C. Cuffaro/Warner Bros.
Long time readers of CliqueClack can tell you this is the season in which we begin our nominees for President of these fine states. If you’ve been tuned in, you’ve already seen our impassioned nods for Rupert Giles, the Head of Richard Nixon, Optimus Prime, Laura Roslin, and Jed Bartlet. Our latest nominee, like some of these mentioned, is no stranger to the Presidency. In fact, like our great forefather George Washington, John Sheridan was the first president of a new “nation,” such as it was.
Actually, it was more an alliance of alien worlds and cultures, but the point remains. In fact, he was the president of a new alliance of multifarious beings; a melting pot if you will. Not unlike this great nation. And these are trying times in our great country, America.
John Sheridan is a war hero, a diplomat of the highest order, an impassioned and charismatic speaker. In short, he’s someone people want to follow. Of course, as with any candidate there are pros and cons to consider. And as we want our voting constituency to be as informed as possible, we’ll expand on these after the jump.
Pros
- Military Background: Sheridan has had experience as a military leader and a political leader. He gave Earth its only real victory in the Earth-Minbari War, solidifying his place in history as a great war hero. Later in his career, he lead an elite force of space Rangers, spearheading and leading a joint coalition in a war against beings far more powerful than anything ever seen before … and won! We are a nation at war. Who better to lead us to victory and ultimate peace than a former war hero?
- Experience: As the first President of the Interstellar Alliance, John Sheridan lead this bold fledgling government to great heights, helping to steer a new ship into uncharted and often troubled waters. While passionate about what is right, Sheridan also knew when diplomacy and even sacrifice were necessary to achieve everlasting peace.
- Morality: A spiritual man, John Sheridan has a strong code of ethics and morality that he adheres to. This is proven when he is faced with the difficult decision of seceding Babylon 5 from the Earth government when corruption and political abuses there became too much to bear. This is a right and a duty according to our Declaration of Independence, but still an incredibly dangerous and risky thing to do. Sheridan did it with the full support of his staff and the people of the station because he knew it was the right thing to do.
- First Lady: Let’s face it, a solid and impressive First Lady can do a lot to strengthen a ticket. A deeply spiritual woman, Delenn quickly transforms into a strong and decisive leader in her own right. Perfectly capable of handling difficult situations, this former Ambassador is every bit as qualified to lead this great nation as her husband, and in fact succeeded him as the second President of the Interstellar Alliance.
- Charisma: An impassioned speech writer and speaker, Sheridan has proven time and again that with a few choice words or even just his presence he can inspire greatness and enthusiasm from those around him. And as a true leader often leads by example, Sheridan has proven he has no fears jumping into the fray when needed.
- Looks: Let’s face it, we’re a visual nation. Ever since television became the forefront of news and information, people have gravitated toward good-looking candidates. With his handsome visage and his beautiful wife (who even notices that bone ridge on her head?), Sheridan is sure to increase his appeal with just a smile and a wink of the eye.
Cons
- Reckless: What some see as bravado, others might see as reckless. Sheridan has on more than one occasion thrown himself right into the heart of danger, and even died a few times along the way. A leader needs to realize his own importance as a leader.
- Re-Election Prone: After he was elected President of the Interstellar Alliance, John Sheridan served for almost twenty years. We haven’t had a sitting President that long since FDR (get it?). Of course, now Sheridan would have to amend the Constitution to stay longer than eight years, but did I mention how charismatic and inspiring he is? Stranger bills have passed due to emotion.
- Messiah Complex: Now, Sheridan himself doesn’t claim to be some sort of Messiah, but the fact remains that he is intricately entwined in spiritual matters, and has in fact died a couple of times and risen from the dead. Regardless of how he sees himself, if others see and regard him as some sort of larger than life spiritual figure, it can hurt his credibility.
- Death: Shortly before becoming President of the Interstellar Alliance, Sheridan was given a twenty year extension on his life. After he left office, he traveled around a bit before ultimately going beyond the rim with Lorien. Some believe (there’s that again) that he’ll return again some day, so maybe he could run then. Or we could just go through time and grab him before that whole death thing. He’s done it before.
There have been many television leaders and presidents on various shows, but Babylon 5 managed to transcend most of them, and John Sheridan was a stellar and impressive leader throughout his four year run on the series. And his was by no means a smooth ride. John Sheridan faced incredible obstacles and on more than one occasion near impossible odds, but always managed to come out of it smiling and with great hair. What more could you want out of the leader of the free world?
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