A good president ...
Un bon président ...
doesn't panic easily; can see problems from many perspectives; thinks analytically and strategically; respects and is loyal to their country and people
is effective. is not embarrassing.
is impossible to find
is someone who protects democracy, seeks and accepts good advice from other politicians and does not forsake his morals for personal gain.
knows what his people need and will go out of his way to ensure they get it.
listens to a wise circle of advisers
meets the need of the citizens in every manner.
Puts the needs of the country ahead of his/her own and does his/her best job in reflecting the desires of the populace.
represents his constituents not just his party,
works for bipartisanship,
keeps taxes low.
seeks the best for his/her country without impinging on the deserved rights of other countries.
serves her/his country and people.
works for the enhancement of society.
Takes charge and handles situations appropriately. A god president also grows the program.
unfortunately does not exist often. Some people would think that a president is good, but there are always people who do not agree.
unites the citizens of the country, allows individual rights to be established, and listens to the democracy.
unsure
will bounce back from hard times, does not become discouraged with dissent from the public, and is a good speaker.
will ensure the country is secure, the economy is thriving, and citizens have jobs.
écoute le peuple, agit pour le peuple, s'exprime correctement pour le peuple
écoute son peuple, soutient l'économie et assure l'ordre.
connaît la situation du peuple
doit être capable de prendre des décisions les plus justes et représentatives de l'opinion du peuple.
est à l'écoute du peuple, prend les bonnes décisions pour le pays
est quelqu'un qui écoute le peuple de son pays
est qui se met à la place du peuple.
est un homme capable de changer les choses.
guide la nation
sait prendre les bonnes décisions
privilégie l'état avant lui-même
ne pense pas qu'au bien des siens mais au bien de tous surtout des plus défavorisés
ne pense qu'aux autres.
pense à son peuple,
a du charisme,
agit
prend de bonne décisions, représentatives de l'opinion générale
respecte au mieux le budget qui lui a été alloué.
s'entoure d'une bonne équipe afin de diriger le pays.
se préoccupe de la situation de ses citoyens.
respecte dans la mesure du possible la volonté du peuple qu'il représente, sait prendre des décisions impopulaires pour le bien du pays
respecte la démocratie et la France.
donne l'exemple.
Tient ses promesses, respecte l'opinion publique.
Discussion
Futur :
Personne ne parle du futur : Pour vous le président doit il préparer le futur de son pays (et du monde ?). Êtes vous prêt à accepter de payer plus d'impots pour les investissements qui ne vous apporteront rien à vous, mais beaucoup aux générations futures ?
Monde :
Un bon président doit selon vous privilégier la grandeur et les richesses de son pays au détriment d'autres pays parfois ? Ou Faut-il parfois faire des concessions et partager pour réduire les inégalités ?
My immediate response upon reading the two contrasting answers, was that the Americans have a bleak outlook on our political system. This was shown in the multiple responses of "a good president will never be elected" and "a good president is impossible to find."
Personally, I try not to get involved in the discussion of whether we should accept tax rates or decline them. From my perspective, these taxes are necessary in order to keep our country running (and perhaps some of us don't even pay enough). I do however see a problem with the social security in our country and the fact that our generation will not receive any social security benefits even though we are currently paying for it through our paychecks because the mortality rate has decreased over the years and people are living longer lifespans but still retiring at the same age (if not earlier).
The president must plan and provide for the future and betterment of his country, but at what expense? The way the world is these days, sharing is quite difficult among megapowers. But when you take measures to benefit at the expense of others, you are sure to push the limits of peace and in the long run possibly lose more.
Almost every French response mentioned some form of "ecoute le peuple."
While this is an ideal the American responses also reflected, we seem to be more pessimistic (as Vinnie mentioned). I feel that some of the reasons for the pessimism is the perceived prioritization of special interest groups and the role of the 2 large political parties in manipulating the decisions of politicians over what the people in general want.
In France, do people feel the presence of these guiding forces (the ones that aren't purely the voice of the peope) or do people feel that the voice of the French people take priority?
Do you think a preson's personal life influences whether he/she will be a good president or not?
I feel that the negative attitude the Americans have is largely because of the atmosphere in our country right now. We have been in a tough spot for years now, with little progress being seen. Until we see something happen positive for our country, I don't believe we will have an optimistic attitude. The problem is what is often postively viewed by one party is viewed negatively by the other.
What is your opinion of the American party system. Do you think it seems effective or not?
There is an inherent flaw in our political system (which may be present in other democratic nations, as well) in that a politician's number one job, even more important than reflecting the views of the people, is to get elected in the first place. This makes him or her beholden to the interests of those who can fund a campaign. Such is why, here in America, the rich get richer, the poor get supported, and the rest get screwed.
I had a french friend who said a big difference between expectations of politicians in US and in France is that in US, politicians are expected to have high moral standards and values - prove their faithfullness to wives, their family values. In France, the personal life of the politicians matters much less - the private life of the politician is not up for public judgement..Is that the case? Do people care whether Sarkozy has a mistress? I think the fact that in US people care so much about this leads to candidates having to be insincere and having to worry about their image more than necessary - the energy and resources go in the wrong direction.
Je pense qu'en France, on fait un véritable différence entre vie publique et vie privés pour les politiciens. Quand je dis ça, je veux dire qu'on a pas besoin de connâitre la vie privée de ces politiciens pour les juger. Il y a plusieurs candidats aux prochaines élections présidentielles pour qui on a jamais entendu parler de leur femme/mari. Par contre il est certain que ça n'est pas bon du tout pour leur image (et donc leur popularité) d'entendre parler d'eux dans la presse pour des affaires sordides.