Star Trek Debate: Which Captain would make the best president?
From the very first episode in 1966, Star Trek was a little bit different from other television shows. It had a subtle political message that people of all backgrounds, beliefs and origins could one day come together and work towards a common goal. A rich, diverse and talented cast made the show that shouldn’t have happened into a masterpiece and spawned the most successful franchise of all time.
Star Trek began at a time when racial tensions were high, the Cold War was getting hot and homosexuality was still illegal in many places. Star Trek didn’t end these problems but it did give us hope for a brighter future where those problems would be looked back at with embarrassment; we were ignorant once, but then we got over it, built holodecks, invented replicators and created the Federation.
If the new Star Trek television series is going to be a success, it will have to get back to the roots of what made the show so great in the first place. It maybe catered to a new audience and aim to create a whole new following amongst kids who have an unimaginably vast array of television choices, but the show needs to convey the same message that it did in the 60’s; if we work hard and work together, the future might be pretty awesome.
No presidential candidate is perfect; the 2016 presidential race proved that. Many people were left, as often happens, with the president they didn’t vote for and didn’t want. I don’t really want to delve too much into what happened and why; mainstream media have gone overkill on that front, but I was interested in one question: Which Star Trek captain would get your vote for president of the United States?
All of the Star Trek captains were brave, wise and extremely smart, but they had unique styles of leadership and management that led them to the position they were in, but which captain had the best style to lead the United States?
Candidate No.1: Kathryn Janeway
Name: Kathryn Janeway
Birthplace: Bloomington, Indiana
Party: Republican
Running mate: Tuvok
Ethos: “There are three things to remember about being a starship captain: keep your shirt tucked in, go down with the ship, and never abandon a member of your crew.”
Policies: Having spent many years travelling in exotic places, namely the Delta Quadrant, Kathryn Janeway has a wealth of experience in foreign affairs. She is a firm believer in the constitution and will defend it to the last. She promises to be a strong leader who can connect with the people on a wide variety of issues. She is a resourceful leader that would create a plan follow it through, whatever the cost. More than likely to run on a ticket with her trusty lieutenant, Tuvok. I don’t believe there are any rules about the running mate having to be human..
Campaign slogan: “Which way? The Janeway!”
Candidate No.2: Benjamin Sisko
Name: Benjamin Sisko
Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana
Party: Democrat
Running mate: Major Kira
Ethos: “I wasn’t ’yelling. ‘ I was just expressing my opinion loudly.”
Policies: Another candidate with a great deal of expertise in foreign affairs having been a diplomat and an Emissary of the Prophets at a remote outpost for some time. Sisko also has military experience as the head of an alliance against a heavily armed enemy. A huge baseball fan, Sisko is a man of the people and will surely have great influence within the inner cities, but he will have a challenge unifying voters from all parties. Major Kira would make fine running mate, capable of rousing the working class vote with her take-no-prisoner attitude.
Campaign slogan: “Stop thinking; start doing!”
Candidate No.3: Jonathan Archer
Name: Jonathan Archer
Birthplace: Schenectady, New York
Party: Democrat
Running mate: T’Pol
Ethos: “Whenever a group of people start believing they’re better than everybody else, the results are always the same.”
Policies:
Archer is fairly new to the international diplomacy game and his team, whilst a tough and able bunch, are similarly inexperienced. He’s a very moral man, although he isn’t afraid of putting the rules to one side in order to get the job done, especially in a mirror universe. He would rely heavily on his secretary of defense to ensure his country is safe and he would rely on his advisors, namely running-mate T’Pol, to keep him firmly playing by the rules. He has the look, the feel and the voice of a seasoned diplomat and isn’t afraid to stand up to the establishment if they try to hold back his campaign until Earth is ready. He is also a known animal lover, especially dogs called Porthos.
Campaign slogan: “Go Archer or go home!”
Candidate No.4: James Tiberius Kirk
Name: James Tiberius Kirk
Birthplace: Riverside, Iowa
Party: Republican
Running mate: Spock
Ethos: “One of the advantages of being a captain, doctor, is being able to ask for advice without necessarily having to take it.”
Policies:
Crowds will flock to Kirk’s rallies as he runs on an agenda of traditional conservative positions. He is brash, brave and not afraid to say what he thinks, although social media sometimes catches him at bad moments. He trusts his team immeasurably, especially his wise yet bland running mate, Spock, and his close team of advisors. He will boldly go where no politician has gone before and unite people under his banner; although the advisors might have a job keeping him from controversy.
Campaign slogan: “2020 – Jim for the win!”
Candidate No.5: Jean-Luc Picard
Unfortunately Jean Luc Picard was disqualified at the early stages after a birth certificate circulated claiming that he’d been born in France. The document was found to be genuine and Picard, an early front runner retired from the race.
