Reply #43: Or a President who listens to (capable, nonideological) Science Advisor? [View All]

[eppur_se_muova]

Eisenhower was actually described as "adoring his scientists". He was probably about the best President we could have had when Sputnik was launched and caused such a panicked reaction. JFK, Nixon, and Carter were also good about facing the reality that advances in science were profoundly changing the world.

We certainly need someone who can *deal* with science better than Ray-gun and Bush**. Of course Gore would have been great -- I saw him interacting with a panel on ozone depletion and his questions would not have been out of place at a university colloquium (and I attended a colloquium by Mario Molino, who shared a Nobel Prize for work on the atmospheric chemistry of CFC-induced ozone depletion).

I agree with the other posters above that a scientist would not necessarily make a good President. Scientists are to used to dealing with facts, and not motivations. Remember "Nature does not lie" and "God is subtle, but He is never malicious" (Einstein). Politicians have to deal with lying and malice all the time, and need to be skilled at identifying one or the other, with little room for error. I remember pseudo-science debunker James Randy ("the Amazing Randi") stated that scientists are some of the easiest witnesses to fool, because they are expecting logically consistent results, not clever deception.

Bear in mind I'm a scientist myself, and would like to see scientific issues dealt with better in gov't. I don't think that requires a scientist as president.

(FWIW, Sadi Carnot, a chemist, was once President of France. I believe Paderewski, the pianist, became PM of Poland.)

on edit: LBJ had a degree in education from Southwest Texas State Teachers' College. He served as a school principal for a year, and also taught debate and (IIRC) elocution. He took his high school debate team from nowhere to the state finals in one school year. He got into politics by serving as secretary to a Texas representative, and virtually taking over his office.