this post was submitted on 14 Aug 2025
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[–] DontRedditMyLemmy@lemmy.world 37 points 20 hours ago (1 children)

Just have him be White House Spokesperson. Perfect role for him.

[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 26 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

Exactly this.

The Dems are so bereft of charismatic folks in their ranks because their own internal power-squabbling and pressure between dusty old skeletons to keep themselves in office, that anyone who HAS the skill set has had to spend that time in the entertainment industry at best. They're so dogmatic about internal "it's your time" protocols that they would rather sink AOC and Bernie forever so that the political equivalent of Assistant Regional Managers can get promoted to Regional Manager.

Both parties are broken to shit, and this is why Dems aren't doing a single thing to fight anything, they expect to just sit back and have it handed to them later. It'll be too late by then. We need an entire wave of new blood. Fuck this 2-party system.

[–] baltakatei@sopuli.xyz 5 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

they would rather sink AOC and Bernie forever so that the political equivalent of Assistant Regional Managers can get promoted to Regional Manager.

I agree and disagree. The ability to successfully lead a government as chaotic (i.e. democratic) and large as the republic of states known as the US is very rare. It requires not only a strong physical and mental constitution, but also a wide set of skills and intuitive abilities that usually only make themselves apparent during trials by fire. Compared to the sometimes explosively violent centralizations of power that occur when the rare charismatic tyrants fight their way into power (e.g. Napoleon, Hitler), democracies grow in fits and starts as they rely upon a panjandrum of popularity contests to find talented leaders. In contrast to dynasties that fiercely burn hot with their founder's fervor then languish in subsequent generations, democracies have the potential for sustained competence as long as incumbent leaders continue to hold popularity contests with the goal of finding new leaders better than themselves from as wide a candidate pool as possible.

When the contests fail to find the rare talented leader, the process does resemble a farcical out-of-touch revolving door of mediocre middle managers like you suggest: because talented leaders are rare. And even when a talented individual does prove thenselves, they cannot cling to power lest they destroy the talent search apparatus that brought them to power in the first place and which will eventually replace them with an even more talented individual in the future. To destroy that apparatus reverts the civilization back into purity-obsessed gatekeeping fascism and boring dynastic tyranny.

So, if this decade's popularity contest is restricted to late-night comedian talk-show hosts, I say that's better than a Trump dynasty. But, I hope winners of those contests steer government to promote talent searches with larger candidate pools than they came from. That could take the form of government propaganda rewarding people to run for local elections. Without leaders consciously promoting wider popularity contests, the people of a democracy default to choosing the photogenic faces and entertaining voices they see and hear on their screens: actors like Ronald Reagan or Arnold Schwarzenegger or game show hosts like Donald Trump.

[–] GreenShimada@lemmy.world 4 points 12 hours ago

I don't disagree, but I will push back on a couple points.

First, I would assert that that we're a few years past the end of the late night personality decade. Colbert jumping to CBS was what made it mainstream, which is the point of the peak, about 10 years ago. Kimmel and Fallon don't measure up at all. The era of monolithinc cultural icons is fading since the internet has fractured our media consumption patterns. Stewart and Colbert had a great dynamic while both were on comedy central, and if you'll recall, Colbert actually try to run for President in 2008. It was a joke, but I think only a half-hearted one and he would have probably gone on a hell of a campaign. He didn't want to pay $35K to get on the Republican primary ticket in SC, but the DNC actually rejected his application to be on the primary in 1 state.

As for leaders who are charismatic and capable, ultimately, it's a shit job to be president and no one wants it unless they're a little crazy or see personal benefit. Obama, for his few failings, was an exception across the board, both for being good enough that the DNC let him skip the fealty line, but also being competent enough to not make people regret voting for him, and I think genuinely a public servant at heart. Typically, the "Left" universe lets their nepo babies play around in Hollywood simply because money is the arbiter of success, and anyone can subsidize their kid for 3 years to live in LA and make a couple lousy documentaries, or as lobbyists and lawyers in Maryland. Once in one of those spheres, that's your specialty and contact list.

No one is coming to save us from the DNC - is what I wrote meaning to say "No one from the DNC is coming to save us." What a slip, right? The DNC would rather let it all burn down around them to "show leadership" be handing out brooms and telling people it's time to clean up the mess, and wasn't it nice they brought brooms, so vote for them.

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[–] ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 1 points 9 hours ago (6 children)
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[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 12 points 17 hours ago (5 children)

Fucking yes. YES.

I wish he ran against Joe.

[–] OkBuddyRetread@lemmy.world 1 points 11 hours ago

All of this makes too much sense for it to happen, I've grown wise to the scheme

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[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 54 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (27 children)

Or, hear me out: we abolish the presidency. There’s absolutely no need for so much power to be vested in one person.

[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 12 points 18 hours ago

I mean for a country that fought the monarchy you have sure been making the president the king. Your ceremonies for them have always reminded me of monarchy.

[–] joel_feila@lemmy.world 9 points 19 hours ago

Even the constitution agrees with that. Just over the decades more and more powrr has been ceded to the president

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[–] TheObviousSolution@lemmy.ca 7 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

What's a joke is thinking you are going to get there when you haven't even seen what's going to happen during the midterms, or that there is still over a year to get to even that.

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[–] pyre@lemmy.world 50 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Americans elect a non celebrity challenge (impossible)

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[–] But_my_mom_says_im_cool@lemmy.world 17 points 21 hours ago (30 children)

Oh Jesus more celebrities in politics is the last thing you guys need

[–] DrDickHandler@lemmy.world 22 points 18 hours ago (7 children)

Zelensky was also a comedian. It's woklrking out surprisingly okay for him given the situation.

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[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 10 points 18 hours ago

I mean he worked hard for veterans rights.

[–] Cornpop@lemmy.world 19 points 20 hours ago (4 children)

John Stewart is probably the only one I could actually get behind.

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[–] BenLeMan@lemmy.world 4 points 16 hours ago (1 children)
[–] OkBuddyRetread@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

They'd never let him, the system is all cancer at this point. He HAD to have old pedobear Cliton on the show just a few weeks back but pawned him off to Jordan Klepper

[–] Professorozone@lemmy.world 23 points 23 hours ago

He's way too smart to accept that job.

[–] Draegur@lemmy.zip 208 points 1 day ago (14 children)

Zelenskyy did it. Ukraine would no longer exist as a sovereign nation today if he didn't; it would have been entirely annexed into Russia right now.

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[–] SabinStargem@lemmy.today 51 points 1 day ago (4 children)

If Zelensky is any indication, comedians make for excellent heads of state and ministers of war. A good leader not only has wits, but also the voice to convince people of a vision.

Comedians have a day job of making people agree with them, without needing bribes or institution to back them.

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[–] TuffNutzes@lemmy.world 19 points 22 hours ago

Ukraine got Zelensky. We deserve Jon.

[–] Skyrmir@lemmy.world 152 points 1 day ago (13 children)

Jon could absolutely destroy anyone on a debate stage. Mainly because it's a popularity contest, and he's spent his entire life learning to be popular on screen and stage. He's also a smart guy with great insight into a lot of situations.

None of that means he would be a good president. It's a different set of skills.

The bottom line though, would he be better than the alternative? And I hear what you're saying. Those nazi crack monkey's put on a hell of a show, how could Jon possibly do a better job? I'm not sure, but given the option, I think I'd give him a shot.

[–] Capricorn_Geriatric@lemmy.world 1 points 10 hours ago

None of that means he would be a good president. It's a different set of skills.

Of course. Current Mr President is clearly way more skilled at presiding.

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[–] BlameTheAntifa@lemmy.world 71 points 1 day ago (18 children)

Yes, yes, yes. He’s not just a TV show host. He legitimately puts his time, money, and reputation where his mouth is. I have a lot of respect for Jon Stewart as a person with moral character, intelligence, and influence. I would advocate forcing him into the election even if he doesn’t want it. In fact, that he doesn’t want it is all the more reason to push. We need someone like him desperately.

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