Green-Eyed Chris
2008-09-02 12:40:35 UTC
In his thread "Let's Sort the US Presidents!", John VanSickle wrote:
"While sitting around the hospital one day, I decided to sort the U.S.
Presidents. Well, half of them. Before you read, set the following
things firmly in mind:
* Everything you read in the Harry Potter novels is fiction;
* Everything you read in the Harry Potter novels is the intellectual
property of Jo Rowling;
* I cannot conceive of American Muggle political leaders going to
Hogwarts;
* The Sorting Hat does its work on the heads of eleven-year-old kids,
not men in their late thirties to early seventies.
Consequently, if you find yourself getting irate over this, please seek
competent psychiatric assistance.
Like most people who've read the books have seen, simply being in a
given house means very little; the reason one is in that house means
much. Both George Washington and Andrew Johnson, for instance, are
Hufflepuffs. George Washington is a Hufflepuff because of his
self-discipline, humility, and willingness to do much for the sake of a
greater good. He's a "positive Hufflepuff." Andrew Johnson, and every
successor I sorted into that house, are "negative Hufflepuffs," in there
because the traits that make for sorting into other houses are even more
lacking than the characteristics of Hufflepuff.
Most people who do this sort of thing simply put the presidents they
like into the Good House (usually Gryffindor) and the presidents they
don't like into the Bad House (Slytherin). I tried to rise above that.
Ultimately, sorting the presidents is not a cut-and-dried affair for
most, and qualities of all four houses are necessary to even become
president:
* Gryffindor: As the Bob Dole campaign made abundantly clear, a
successful run for president requires personal charisma, and while many
who actually did hold the office were lacking in the personality
department, when this was the case it was the result of something that
happened during the term of a predecessor.
* Hufflepuff: If you are not a workaholic, do not even dream of becoming
president of our republic, for the job is not suited toward any other
kind of person.
* Ravenclaw: Rocket scientists do not make good presidents, and while
many presidents have styled themselves as the smartest people ever to
set foot in Washington D.C., it has long been known that only a leader
who is trying to micromanage needs significantly more than the average
dose of brains. A casual glance at the history of our republic is enough
to observe that the most pervasive failures of our presidents have been
mostly failures of courage and commitment to American values, and not
failures of brainpower. It is sufficient for a president that he grasp
the principles of the issue at hand.
* Slytherin: Except for Washingtonwho was practically drafted into the
roleevery president has had to face a winner-take-all contest for the
job, and therefore a dose of self-interest has been at work in all the
presidents to succeed him."
-------------------------------
Along the same lines, are there any ideas out there on what the Sorting
Hat might say when placed on the heads of the eleven-year-olds Joseph
Biden, John McCain, Barack Obama or Sarah Palin? (...or Ralph Nader?
...or???)
--
Green-Eyed Chris
My sole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others!
"While sitting around the hospital one day, I decided to sort the U.S.
Presidents. Well, half of them. Before you read, set the following
things firmly in mind:
* Everything you read in the Harry Potter novels is fiction;
* Everything you read in the Harry Potter novels is the intellectual
property of Jo Rowling;
* I cannot conceive of American Muggle political leaders going to
Hogwarts;
* The Sorting Hat does its work on the heads of eleven-year-old kids,
not men in their late thirties to early seventies.
Consequently, if you find yourself getting irate over this, please seek
competent psychiatric assistance.
Like most people who've read the books have seen, simply being in a
given house means very little; the reason one is in that house means
much. Both George Washington and Andrew Johnson, for instance, are
Hufflepuffs. George Washington is a Hufflepuff because of his
self-discipline, humility, and willingness to do much for the sake of a
greater good. He's a "positive Hufflepuff." Andrew Johnson, and every
successor I sorted into that house, are "negative Hufflepuffs," in there
because the traits that make for sorting into other houses are even more
lacking than the characteristics of Hufflepuff.
Most people who do this sort of thing simply put the presidents they
like into the Good House (usually Gryffindor) and the presidents they
don't like into the Bad House (Slytherin). I tried to rise above that.
Ultimately, sorting the presidents is not a cut-and-dried affair for
most, and qualities of all four houses are necessary to even become
president:
* Gryffindor: As the Bob Dole campaign made abundantly clear, a
successful run for president requires personal charisma, and while many
who actually did hold the office were lacking in the personality
department, when this was the case it was the result of something that
happened during the term of a predecessor.
* Hufflepuff: If you are not a workaholic, do not even dream of becoming
president of our republic, for the job is not suited toward any other
kind of person.
* Ravenclaw: Rocket scientists do not make good presidents, and while
many presidents have styled themselves as the smartest people ever to
set foot in Washington D.C., it has long been known that only a leader
who is trying to micromanage needs significantly more than the average
dose of brains. A casual glance at the history of our republic is enough
to observe that the most pervasive failures of our presidents have been
mostly failures of courage and commitment to American values, and not
failures of brainpower. It is sufficient for a president that he grasp
the principles of the issue at hand.
* Slytherin: Except for Washingtonwho was practically drafted into the
roleevery president has had to face a winner-take-all contest for the
job, and therefore a dose of self-interest has been at work in all the
presidents to succeed him."
-------------------------------
Along the same lines, are there any ideas out there on what the Sorting
Hat might say when placed on the heads of the eleven-year-olds Joseph
Biden, John McCain, Barack Obama or Sarah Palin? (...or Ralph Nader?
...or???)
--
Green-Eyed Chris
My sole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others!