How to be president?

[siclark]

Hmm not sure if this is the right category to be asking, but it's the closest to politics there is... Question is, what exactly does it take to become President of the USA? Obviously you need to be an American citizen. Presumably backing from a political party... but what else is there? I know some presidents have been governors of states and stuff before... any ideas anyone?

[DavidUK]

Having a huge amount of money, being part of a well-connected family and being a skilful liar all seem to help. Also, as someone once said: "If you can fake sincerity you've really got it made". It may have been a US president who said that but it could so easily have been Blair. Am I just too cynical?

[andy hughes]

I'm pretty sure you need to be American by birth, rather than a citizen. As the previous answer indicates, you need some heavy-weight finnancial backing - running for Pres costs millions of dollars. It helps if you have previous experience, and a high political profile, but the odd-ball candidates appear now and again - Ross Perrot was one, a millionaire businessman with the whim to run, and the cash to back it - he got nowhere of course. The American people aren't stupid ... hang on, thinking about the present incumbent, I may need to revise that thought .....

[woodpam]

You need to have all the above and a good face for TV and the ability to remember the lines your scriptwriter prepared for you. You should also be a white, apparently heterosexual male with a photogenic dog you can be filmed romping with. It all seems to be more about style than substance. BTW Andy, the American people can't be judged as stupid on the grounds of voting in Dubya, most of them didn't. Fortunately for him he had brother Jeb to cast the deciding vote, as it were.