Happy Friday, Modern Philosophers! It’s been a long week, and you know the drill by now, so let’s jump right into our regular Friday night adventure.
Put on you Thinking Togas and step right up to read this week’s topic, which I’ve chosen in honor of President’s Day…
If you could use your time machine to go back and grab any former US President to bring back to the present day for lunch with your boss, who would it be?
I bet I caught you off guard with that one, didn’t I? I need to constantly challenge you to keep the Deep Thoughts flowing.
I pondered over this one for a long time. I thought about grabbing George Washington just to show him how far our great nation has come since he held office. I also thought it would be awesome to show him the advances we’ve made in dental work.
I also thought about going back for Abraham Lincoln. We could’ve watched Lincoln on DVD and talked about the film’s Oscar chances. Then we could’ve watched the movie about his Vampire hunting skills and had him try to make peace with Maine’s Vampires. The best part, of course, would’ve been pointing out to him that DVDs made going to the theater totally unnecessary…
In the end, though, I decided to go with Grover Cleveland. The man is the only person to be elected President in two non-consecutive terms. I just thought that would make for interesting conversation and impress my boss. Plus, it would show her that it’s possible to take a little time off from work and then come back and pick up right where you left off. Figured I always need to keep that option open since I might need to ask for extended time off to be on the set of one of my movies. This Modern Philosopher is always thinking.
So what about you, Modern Philosophers. Which former Commander-in-Chief would you bring to the lunch party? Why do you think this President would impress your boss? Have you figured out how you’re going to get old POTUS away from his security detail and convince him to get into your time machine?
So much to ponder on this one, and that’s what makes it perfect for the Think Tank. Remember there are no right or wrong answers (unless you select someone who wasn’t once President of the United States!).
As always, I will be in my Oval Office, eagerly awaiting your replies. Hail to the Modern Philosophers!
Too many to choose from!
Wimpy answer…
I know, I know. I will have to go with Taft or Teddy R. Taft because he was a behemoth of a man, so he probably like food and beer. Teddy because he was plain and simply a country folk.
I knew you could expand on that answer…
My first thought was Jimmy Carter. Beyond his Presidency he is a great man(just check out what the Carter Center is all about) and the only President to earn the Nobel Peace Prize (note I said earn not receive). Anyway, since he’s still alive I think that might be a waste of the time machine so, I’m going with Harry Truman. In all of the photos I’ve seen I think he looks like my dad and I’d like to see if there’s a resemblance in person. As for lunch, I’m self employed so I’ll need a boss stand-in, so I’d like to pick my dad, that way they’d both be in the same room and I can really compare the two.
Just typed that nice long answer with my new laptop! Yippee, it’s been so hard with just my thumbs on a tiny phone. And, I hope your laptop woes have worked themselves out.
I actually had an autographed picture of President Carter. We had to write to him for a school project, and I got the photo and a typed list of FAQs from the White House. Good times. Nice just and reason on your President. Congrats on the laptop. Mine is still at the service center, but I got Best Buy to give me a loaner…
I’d have to go with Ronald Reagan with or without my boss, she’ll just have to deal with it. He’s been my favorite since I can remember.
My apologies for not providing a list I’m on my phone, all the computers have gone to sleep for the night. I will visit again tomorrow and explain.
He was a mighty President. Plus, you’d be able to talk about his acting career…
I’d love to talk about his speeches. I still get chills when I hear some of them. How do you approach writing something that powerful? I know he didn’t get very much credit when he was president for writing his speeches and it was only after when his notes were published that people realized he wrote what he delivered. As a starting writer I’d love to start there and learn what he’d be willing to teach.
Sounds like excellent reasoning. You should have a very enjoyable lunch.
I think my boss would probably want to have a conversation with LBJ, as we’re health policy researchers and my boss spent much of his career working on Medicare – I think he’d like talking to the President who enacted it. But maybe, really, we’d both like to have a real long talk with FDR. I’m completely fascinated by him and Eleanor and the four terms and why didn’t he go against Hitler sooner and enactment of the New Deal and dropping health insurance out of the mix and… well, there’s just a lot. Ok, FDR it is!
Sounds like a fun lunch. FDR was quite the storyteller…
Abe Lincoln….cause my Boss is an emotional vampire, who sucks his employees dry…and…I just find the idea funny. He was great in that movie, with his axe and hat. <3
(ps. I am Australian, so forgive me about not knowing a lot about your presidents.)
I’m not sure if we can forgive you for being Australian. I’ll have to check the rules of the blog…
I would invite Franklin D. Roosevelt. I want him to explain to my boss that he and not the current president actually came up with the idea to help the less fortunate through programs. I really hate to put Franklin in front of the firing squad, but I think he can handle the argument. The best part will be that I will be able to spend time with my idol Eleanor.
That sounds like very sound reasoning. Is your time machine big enough to transport both FDR and Eleanor?
It might be a little cramped, but they’ll manage.
Well, this is a tough one. I was a History major in college and something of a Presidential scholar, so I can think of a few that I’d like to bring to the future. I do not think that I would bring any of the founding fathers; it would depress them too much to learn where all their hard work got them. Besides, I am pretty sure that George Washington would have all of our current Congress at the gallows.
How about William Henry Harrison? If we brought him to the future we might be able to save him from pneumonia with all our fancy medicines.
Nice choice. This one is clearly a Deep Thought provoker…
Dear Mr. President,
I saw your Delorean in a Casino in Laughlin, but didn’t have my camera. I will go back and take a picture on my way north back to Canada… To answer your question, no idea who to invite, but maybe we’d go out for a spin. I would drive, of course.
Sounds like a plan.
Great Scott?! We’re not going to tell JFK not to leave Fort Worth because people in Dallas are crazy?! If we’re saving W.H.H., we are sure as heck saving the greatest philandering president ever. Because he was cute. Sorry. Saturdays are my shallow days.
The motto of this blog is “Deep Thoughts from the Shallow End of the Pool”, so you’re fine.
oh good. *wipes sweat from brow*
This morning I watched a short segment on Ulysses S. Grant (18), and I learned his memoir was the first successful Presidential memoir in American history. Amazingly, Grant wrote the memoir while dying from throat and tongue cancer. He finished the memoir just days before he died.
Having help end the Civil War, I think Grant would be pleased to see how the US has become a melting pot of cultures.
Excellent choice. Should make for a fun lunch.
Bully! Teddy Roosevelt without a doubt. A man of action and a born leader. A man’s man, unlike the wimpy Presidents we get now in the modern era.
Really like that answer!
Just finished reading “Team of Rivals”, a most excellent book, so my choice is Lincoln. Think our present group (all sides) in DC could learn a few things. A sequester? Really?
You have great posts here, not to mention some very interesting, funny, thought-provoking reads.
Anyway, thanks Mr. Movie Writer for liking a few of my earlier posts, “Wisps”, “Watering Hole” and “Afternoon Sun Hits a Wall”. Appreciate you taking a look.
Lincoln is a great choice. I’d love to meet the go, too. I really find myself enjoying the photography on this site, so I’m sure I’ll be back to check out more of yours.