MDlaxfan76 wrote: ↑Wed Nov 16, 2022 9:59 amI didn't vote for him, but I had no issue in being "proud of my president" with Obama. I'm pretty proud of Biden's resilience, and particularly his leadership abroad. Wish he was smarter and younger, but among world leaders of today, he projects pretty darn well. I'd have been proud of a McCain or Romney as President, I'm sure. I wanted better from W, and was definitely 'proud' in the immediate aftermath of 9-11. But yes, HW.Farfromgeneva wrote: ↑Wed Nov 16, 2022 5:26 amWhen was that last the case for you?NattyBohChamps04 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:55 pmDem's aren't the brightest in who they let ascend the throne most years, so you probably won't get your chance unfortunately. I'd like to be proud of my president someday again...old salt wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:35 pmYes -- happily, & FTR -- I've never voted for Trump & never will.NattyBohChamps04 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 4:32 pmHe's an extremely solid senator, great candidate and upstanding person. Son of two cops. Decorated combat-tested Naval aviator. Astronaut. Seems to be moderate to center-right.old salt wrote: ↑Tue Nov 15, 2022 3:06 am Thanks to his close win in the AZ Senate race, Mark Kelly has attained national recognition & prominence, after going largely unnoticed during his initial 2 year Senate term.
Already known for his (& his twin brother's) astronaut service, it's interesting that he chose to wear his Pax River Navy Test Pilot vintage flight jacket in nearly all his campaign appearances covered by national media.
With Top Gun : Maverick still on movie screens, the patches on his Navy flight jacket make it a provocative campaign wardrobe choice over his NASA Astronaut blue flight jacket.
https://www.news18.com/news/world/kelly ... 66937.html
https://www.sciencealert.com/nasa-s-twi ... paceflight
As the Dems search for younger, more mentally agile, potential 2024 successors to Biden, they'd be wise to consider & promote Kelly.
He's still a blank sheet who could potentially appeal to voters of both parties, ...if promoted rationally.
Would you vote for him over DeSantis or Trump?
Sadly, George HW (Senior) Bush might’ve been the best in my lifetime. I was a single digit aged for Reagan but time hasn’t been his friend and probably fairly though it seems like there’s some piling on with respect to his legacy. In the last 50-75yrs there’s been enough volatility over any stretch where if you’re there 8yrs at the top it’s hard to avoid any issues yet I’m not going to sh*t on three generations of our country when I look around the globe and there’s no other dirty shirt I’d put on instead.
Of course, pretty much all of the Presidents in my lifetime, even Nixon, and Johnson's fiasco in Vietnam, compare well to the Trump lunacy.
This hagiography of McCain fails to take into account what nearly everyone who examines Presidents and party nominees fail to take into account and that is: their first decision is their most important decision, the choice of Vice President. Sarah Palin was one of the worst VP candidates of all time, equal or worse than Bush Sr's. selection of Dan Quayle. When any leader selects such an awful running mate, that tells you all you need to know about that leader. McCain would have been a dreadful POTUS. It's unlikely he could have risen above selecting Palin short of firing her, which I doubt he would have done.
As to others, Reagan's selection of Bush Sr. proved that Reagan was a great leader (at least in 1980...by 1988, he was not there anymore): Bush Sr brought necessary international gravitas that Reagan did not have and would have filled in capably as POTUS if necessary. And yet, Bush Sr proved ultimately a weak leader at the top, unlike his own boss Reagan, by selecting Quayle, a guy who clearly was unfit for the role.
Clinton's selection of Gore is passable, in spite of Gore's bizarre personal quirks and weak-kneed leftist tendencies. Obama's selection of Biden was good. Mondale's selection of Ferraro was okay. Ford's selection of Rocky was fine. Dukasis' selection of Bentson was fine. Romney's choice of Ryan was good.