Ancient of Days for President

AoD: Too bad there's not an elite running.

Johnny Elbows: Which elite would you recommend?

AoD: I always felt Ross Perot would have been a good President

Johnny Elbows: I think you're right, but he's a little bit old now.

AoD: I don't know, I always liked Pres. Hinckley's comment when Mike Wallace accused him of running and perpetuating a gerontocracy - as I recall, it went something along the lines of "Isn't it wonderful, having the voice of experience?"
Ah, here we go:

Mike Wallace: There are those who say, this is a gerontocracy, this is a church run by old men.

Gordon B. Hinckley: Isn't it wonderful? To have a man of maturity at the head, a man of judgment, who isn't blown about by every wind of doctrine?

Johnny Elbows: What about this? "Studies based on census data show that by age 79, one in six Americans is suffering from cognitive decline, and that each year 12 percent of that group progress to full-blown dementia." Perot is 78 right now.

AoD: Wow
Who performed the study?

Johnny Elbows: Dr. Thomas Perls.

AoD: I still think Perot might be a better President than McCain - there's only, what, 6 years between them?

Johnny Elbows: Yeah, I think you may be right. I'm not much of a fan of McCain or Obama.

AoD: I think it's time to give a chance someone who has successfully built a business at some point in the late 1970's through the 1990's - and I don't count people who sold their business right before the tech bubble burst. :)
It would not assure, but perhaps at least indicate a likelihood that they're intelligent, a good leader, and can change with events


Johnny Elbows: So, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs . . .

AoD: I think there's a strong possibility that Bill or Steve would make a better President than either of the two primary candidates
It's a bit like me voting for Matheson
I consider myself fairly Republican on most issues, but when I spoke to Matheson at one of his events back when he first ran, we disagreed on nearly every conclusion, but I voted for him then (and continue to do so) because I respect the thinking process as well as his ability to elucidate it.
Contrary to the popular belief that "I have to be right", I can respectfully disagree, as long as there's something worthy of my respect behind the disagreement. :)

Johnny Elbows: Steve Jobs as President--The country goes from being heavily indebted to having a multi-trillion dollar budget surplus over the course of two terms. Every citizen is required to wear one of five approved uniforms. Those who do not are derided as inferior and aren't granted access to many government services. The flag is changed from the stars and stripes to a white banner with an off-white circle in the middle of it.

Bill Gates as President--The vast majority of the federal budget is diverted to military spending. The US goes on an expansion binge, taking over every country that has a healthy economy. If a country manages to put up a good resistance, specially trained "culture operatives" infiltrate the country, convincing the general population to ally themselves with the US, whereupon the country is annexed as a new state and is promptly given a new name that has nothing to do with its previous history or culture. After two terms, the US is the only country left in the world.