Presidents should have to take tests.
Offline I want feedback from all those who are sick and tired of having public servants such as America's Presidential doofus. I think that anyone who is running for office, any office, should be tested for scientific, geographic, historical, and world political knowledge. Interviews and news stories aside, a formal test to show their aptitude in the essential skills needed to be leaders. Degrees and experience are a plus, but knowledge can get rusty or outdated so a presidential test would be the thing to show they are up to date and ready for tasks at hand.
On top of a test of general knowledge, as silly as this may sound, they should have to play each other in Chess. Chess has been known as a game of strategy, demonstrating tactical skill.
To go beyond your limits you must first find them.
- Login to post comments
So in other words...
You want all Presidential candidates to appear on, "Are you smarter then a 5th grader?"
What Would Kharn Do?
Agreed. To add to this I would say that Presidential candidates must participate in a series of debates where questions are asked by an array of Journalists, Teachers, Diplomats, Scientists, etc. and those answers...not provided beforehand.
Gee, I wonder what depths of idiocy might be exposed if the public denied a candidate the use of "experts", pre-planned answers and a teleprompter !!
HHMMMM !
"In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act."
George Orwell
Do they actually need to have any qualifications? I mean other than being rich and having a political team con people into voting for them?
Zen-atheist wielding Occam's katana.
Jesus said, "Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division." - Luke 12:51
I seccond that motion. Not to mention it would actually make presidential elections much more interesting.
To go beyond your limits you must first find them.
Heh, Makes you wonder how well Bush would do....
While chess has both tactical and strategic elements, it lacks a certain je ne sais quoi.
I say, let's put 'em on Fear Factor. Then, dust off and nuke 'em from space. It's the only way to be sure.
"Yes, I seriously believe that consciousness is a product of a natural process. I find that the neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers who proceed from that premise are the ones who are actually making useful contributions to our understanding of the mind." - PZ Myers
Everybody knows all you need to be president is to read your bible.What more could you ask for in leader?
Psalm 14:1 "the fool hath said in his heart there is a God"-From a 1763 misprinted edition of the bible
Argument from Sadism: Theist presents argument in a wall of text with no punctuation and wrong spelling. Atheist cannot read and is forced to concede.
Excellent idea in theory.
I think the people that would do well in your test however, probably would do something a bit more meaningful than serve the public in politics. We seem to be overly blessed, for the most part, with the dregs. I do believe there are good, intelligent people in politics. They're just wickedly outnumbered by those who are less, less in every way.
Respectfully,
Lenny
"The righteous rise, With burning eyes, Of hatred and ill-will
Madmen fed on fear and lies, To beat and burn and kill"
Witch Hunt from the album Moving Pictures. Neal Pert, Rush