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Want A President You Can Have A Beer With?
September 23, 2008 3:01 PM
No one wants to have a beer with Barack Obama, it seems. Many would like to have a beer with Joe Biden. John McCain, maybe. Sarah Palin, for sure. This "have-a-beer" as presidential quality may be an exclusively American phenomenon. A quick search finds, among other things, that George W. Bush routinely beat John Kerry in actual "who'd-you-prefer-to-have-a-beer-with" polls. It also turns up this letter to the Berkshire Eagle, published Sunday:
"Some people who voted for George W. Bush did so solely on the premise that he is a 'guy's guy.'...because he seems like the kind of guy you could 'sit down and have a beer with.' You know, kick back with a couple of ice cold Budweisers, talk about deer hunting, and then go out back and cut down some trees together. I recently watched Barack Obama go one-on-one in a game of basketball with Stuart Scott from ESPN. I watched this and thought 'Hey, I'd love to see him run our country because he seems like the kind of guy you could shoot some hoops with.' I don't know too much about John McCain's hobbies and interests. However, gauging from the fact that he is 72-years-old, he seems like the kind of guy you could sit down and watch "The Price is Right" with and talk about how much better the show was with Bob Barker. I don't want to sit down and have a beer with our president. I want him to run our country effectively."
And from a like-minded blogger:
"Where'd we get this notion that the President of the United States should be a drinking buddy? Where did we get the notion that the strongest nation on earth should be led by a folksy, easy-to-like drunk?...When facing down the leader of a rogue nation in a series of intense negotiations, I don't want the guy shooting pool at the corner bar, I want someone with a head for the job, for God's sake.."
What do you think?
September 23, 2008 in Vote 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (72)
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I agree -- a beer with ANYBODY EXCEPT the shallow one!
Posted by: dl | Sep 23, 2008 3:20:18 PM
Very well said. President Bush won solely on the premise of "he's the guy you can have a beer with" and look where that got us! AMERICANS WAKE UP AND STAND UP!!!
OBAMA/BIDEN 08
Posted by: jpeezus | Sep 23, 2008 3:22:09 PM
Great, America wants to get drunk with McCain...that worked out well when the same people wanted to have a beer with Dumbya.
Posted by: I Wanna Be A Star | Sep 23, 2008 3:26:24 PM
I would have a beer with anybody but Obama and I am a Democrat! I will not vote for that man. He treated the Clintons like dirt and now want them to clean up his mess. What a jerk. McCain/Palin!
Posted by: Fae | Sep 23, 2008 3:27:35 PM
Oh really. How do you know that nobody would want to have a beer with Obama? If I wanted to talk about the history of politics I would want to hang out with Biden. If I wanted to practice the art of anger management I would want McCain, and if I wanted to get my nails done I would chose Palin. Yes out of all four I would perfer having a beer with Obama.
Posted by: jim | Sep 23, 2008 3:29:51 PM
I wouldn't want to have a beer with Obama, he seems like a bore. Sarah Palin yes, Joe would probably be a hoot to have a drink with, John Probably has some good stories.
Posted by: samhiguchi | Sep 23, 2008 3:30:10 PM
mccain is the person more people would like to have a glass of prune juice with.
Posted by: pt | Sep 23, 2008 3:32:11 PM
I think the problem with Obama is that he's always "on". He never seems to be himself; either that or being himself means being a stiff automiton. What it boils down to is an authenticity gap. What we want in our President's is that they are real... right or wrong, left or right or middle... most people think they know McCain. For Obama...the left say they "get it" the right don't care for him and the middle have no clue.
That's a big hurdle - and BO needs to be liked by the middle in order to win the Whitehouse. Certainly no one will have a brewski with a candidate - but the answer reveals Obama's problem.
Posted by: Diamond Lou | Sep 23, 2008 3:32:53 PM
Some people who voted for Bush basing of having a beer together, they are not able now to afford even one glass!
Posted by: FM | Sep 23, 2008 3:33:24 PM
For heaven sake! I want the smartest possible person in the White House. I want him contemplating (with real brain power) the country's direction. I don't need to like him or his wife or kids. I don't need to feel like I can have a beer with the guy. I simply want him to be able to put together a complete a and appear internationally without embarrassing us. This can't be too much to ask, can it?
Posted by: hang | Sep 23, 2008 3:33:25 PM
palin is the candidate most people like to see wearing lipstick.
Posted by: pt | Sep 23, 2008 3:33:49 PM
mccain was asked, do you prefer boxers or briefs?
mccain: Depends
Posted by: pt | Sep 23, 2008 3:35:15 PM
This question got us eight years of BUSH thanks corporate media.
Posted by: hmn | Sep 23, 2008 3:37:02 PM
John McCain can't hold his own without beer all we need is another boozer.
Obama will win and beat McCain.
Posted by: Lookupl | Sep 23, 2008 3:37:47 PM
Where did this bizarre notion that there's something noble about ignorance and mediocrity come from? The last time I checked, there were some rather pressing problems that our nation faces and if it's all the same to you, I'd like some really hard-hitting TALENT working on those problems.
Posted by: Paul Dirks | Sep 23, 2008 3:38:16 PM
Who would like to share an arugula salad with?
Posted by: Mack | Sep 23, 2008 3:39:11 PM
The O-Bots can't even answer a simple question without going ballistic and attacking everyone in sight. They should call themselves the mud-slingers.
Posted by: dl | Sep 23, 2008 3:40:05 PM
We are the most pathetic country on the planet if we base our votes on who's the guy/gal next door. I'll take substance - read "brains" - any day over this ridiculous notion of wanting your buddy to run the country. We are a stupid people. And now, finally, we're paying the price. Literally.
Posted by: counting crows | Sep 23, 2008 3:40:58 PM
Voters preferring those whom they can identify with as one of their own --- beer buddies, hockey moms, soccer moms, etc --- to be their presidents? I call this the American tragedy.
Posted by: chris | Sep 23, 2008 3:41:30 PM
We do not beer drinking buddy. Could you have had a beer with Licoln, FDR, JFK, IKE. We need visionary president. This notion of beer buds is BS. We need a smart thoughtful youthful vigorous President if we want to maintain the leadership in the world. We have given up manufacturing and now may be even in the process of giving up innovation.
Posted by: silkwool | Sep 23, 2008 3:42:55 PM
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