So, not sure I've started a topic since we all used to actually post fishing reports but here goes...

Given the opportunity, who would you nominate for president, and why?

I'll start it off with Mark Cuban - I'm sure I could come up with someone better If I actually put some thought into it but... He's got a business mind, used to leading people, knows the value of $, uses good reason to make decisions and has a heart for people.

Either him or Kid Rock

I could vote for Cuban.

Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho would get my vote.

Colin Powell....but he isn’t stupid enough to run.
SF

Good choice. All the really good ones are much too smart to run. That's why I haven't.

Colin Powell's cool.

I could get behind Colin Powell for sure.

[Bleeeeep!], just looked it up and didn’t realize he is 83.
Too old but I still always liked him as someone who would call bs on whoever regardless of their party affiliation.
We could use some middle of the road folks these days.
SF

Agree. In my days, America has really been the mushy middle. If you let extremists rule, you fuk it up.

It's a big ship and if you try to turn it too fast, you'll hit the iceberg.

If Trump comes down with "the China flu", I'd nominate Hope Hicks! Well, maybe not for President, but for the Presidential Medal of Freedom. That medal is given to an individual who has made an "especially meritorious contribution to the national interest of the United States." In my mind's eye, I can see President Biden awarding Ms. Hicks the medal, now...giving her an overly affectionate hug and burying his nose in her auburn mane.

It's sad that I'm sitting here trying to think of someone good from across the entire spectrum and I'm drawing a complete blank.

The politicians are partisan hacks; the dumb celebs are dumb celebs and the business titans have empires to run. Unfortunately, you pretty much either have to have extreme name recognition or billions in order to run now...and that locks out 99.99999% of all of us. What's left over is true sociopathic & psychopathic scum.

I sincerely doubt we'll ever have another truly great President that brings us all together. We're gonna tear ourselves apart first, mostly because we have shite to choose from.

I can be fun at parties.

The difference is Cuban's businesses actually make money, his TV show isn't completely gay, and when he tells it, it isn't a complete bullsh!t fabrication.

Politicians who deserved a run at president... I’d go with Tulsi Gabbard, Marianne Williamson, Ron Paul, Ralph Nader.

I would also vote Mark Cuban, Marc Bennioff, Joe Rogan, deez nuts, etc.

Quite a few people I’d feel okay with steering the sinking ship.

The GOP may need some ideas if Fat Nixon croaks...he's got like five comorbidity conditions.

Fish on...

Todd

Well, as you all probably know by now they both have the "Bat Flu" along with the first lady too...what a shait show!!!

It's the Trump Flu.

Despite the fact that he is more liberal than I would like, I think Gary Locke would make a good, moderate choice that both sides could like. His actions against the Teachers union in refusing to give them a huge pay increase was one that probably cost him any chance of being re-elected as governor in Washington, but he made it because it was the right choice at the time. This makes him a hero in my mind, as no other politician I have seen has been willing to make hard choices like this.

So how do you not pay teachers and make kids smarter?
Thanks for being the example of what happens when we don't pay our teachers enough money.

Teachers usually aren’t as big of influences as you might think Illasheshe. While I agree that good teachers can make a big difference and should be paid well, the preponderance of children who chronically underachieve academically have other factors at play. The biggest indicator of academic success for children is an involved caregiver or parent both in the school as a volunteer, contacting/regular communication with teachers and at home encouraging homework, supervising, encouraging reading, etc. The research couldn’t be any more clear, particularly with expanding learning environments outside of the classroom setting.

When you have children who don’t have stable caregivers, a stable home, are wondering if they’ll even have food for dinner, it’s about survival. Academic learning isn’t a priority. Teachers are often able to mitigate much of this and be a stable figure which certainly helps, but education will only improve when we fix the underlying societal problem of not being at our best for kids. Teachers can only do so much.