List your favorite politician and why (bipartisan)

Obviously, Trump is at the top of my list. But we all know that will be a popular choice to the point where it's almost a given among conservatives at this juncture.

If Trump is your pick for the standard reasons, I would ask you to go back in time and pick a lesser known candidate to tell us about.

In my case, that would be congressman Darrell Issa. For me he checks all the boxes: conservative, concise, dedicated, a veteran, defender of the constitution, belief that a small, lean government is key to a thriving society. totally for government oversight and transparency - also not afraid to hold government accountable (it's especially fun to watch liberals squirm under his often intense and brutal lines of questioning). From January 2011 to January 2015, he served as Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. As a veteran, Issa rose to the rank of Captain in the US military. An accomplished businessman and entrepreneur, Issa served as the United States wealthiest member of congress with a net worth of over 440 million dollars.

As of March 1, 2017, Issa had voted with his party in 98.1% of votes in the then-current session of Congress, and voted in line with President Trump's position in 100% of his votes (as of 2017). Issa voted with the majority of House Republicans 95% of the time during the 111th Congress.

On September 19, 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Issa to be Director of the United States Trade and Development Agency - a position that is still awaiting confirmation from the the Senate. Seeing as there is a long back log for confirmations, the delay has allowed Issa the time to once again run for re election in the 50th congressional district of California. Upon this announcement, four other potential republican candidates jumped out of the race, and unified behind Issa, seeing him as best chance for winning the election in 2020.

While a fair amount of "ribbing" may be necessary depending on some individual picks, I would ask that we keep the discussion clean and don't launch vicious attacks just because you don't agree with his or her policy or political party. This is a non partisan question, left, right, center or progressive, lets here about your pick and why.

 

It would probably be easier to list my least favorite politician(s).

 

International I like best:

• Angela Merkel (German Chancellor)
• Justin Trudeau (Canadian PM)
• Emmanuel Macron (French President)

 

George H W Bush.

Why? Because he's dead.

 

Benjamin Franklin. I really wish he could be brought back to life, he'd so love modernity

 

I am not a big fan of politicians at all but, there are still a few of them that I like including Ron Paul (the best politician to ever exist), Donald Trump and Ebba Busch Thor (leader of Swedish Christian Democrats). The rest of them are a bunch of sickos.

 

Dwight Eisenhower. As Supreme Allied Commander he reshaped Europe and made it a bulwark for democracy. He pushed through the Interstate Highway System. He was a great diplomat and a great leader. He was courageous and loved and supported his troops. Leadership books have been written about Ike. A lot of people believed that after his command, the presidency would be a cake walk for Ike. They were right. He was immensely popular with Americans during his two terms.

 

Thomas Jefferson. He was most likely out most intelligent president. He saw religion for what it was, and used his position of power to ensure that those of us who choose to remain religion free can do so. He essentially invented the modern concept of a patent, and then went on to invent the mouldboard plow and then give it to the world, patent free.

Jefferson pushed for public education and public universities, arguing that it takes an educated populace to make a democracy work. He was an egalitarian and promoted a progressive tax system. He thought that through taxation, regulation, and restricted inheritance rights, we could prevent any one person from becoming too wealthy. One of his greatest fears was that the wealthy would buy, and thus corrupt our government.

Being an enlightenment philosopher and a quintessential liberal, he thought that the United States would thrive through technological innovation.

 

Jefferson also make excellent use of the Polygraph/Pantograph technology which preserved his writings for us.

 

Certainly Ron Paul, and certainly Russ Feingold in being the only Senator to vote against patriot act. Barbara Lee for being the only one to vote against the AUMF.

 

None. Not sure how anyone can like egotistical windbags who talk out of both sides of their mouths.

 

There are a few good men and women in government, but the system is rotten and works against the good ones.

 

Franklin would be my second pick. He was the one who first discovered electric flow. It was he who first labeled electric polarities + and -. He was in the same camp with Jefferson, thinking that the US would thrive through technological innovation. It was part of the reason he pushed so hard for the Post Office, so that information could be easily spread throughout the land.

In his day, Franklin may have been the most popular man in the world, on both sides of the Atlantic, and was America’s first Ambassador. Had he been a few years younger, he might have been our first president.

 

From the past: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan

Present Republican: Donald Trump. Why? Because, in spite of his personal faults, I support the policies he fights for.

Present Democrat: Tulsi Gabbard. She's independent, genuine, patriotic, intelligent, articulate, and she's right on foreign policy.

 

I don't think that I have one specific politician because I like different aspects of a variety of politicians while not embracing everything about them.

For instance Nixon introduced the policy of requiring that ALL positions be submitted to him in writing so that he could assess them alone without the influence of the persons concerned being in the room with him. That continued to be used up until Bush jr as I recall.

JFK was a true leader in that he had a vision and was able to articulate it and motivate the nation to achieve his vision within the specified time frame.

Ike was definitely one of the better occupants of the Oval office for two reasons. One he did not want the job and two he warned us about the dangers of the Military-Industrial-Complex. Too bad he never found a way to stop it from harming We the People.

While not a politician I admire Bishop Desmond Tutu for finding a way to excise the racial hatred that existed under the Apartheid regime. Mandela gets credit for making Tutu's idea a reality. We could use some of that right here IMO.

Roman Emperor Vespasian is another one because of his sense of humor and his ability to restore law and order even though he was not born into the aristocracy.

Eleanor Rooseveldt was probably one of our finest unelected politicians and did some awesome things that she does not get enough credit for IMO.

Carter is by far the best FORMER president we have ever had given his tireless humanitarianism.

Gandhi should be placed upon the same level as our Founding Fathers since he managed to defeat the British Empire virtually single handed. Granted it was not the power that it used to be when he took it on but it was still a significant accomplishment.

 

Give 'em hell Harry. He became president under the worse possible conditions. Involved in a terrible war and was VP to a president who apparently didn't tell him what was going on. He chose to use the Atomic Bomb which ended this terrible war. One of his most consequential decisions which does not get much publicity was firing Douglas MacArthur, the biggest jackass of the time.

 

Excellent choice.

 

Right now I would say Sherrod Brown. He seems very genuine as well as intelligent and shrewd for a politician.

Out of the people running for President, I still like Biden the best. He's more right than wrong on policies (I never agreed with any politician 100%). He's just as funny and entertaining as Trump, but without being a complete ass clown who wants to burn everything down to appease his own ego.

 

Yes, when being a liberal meant something much different than it does today. Jefferson and John Adams were statesmen with a capital S and not politicians, unlike most of the garbage that exists in our government now especially those who have a D after their name. I can't think of two men more qualified for the top of the list of American favorites.

 

Franklin is a good pick. We owe him a debt of gratitude. With a caveat. It’s debated whether he sparked the idea of Daylight Saving Time. If he did, his grave should be desecrated and his name purged from all historical records.

 

I think that Sherrod Brown could easily beat Trump in an election, and easier than anyone else.

 

I never really thought about a favorite politician. I do rank Eisenhower is the best president in my lifetime. I think of Barry Goldwater as my political mentor, although I have adjusted some. Now I identify myself as a Goldwater conservative with some of Perot thrown in. A traditional conservative.

Sam Nunn, long retired is/was probably my favorite senator, Zell Miller my favorite governor, ranking second to Sam as Senator. I don't have a favorite politician that is elected today, I just put up with all their nonsense. I also see no one on the horizon that would come close to becoming a favorite politician. Most politicians today I view very unfavorably. In today's era of polarization and ultra high partisanship, I'm just sick and tired of seeing the politicians/elected leaders of today putting their political party way high above the country. I'm totally disgusted with the politics and the politicians involved in politics today.

 

Eisenhower said that the one thing a leader cannot do without is integrity, and history, most notably our most recent, has certainly borne him out on this.

 

Yikes, lol... who taught you history??

 

Ron Paul in our time. James Madison from yesteryear.