% embody these heroic traits. But that’s the beauty of fiction: It reveals our ultimate potential (for both good and bad). It can’t always take into account all the complexities and inevitable drawbacks of the human condition. It can, however, inspire us to be better.

Maybe there is no President Picard or President Rogers out there, but seeing them portrayed in our stories is still important. Observing the virtues they represent (and let’s not forget that they are representations and symbols, rather than multidimensional human beings, after all) might help inspire the next generation of heroes, leaders and politicians. That’s what well-written characters do.

In the meantime, I’ll start working on my campaign for Ted Lasso’s Keeley Jones for President. Hey, it's fun to dream, right?

This article originally appeared four years ago. It has been updated.

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Thomas Jefferson once wrote that black people are inferior to whites. Here's my response.

In my American history class, I heard lots of stories about the men who founded this country.

I was taught that men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison personified the best of what our country had to offer. They saved us from imperialistic rule in order to build a country predicated on freedom.

Our Founding Fathers. Photo via iStock.

They made America what it is today.

But what I didn't know: 12 presidents of the United States owned slaves, eight of those while they were in office.

Those eight included George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Andrew Jackson, John Tyler, James K. Polk, and Zachary Taylor.

This poem is my letter to the first five of them:

History Reconsidered

Letter to five of the presidents who owned slaves while they were in office.

George Washington—when you won the revolution how many of your soldiers did you send from the battlefield to the cotton field? How many had to trade in their rifles for plows? Can you blame the slaves who ran away to fight for the British because at least the Redcoats were honest about their oppression?

Thomas Jefferson—when you told Sally Hemings that you would free her children if she remained your mistress did you think there was honor in your ultimatum? Did you think that we wouldn’t be able to recognize the assault in your signature? Does raping your slave when you disguise it as bribery make it less of a crime? When you wrote the Declaration of Independence did you ever intend for black people to have freedom over their bodies?

James Madison—when you wrote to Congress that black people count as three-fifths of a person how long did you have to look at your slaves to figure out the math? Was it easy to chop them? Did you think they’d be happy being more than half human?

James Monroe—when you proposed sending slaves back to Africa, did black bodies feel like rented tools? When you branded them did the scars on their chest include an expiration date? When you named the country Liberia, were you trying to be ironic? Does this really count as liberation?

Andrew Jackson—was the Trail of Tears not enough for you? Was killing Cherokee, Choctaw, Creeks, and Seminoles not enough to quench your imperialism? How many brown bodies do you have to bulldoze before you can call it “progress”?

Mr. Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Jackson—when you put your hand on the bible and swore to protect this country let’s be honest in who you were talking about. When the first Independence Day fireworks set the sky aflame, don’t forget where we were watching from.

So when you remember Jefferson’s genius, don’t forget the slaves who built the bookshelves in his library. When you remember Jackson’s victories in war, don’t forget what he was fighting to preserve. When you sing that this country was founded on freedom don’t forget the duet of shackles dragging against the ground.

My entire life I have been taught how perfect this country was. But no one ever told me about the pages torn out of my textbooks. How black and brown bodies have been bludgeoned for three centuries, but find no place in the curriculum.

Oppression doesn’t disappear just because you decided not to teach us that chapter. If you only hear one side of the story, at some point you have to question who the writer is.

What we learn in our history classes doesn’t tell us the full story of our country’s relationship with race.

Take Jefferson, for example. In his book, "Notes on the State of Virginia," our third president wrote that black people were "inferior to the whites in the endowment both of body and mind" and "that in imagination, they are dull, tasteless, and anomalous."

Yes, Jefferson was an American leader ... but he was also a slave owner. Photo via iStock.

He wrote that black men did not have the capacity to sustain complex emotions. And he also believed that black people did not possess the creative or intellectual acumen to create art, writing that Phyllis Wheatley (who is considered to be the first published black American poet) produced work that was "below the dignity of criticism."

Jefferson, in large part, serves as a microcosm for how American history is often taught — myopic, one-dimensional, and not illuminative of the whole truth of our nation’s past. We need to more seriously grapple with the complicated, and often contradictory, parts of our history if we want to be more honest about how we can effectively move forward.

We are in the midst of a moment where the conversation around race in this country has been brought to the forefront of our political discourse — as it should be.

The problem, however, is that if we don’t understand the historical context that has shaped our contemporary racial dynamics, then we can’t fully understand the totality of the problem, and thus we risk misdiagnosing the solution.

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