It’s Election Day here in the United States of America. I had hoped that we would return to normalcy tomorrow and my Facebook and Twitter feeds would cease to be populated by angry rhetoric. Unfortunately, regardless of who wins, I know that won’t be the case. The rhetoric will drag on for days as proponents of both candidates act like the entire universe has been saved or the entire universe is doomed. I don’t think the results will be that extreme and, whoever wins, I’ll just be happy that it’s over.
Even though I can’t vote for them, here are some nerdy rulers I wouldn’t mind seeing in the Oval Office.
Emperor Palpatine
Look, I know that the Emperor was an evil Sith Lord who orchestrated a civil war so he could eliminate the Jedi and seize total power. I agree that he is a bad man and he did a lot of bad things. He’s also someone who got a lot accomplished during his time in office. He built two Death Stars, eliminated the bureaucracy of the Galactic Senate and kept Darth Vader in check. Granted, those positives are far outweighed by the negatives: killing all the Jedi, enslaving the Wookies, destroying Alderaan and ruling the galaxy through fear and intimidation. As evidenced by the Emperor, even though they get a lot done, dictators are dangerous; no one should have that much power. If we could find a benevolent dictator, though, we might see the government do a lot more good. My vote for Benevolent Dictator of America goes to Tim Tebow.
Aragorn
One of the few explicit responsibilities of the President of the United States of America is to act as the Commander-in-Chief. Neither Obama nor Romney served in the Armed Forces, something that a lot of Americans don’t like. We didn’t get to see a lot of Aragorn as the king of men in Middle-Earth, but we did get to see him kill a lot of orcs and goblins. Aragorn would be a great Commander-in-Chief because he understands what it takes to win a war. He could also inspire the troops with a rousing speech like he gave at the Black Gates. He’s also blessed with long life so, after his two terms in office, he could continue on as Secretary of Defense for a long time, assisting President Tebow in all things related to defending the nation.
Ned Stark
I know (SPOILER ALERT) that he died at the end of A Game of Thrones, but Ned Stark still seems like the best option to rule Westeros. I’ve only read through the second book of George R. R. Martin’s series, A Song of Ice and Fire. I’ve seen the leadership of King Joffrey, Stannis Baratheon and Robb Stark; Ned Stark would be the best king. I also think Ned Stark would be a good option for POTUS. Most politicians seem to lack character and conviction, moving with whatever winds will further their political careers. Ned Stark didn’t want to be the Hand of the King but, when he was, made decisions that were in the best interests of the kingdom and not himself. It’d also be cool to see a President with a direwolf as a pet instead of a Labrador.
I know that none of these candidates can be President, mostly due to the fact that they’re fictional. And while I’m not crazy about either candidate or our political system as a whole, it’s still a privilege to vote. It’s a privilege I don’t want to take for granted. However, God is ultimately the ruler of everything and installs kings and presidents. We should look to God for our true hope and provision, trusting in him more than any elected official.
And because I know Tim Tebow will be doing the same thing, I may write his name in.
Just kidding.
What other nerdy candidates would you like to see run for President?
Malcolm Reynolds!
I don’t know if a tie would match his brown coat.
I can’t remember the character’s name, but how about the POTUS played by Morgan Freeman in Deep Impact?
How could I forget?!? Bill Pullman’s POTUS in Independence Day! How can you beat a POTUS that gets in an F-16 with a callsign of “Eagle One”, and fights the invading aliens!!!