Amazing! At least 100 Americans are more powerful than President Obama.

[MannyGoldstein]

I grew up thinking that the President of the United States is the most powerful person on Earth. Turns out I was very wrong.

Several times each day I read learned posts on this site which state that Elizabeth Warren* can do more good in the Senate than as President. I hate that I was wrong before, but am glad I'm wiser now and that Warren's already reached the pinnacle of power.

Although it does leave me with a few nagging questions. Like why did Senator Obama (who said he wasn't running) run for the Presidency against Senator McCain. Were they OK with less power because they got the cool plane? And the helicopters?

And why does the President get paid a lot more than Senators? Do Senators get to make their own secret kill lists?

Or perhaps Presidents are actually more powerful than Senators, but some people need an excuse for why certain Presidents haven't gotten the job done, the fundamental job of turning around the economic plight of the 99%?

Anyway, I just want to thank the good people of DU for setting me straight. This is really complicated stuff, and I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier.

*yes, who's really, really not running and you desperately need us to understand that, got it.

[LuvNewcastle]

1. That is a pretty funny excuse for

not supporting a Warren candidacy. Warren has her weaknesses as a candidate, but saying that she would be more effective in the Senate than as President is rather disingenous. Now, if they want to say that Warren is better suited for the Senate than the Presidency, that is different.

[pnwmom]

2. No one is saying she'd be more effective in the Senate.

That is different from saying that we need to retain our Senate majority, and a single Senator could be the critical one.

[littlemissmartypants]

3. Link please. eom

[MannyGoldstein]

4. Well...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5384922
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4132841
http://upload.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=5280964
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024350539#post5
http://upload.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1017&pid=160171

And many more, IIRC

[conservaphobe]

5. Maybe, but those 100 are not elected officials*

*Response to the thread title only

[JoePhilly]

6. The search for the new Messiah continues.

[dsc]

7. I think the argument is one of amount of time

A Senate career can be decades long while a person is only President for at most 10 years (get elevated as VP, then win two terms). One example of someone who did more as a Senator than he likely would have as President would be Teddy Kennedy.

[KittyWampus]

8. No, Superman is the "most powerful person on Earth". Glad you finally learned about how

a representative democracy works.

Maybe now your posts will reflect that reality rather than a fantasy world where POTUS waves his magic wand.

As for Warren, has she shown any real capacity for executive leadership? Coalition building?

[MannyGoldstein]

9. Do you think Hillary has a stronger track record on these things?

Or anyone else who's a potential candidate?

[NM_Birder]

13. only when Thor is off world ;)

[treestar]

15. Good questions. That has not even been considered

She's said some things people want to hear.

Generally there are calls for someone to be President, because they've said a Good Thing. It's not just Warren.

[MannyGoldstein]

17. This is not the CFPB your looking for. nt

[randome]

10. Funny your subject line doesn't say "...more powerful than the President."

You had to make it about Obama, didn't you?
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

[DanTex]

11. Maybe people think Warren's particular set of skills is better suited for the Senate.

That's what she seems to think, also.

[NM_Birder]

12. ABANDON THE GOURD.....FOLLOW THE SHOE !!!!!!

[treestar]

14. If you grew up thinking that, you don't have a good high school

There are three branches, each one is equally powerful. Each has power to check the others. It does not matter who is President. The power attributed to the Executive Branch remains the same.

[MannyGoldstein]

16. So 1% of the Senate is more powerful than 100% of the Executive?

That's extraordinary!

[NuclearDem]

18. Not how separation of powers and checks and balances work.

The Senate has powers the President doesn't, and the President has powers the Senate doesn't.

[MannyGoldstein]

19. I'm not sure how your post is relevant to mine,

and to the post I was responding to.

[treestar]

20. No, as you should have learned

The Senate plus House equals the Presidency.

These things remain the same no matter which humans inhabit the 535 congressional seats or which one inhabits the Oval Office.