The United States is a country looking for its elected officials to become agents of change. With the elaborate game of musical chairs in the House of Representatives, however, it is hard for political leaders to remain sitting long enough to make significant improvements.
Through a marriage of genetic engineering and political science, though, America could create the perfect politician. In theory, this Frankenstein candidate should have these key attributes:
The charisma of John F. Kennedy. Nearly 10 years after leaving office, Bill Clinton can still charm a crowd, but no one did it quite as well as John F. Kennedy. During his final days in office, JFK went on a speaking tour, which the people of Tampa Bay still remembered 36 years later. Kennedy's charisma also helped him score an impressive victory over Richard Nixon in a televised 1960 debate.
The two-fisted leadership skills of Ronald Reagan. During Jimmy Carter's presidency, the Iran Hostage Crisis was a painful reminder that diplomacy was not always the correct strategy. Iranian students held 51 Americans hostage for 444 days during President Carter's only term in office.
On Jan. 20, 1981, the day Ronald Reagan took office, Iran finally freed the hostages. It could have been meant as a final slap in the face of the outgoing President Carter or born out of fear that Reagan, considered something of a cowboy, would issue an ultimatum as his first official act.
The witchcraft of Christine O'Donnell. In 1999, Republican Senate candidate Christine O'Donnell admitted she had been involved with witchcraft. O'Donnell, who became a target for late-night comedians, recently lost the Delaware Senate race.
O'Donnell's future in politics may be uncertain, but America could certainly use a witch in office, especially if they could cast a "Budget Balancus" spell on the U.S. Congress.
The courage of Harry S Truman. Known for his common sense leadership, President Harry S Truman took office after the death of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. At the tail end of World War II, Truman made the gut-wrenching decision to drop the newly created atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in an end the hostilities.
Other Truman decisions include recognizing the nation of Israel and the creation of a 21-point plan called the Fair Deal. Truman's largely unrealized plan included health care for all Americans and an increase in the minimum wage.
The economic skills of Ann Kirkpatrick. Though unseated by Paul Gosar in the midterm election, outgoing Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) made her mark during her freshman term, especially when it came to balancing the congressional checkbook.
Saying it was difficult to ask your co-workers to take a pay cut, Rep. Kirkpatrick introduced H.R. 4720, the Taking Responsibility for Congressional Pay Act, into the House of Representatives. The bill recommended that Members of Congress give back 5 percent of their pay.
Literally putting her money where her mouth is, Rep. Kirkpatrick even sent back 5 percent of her own paycheck to the Bureau of Public Debt, a division of the U.S. Treasury.
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