You have to actually want it

[Sydde]

Apparently, Willard did not

... More than being reticent, Romney was at first far from sold on a second presidential run. Haunted by his 2008 loss, he initially told his family he would not do it. While candidates often try to portray themselves as reluctant, Tagg insisted his father’s stance was genuine.

“He wanted to be president less than anyone I’ve met in my life. He had no desire to … run,” said Tagg, who worked with his mother, Ann, to persuade his father to seek the presidency. “If he could have found someone else to take his place … he would have been ecstatic to step aside. He is a very private person who loves his family deeply and wants to be with them, but he has deep faith in God and he loves his country, but he doesn’t love the attention.”

Boston Globe article

[rdowns]

I don't buy this crap for a minute. He ran for President TWICE. If he didn't want it so badly, why did he lurch so far right and then back to the center?

[NickZac]

Originally Posted by rdowns

I don't buy this crap for a minute. He ran for President TWICE. If he didn't want it so badly, why did he lurch so far right and then back to the center?

I never understood why anyone would want to be President, to be completely honest. I think anyone who runs never decides on their own, but have a strong support system that helps-to-pushes them to do it. Ever see the before/after pics? Everyone to take the position has aged by a tremendous margin. It ravages the body.

http://society.ezinemark.com/us-pres...65b01475e.html


Then again, I'm part of the non-elected officials so partisan politics seems like an overly stressful position in any sense.

[Eraserhead]

Originally Posted by NickZac

Ever see the before/after pics? Everyone to take the position has aged by a tremendous margin. It ravages the body.

I didn't realise it was quite so bad . Yeah, I can't understand why anyone does it - that's probably why most of them are so useless.

[Sydde]

I rational person would not undertake to become president of their own accord, but there must certainly be people in their social circle who encourage them to do it. I have long felt that a person who actively seeks that office ipso facto shows some sort of mental defect that indicates that they are unsuitable for it. Kind of a problematic way to run a country, we always get the wrong leader because of the very way the system operates.

[NT1440]

Originally Posted by Sydde

I have long felt that a person who actively seeks that office ipso facto shows some sort of mental defect that indicates that they are unsuitable for it. Kind of a problematic way to run a country, we always get the wrong leader because of the very way the system operates.

Narcissism & ego. No regular person would be so power hungry to deal with all the ******** it takes to campaign for two years.

[Mac'nCheese]

Originally Posted by NT1440

Narcissism & ego. No regular person would be so power hungry to deal with all the ******** it takes to campaign for two years.

Regular people don't run for president because they are too busy working. Only rich, politicians for life have the time/money to do so.

[Scepticalscribe]

Originally Posted by Sydde

Apparently, Willard did not

... More than being reticent, Romney was at first far from sold on a second presidential run. Haunted by his 2008 loss, he initially told his family he would not do it. While candidates often try to portray themselves as reluctant, Tagg insisted his father’s stance was genuine.

“He wanted to be president less than anyone I’ve met in my life. He had no desire to … run,” said Tagg, who worked with his mother, Ann, to persuade his father to seek the presidency. “If he could have found someone else to take his place … he would have been ecstatic to step aside. He is a very private person who loves his family deeply and wants to be with them, but he has deep faith in God and he loves his country, but he doesn’t love the attention.”

Boston Globe article

Ah, I'm not sure I really believe that. 'The Reluctant Leader' is a time honoured cliché or trope that people seek refuge in in order to disguise the fact that they really want that particular position.

Being seen as ferociously ambitious and possessing such an appetite for power, privilege, prestige and status might well be off-putting to an electorate. Far better to give the impression that you were dragged into it by the hair of your head, virtually kicking and screaming, very reluctantly and even then you argue that your candidature is simply and solely for the good of the country.

Indeed, you must seek to convey the impression that you are only offering yourself to the public for election simply because the cretins who are already in office (or were seeking office) had demonstrated that they were so spectacularly unfit to rule.

Originally Posted by rdowns

I don't buy this crap for a minute. He ran for President TWICE. If he didn't want it so badly, why did he lurch so far right and then back to the center?

I'm pretty much of your view as well.

Originally Posted by NickZac

I never understood why anyone would want to be President, to be completely honest. I think anyone who runs never decides on their own, but have a strong support system that helps-to-pushes them to do it. Ever see the before/after pics? Everyone to take the position has aged by a tremendous margin. It ravages the body.

http://society.ezinemark.com/us-pres...65b01475e.html

Wow. Rather revealing pictures that tell a very interesting story.

Originally Posted by NT1440

Narcissism & ego. No regular person would be so power hungry to deal with all the ******** it takes to campaign for two years.

There is something in what you say, agreed.

----------

Originally Posted by Mac'nCheese

Regular people don't run for president because they are too busy working. Only rich, politicians for life have the time/money to do so.

Too true. Which is one of the reasons why it is a good idea to pay politicians a decent salary - as a profession, entry shouldn't be confined to the independently wealthy; in addition, the structure of the system should allow a salaried professional politician to be sufficiently well off not to be tempted by bribes or the persuasive wiles of powerful vested interests.

[Happybunny]

Originally Posted by Sydde

Apparently, Willard did not

... More than being reticent, Romney was at first far from sold on a second presidential run. Haunted by his 2008 loss, he initially told his family he would not do it. While candidates often try to portray themselves as reluctant, Tagg insisted his father’s stance was genuine.

“He wanted to be president less than anyone I’ve met in my life. He had no desire to … run,” said Tagg, who worked with his mother, Ann, to persuade his father to seek the presidency. “If he could have found someone else to take his place … he would have been ecstatic to step aside. He is a very private person who loves his family deeply and wants to be with them, but he has deep faith in God and he loves his country, but he doesn’t love the attention.”

Boston Globe article

Well he ran for President twice, so I not sure if this article is correct, but Mittens Flip-Flopped on just about everything else. Now That is a fact.

I'm also extremely glad that he didn't get to be President, the man always gave me the creeps when he smiled.

[Eraserhead]

Originally Posted by Scepticalscribe

Too true. Which is one of the reasons why it is a good idea to pay politicians a decent salary - as a profession, entry shouldn't be confined to the independently wealthy; in addition, the structure of the system should allow a salaried professional politician to be sufficiently well off not to be tempted by bribes or the persuasive wiles of powerful vested interests.

I couldn't agree more.