If not, how much would you counteroffer?
(If you aren’t an American, assume for this hypothetical that you were suddenly granted citizenship and all other requirements are waived.)
That’s a seriously low amount of money for this. Most Presidents will make much more than this out of office in just speaking fees and the normal grifting and graft that happens around them. You’d be endangering your ability to make so much more money in the future if that was your goal.
They know it’s a low amount and are trying to see if their potential new puppet is dumb enough to accept it.
So, it’s a decoy snail?
if i’m president, didn’t i almost certainly take such a deal already?
Maybe you got a cabinet position for… um idk… Secretary of Agriculture because the president knew you and decided to appoint you for some reason? And then he/she and the VP both got involved in a huge scandal or something and everyone else in the line of succession were fired by the president for snitching on him/her regarding the scandal, then you are now the next in line?
(Don’t think too hard, it’s a hypothetical 😉)
This prompt hurts my brain.
You are the President of the United States.
You are the leader of a nation. Hundreds of millions of people are depending on you.
How many tootsie rolls would it take you to sell out to a rich fuck who has that many tootsie rolls?
Fuck you. I have 4 years. We need to kick our fossil fuel addiction. People deserve privacy. Domestic terrorists need to feel fear again. The government needs to be reminded it serves the people…
Let me drive the bargaining up to 100 million, then let me shove a red hot fire poker up your ass and leave you in a dank cell to die aching.
Then let me live a decent life where I might not feel the excess of being rich, but my diner tabs are paid for, my bar tabs are covered, and I have friends who make sure my home is safe.
Soooo… that’s a “no”, I take it?
Even Senators are worth like fifteen times that in spite of a 200k/year salary.
You assume they’re bribed but I’ll bet it’s both death threats AND bribes.
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Don’t know if you know this, but most bribes most politicians (not the president) take are really small. Like 2k-maybe 20k to fuck over your country and the people you represent. Shit is wild, I thought it would be so much more.
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Wouldn’t happen
But… you took the bribe.
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I don’t think you understand what the position of president can really do. If someone is bribing the president they aren’t looking to get a permit or pass a law. They are looking for top classified information like military projects, CIA agents, nuclear infrastructure or nuclear activation codes. No amount of money would change my mind.
Presidents aren’t typically bribed. I can only think of 1 in the last 30 years that probably accepted a bribe. That was probably to eat beans in the white house.
I’m thinking of like a scenario where Congress doesn’t lean either side, and a good law narrowly passed congress, and they want you to veto it. Also appoint their list of nominees for executive departments, courts. Using your position to push their propaganda, basically selling your self to be their puppet. Would you just ignore morals and get rich being a corrupt politician?
Bribing an extra congress person is a lot cheaper and you have a lot more options. They would have bribed congress a lot more before it got to bribing the president.
Bribing a congress person is only 1 of many votes. Bribing the president give you control over 1/3 of government, all nominations to executive departments, judicial nominations, and executive orders. I mean obviously 1 million isn’t even a lot, I’m just trying to see how desparate are Lemmy users for money. I mean you can up the offer to 100 million per year for the president and still cheaper than 1 million per year per congress person for at least 51 senators, and 218 representatives. Even a 200 million offer is still cheaper than bribing congress. And 1 million isn’t gonna be acceptable to some of the congress members who aren’t that in need of money.
you only need 51 senators. You don’t need to control the House if you control the Senate, only if you want to pass bills but if you want to block them then the 51 senators will do. The president can’t enact laws, only veto them, which technically the Senate can override. So overall bribing 67 senators is the way to go. That said senators cost around 350 thousand a month. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-arkansas-state-senator-sentenced-role-bribery-scheme
If i became president then the world is already a lost cause and money is worthless.
I laugh in their face and tell them it takes waaaaaaaaaay more than that to buy me. Like at least a hundred times that.
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They stop giving you money, spend it on helping your opponent win. Manipulate congress to impeach you. Also they can blackmail you since you technically took a bribe, you just didn’t honor your end of the deal. Realistically, it wouldn’t be the rich person himself/herself talking to you about it, but someone that works for them. They can have one of their goons admit bribing you and they can exchange their testimoney against you for their immunity against prosecution. They might’ve made a secret recording of the conversation, but conviently left out the part of which wealthy billionaire they’re working for. You might not even know the identity of which billionaire, all of the interaction could be through messengers.
No. First your going to be somewhat wealthy to begin. Secondly the pay is fairly good and third it just is not worth the headache.
I am a well of person and there is no amount of money that would interest me to do something that illegal much less immoral. Few wealthy people need to take illegal money when they can generate it legally.
I think the majority of people who would take money in this position would do it out of ego over any other motive.
This is assuming you just become president with your current status of wealth. Maybe the internet made a meme and decided elect you “for the lulz”, maybe the electors just don’t care, maybe mass hysteria, divine intervention, doesn’t matter. In this hypothetical; You suddently become president, this is a question of whether you give a shit about ethics (or if you even have a moral compass at all).
Yeah nah, the US president makes 400k USD a year + benefits. That should be more than enough for any person.
If not, how much would you counteroffer?
If someone attempted to bribe me I would automatically assume their proposal was a bad idea.
Why get only 400k when you can have more? 😈
