Three years ago today, the crowd in Top of the Hill suddenly exited the bar and took to the street en masse.
On television, Barack Hussein Obama had just been named the next president of the United States. The Young Democrats and other groups of students that gathered to watch the election results decided to celebrate as though Obama had just hit the winning shot of the NCAA championship. Those dancing in the middle of Franklin Street had to clear the road for cars every few minutes, only to return a second later.
Today, more people are sleeping and protesting in the streets than dancing in them. President Obama’s approval rating have hit all-time lows during the past two months. His potential competitors in next year’s presidential election aren’t inspiring much confidence, either. The line-up of GOP candidates looks more like the cast of a reality TV show, which is exactly how they’re being covered by the mass media.
Out of frustration and disappointment, here’s four people I think would make better presidential candidates than the ones we have now:
Kevin M. Murphy
The Occupy Wall Street movement should pay attention to this economics professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. His work focuses on unemployment and growing income inequality between white-collar and blue-collar workers. Murphy’s work also includes a cost-benefit analysis of the war in Iraq.
Geoffrey Canada
Canada’s interest in education and his strong leadership abilities have placed him in the roles of CEO and president of the Harlem Children’s Zone and a member of the Board of Directors of The After-School Corporation. Politicians have replicated some of Canada’s most successful practices, but he seems to be content working with, not for, the government, reportedly turning down an offer from Mayor Michael Bloomberg to become New York City Schools Chancellor.
Glenn Greenwald
