Should I Run for President??

I think there is something important inside the fact that "generic democrat" does better against Trump than any actual Democrat that. The thing about being a real person existing in the real world is that people get to build themselves up by tearing you down. We have a media environment now that is so competitive and so valuable (both in dollars and in status) that an content that can get made will absolutely get made. That's just not good for people polling better than "just some guy."
I promise you, the moment I started running for office, lots of people would start to like me less because I would be examined from an entirely different (and far less flattering) kind of apparatus. Luckily for all of us, I have no interest in that both because I am far too busy doing things I am very excited about and because it sounds absolutely miserable.
good.store
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[@gephc4]

Yes! But No! But Yes, Yes! But also Nooooooooo!!!!

[@ThousandTimesBefore]

EXACTLY

[@busomite]

+

[@Dark_Umbre]

I agree with this

[@quantummenace7203]

But also yes 🙌🏼

[@El_cheesy]

But maybe nes, possibly yo

[@AludraEltaninAltair]

Thank you for not running for president. Thank you for explaining why you are not qualified to run for president. Thank you for reminding us that there are qualifications to be president. Thank you for reminding us that a presidential candidate should have the relevant qualifications. I am so tired, Hank. 😞

[@vlogbrothers]

It is a tiring moment...

[@ethank5059]

Maybe Hank shouldn’t run for president but I’ve seen his stances on a lot of issues and they’re REALLY good. It’s an amazing mix of pragmatic, evidence based while at the same time progressive and idealistic. Granted it may be easier to have the “right” beliefs when you’re not trying to get elected or pass legislation but I think our government would benefit from having more people with Hank’s views in office

[@OsirusHandle]

Id much rather someone be legislatively incompetent and politically competent than the reverse. The prior runs its wheels for term then ends with all the major problems still existant. I suppose you can argue that politics is really up the public, but then politicians are not actually politicians.

[@DonMarzzoni]

Unless you've been president, nobody has experience. Why does everyone keep saying it?

[@ElanLift]

The people that want to lead shouldn't, and the people that don't want to lead probably should be considered. Hank, if you fell into it, you'd do just fine. Some will say better than fine, and some will say worse.

[@alderin1]

I've long held that anyone who wants to be President of the US should be immediately disqualified, because that is a mark of insanity.

[@cheesi]

Reminds me of the quote from Catch-22 :) Orr was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to.

[@StoneAgeDudemanGaming]

My husband forbid me from politics as a condition of our marriage. I'm just insane enough to think id make good president.

[@cubeofcheese5574]

Divergent?

[@katrinasammons1448]

100000% agree. Anyone who wants that power should not have it lol

[@iamthinking2252_]

So we end up with a hitchhiker trilogy scenario, where a man ruling the universe just sits in a hut, removed from all worldly concerns, swinging the whole world about while sitting cozy with a cat by the fire and not a care in the world

[@ArtStardust]

If Hank Green wouldn’t want to be in charge of the US government, maybe it’s the US government that is the problem

[@peterwein1716]

Currently the US president has more power than any one person should have. It is too much power and responsibility. Hopefully the US will eventually see this and either remove powers from the presidency and disperse those powers to other government entities as appropriate or separate the presidency into multiple offices thus dividing the power and responsibility among multiple elected officials instead of a single one.

[@AmyHollinger1]

Well, if. Trump gets in, they absolutely won’t…. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025

[@lindsaykat3675]

I wouldn't wish the presidency on anyone I like. It sounds like it would kill your mental health and happiness.

[@ohiasdxfcghbljokasdjhnfvaw4ehr]

you have to already be pretty mentally ill to think you are good enough to be in charge of 300 million people

[@mygills3050]

and, potentially, the person themselves

[@OsirusHandle]

Destiny is surely worth more than your health, no?

[@liamevans1508]

@@OsirusHandlesince destiny doesn’t exist, only humans with varying amounts of drive, resources, and ability… Yeah. Yes. Definitely.

[@myladycasagrande863]

The problem with the presidency is that the people who are capable of doing it well have too much sense to want the job.

[@the_phantom_cat7912]

I would honestly rather risk someone who doesn't have any experience over someone like Trump

[@alien9279]

(Trump also did not have experience)

[@vlogbrothers]

Weirdly enough, he was somehow president for four years without getting any experience in how to govern.

[@brianhalligan9268]

@@vlogbrothers well yeah he spent most of it in bed watching TV or on the golf course.

[@busomite]

Trump was the no experience candidate. He was the one that convinced me never to take that path again.

[@the_erin_zone]

also hank has SO MUCH experience

[@tree427]

“A great man doesn’t seek to lead. He’s called to it. And he answers. And if your answer is no, you’ll still be the only thing I ever needed you to be." -Leto Atreides

[@Meloncov]

The rest of that story pretty strongly suggests that we should treat "great men who are called to lead" with more that a little bit of skepticism.

[@siddharthbhatia8815]

Yeah, after that Paul Atreides becomes emperor and kills 61 billion people. So maybe not the best example😬

[@tree427]

@@siddharthbhatia8815 Maybe I do not want him to become president

[@zero-pl3tt]

@@siddharthbhatia8815 Didn't he also set humanity on the "golden path" through his actions? or was that strictly his son?

[@SparrowHawk183]

Leto here for good time, not long time.

[@ScienceisRadAF]

What I want from a president: - Good communicator - Able to inspire people with hope vs fear - Knows enough to know they don’t know everything - Willing to admit they don’t know everything, out loud - Forever curious - Good judgement in asking the right experts for a given topic So ya, I’d vote for you.

[@ScienceisRadAF]

Oh, and functional empathy

[@ssdd28561]

+ OVERQUALIFIED in comparison. I would like to steal Hank to be the president of my country.

[@tialrojoj]

+

[@brokenrecord3523]

And that is what got us Trump. 😔 Not those qualities, but the just the wrong qualities. Also, look up parasocial relationship

[@ScienceisRadAF]

@@brokenrecord3523 I know what a parasocial relationship is, but not sure how it relates? And what do you mean by that is what got us Trump? He’s the opposite of most of the things I listed.

[@JBear87]

Hank unironically pivoting from "I don't want to be president" to "I do want to be the world's leading sock salesman" is such a perfect illustration of why I love nerdfighteria.

[@ScoobyMoose]

Love this comment ❤

[@JMurph2015]

For a split second I thought he was going to pivot to like "that's why I want to be a State Representative in ". It would have been a sellout, but it would have been a good pitch.

[@tomboy101sweet]

Nerdfighteria America > Christian Nationalism

[@SamuraiPoohBear]

no one would vote for a bunch of dorks like you

[@dangerousflyer4485]

Sadly I don't think the math works out like that🫠

[@hippymoustacherides]

It’s not about math it’s about doing the right thing for the right reasons!!!!!!

[@vlogbrothers]

Well...yes...

[@SupremeJarJar]

​​@vlogbrothers please run for predident once you get experience 🤣

[@amypedersen5435]

As Robert Caro said Power doesn't corrupt, it reveals

[@jliller]

So much this. Empathize and humanize all you want, but the sad reality is that a lot of people aren't good people.

[@interestingrobot9247]

I don't hope for an outsider because I think the system corrupts, I hope for an outsider because the current options are awful

[@doommustard8818]

I would rather hank accomplish nothing, than let the options that are available accomplish the things they want.

[@RayDrawzDragonz]

fr its literally convicted criminal who will commit genocide VS unconvicted war criminal whose currently commiting a genocide

[@MarkThePage]

Remember, you're not just voting for a president. You're voting for their administration, their cabinet, and the judges they'll nominate for life.

[@samueleborn9909]

Yep, plus they aren’t even the only person you vote for, there’s two names in every ticket

[@Artofcarissa]

this 100%

[@7spidersofhh]

which is exactly why Hank is a good vote tbh. him not wanting the position doesnt make him any less of a better candidate than what we got rn

[@The_fusion_physics_guy]

I think we in wisconsin have made it pretty clear to good ol joe that we'll vote for him as soon as he stops funding the murder of children. It's been 9 months though. Ball's been in his court for a long time, I think he lost it.

[@hotshot-te9xw]

Yeah and I would want to vote for hank green compared to trump and Biden who are too fucking old

[@rvmiv_]

No one who wants the role deserves it, and no one who deserves it wants it

[@forkyfork]

And that's the great American Paradox!

[@LightPink]

Big disagree and "deserve" is subjective.

[@thomaswillard6267]

​@@forkyforkoh wow, I never realized Plato was talking about America! /s

[@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat]

I would gladly have accepted Bernie as both wanting and deserving it. I struggle to find more than extremely minor complaints about anything he's done. And no, I'm not going to not vote because Bernie lost. I'm annoyed he lost and I honestly think the 2020 loss was largely due to the democratic party (especially the powerful high up figures like Obama and the Clinton's) fearing him more than they feared a Trump victory. It definitely seemed suspicious when he did pretty well early on and suddenly lots of top candidates just dropped out after a few early primaries... regardless, I'm getting conspiratorial and on a completely unrelated tangent anyway.

[@jaylewis9876]

Yes! We should have a draft with some sort of selection process. Perhaps one 6 year term and massive bonus to make up for it being involuntary

[@imsocorkyy]

the curls are REALLY standing out here friend, great styling

[@bwezil]

Hank, thanks for highlighting the “complexity” bit. People are quick to jump nowadays to say that if their candidate of choice compromises on anything with their opponents, they must be secretly with the other side; in reality, making something that has half what you want but not everything- but still actually gets passed- is better than the perfect thing that the other ~50% of people will never let get out the door. Also, thank you for preemptively abdicating your potential candidacy to continue your quest as a sock salesman. The socks are awesome, and they’re worth the presidency

[@trevinbeattie4888]

First time I listened through I misheard Hank sign off “John, I’ll see you in office” and I went “wait … WHAT??”

[@Sirake]

But why is he not seeing John in July? Are we going monthly on videos now?

[@rosemaryklauscher9389]

​@@SirakeJohn is taking July off. He talked about it in his last video.

[@Sirake]

@@rosemaryklauscher9389 thankyou, I missed that one

[@crunchynapkn3547]

You've got years to build experience before you're the ripe age for running for presidential primary

[@purdysanchez]

Fun fact. Obama had basically no experience when he ran for president. This video is just a bad take.

[@BoogerDad]

Running a country like a business means we're all employees instead of the owners.

[@samueleborn9909]

Unless the business is worker owned of course;)

[@kirbyfreak73]

+

[@KungfuCow5]

It’s also economically illiterate: businesses do not forge their own currency, and thus they can go broke. Governments with monetary sovereignty can never go broke.

[@burnyizland]

And doesn't it feel like that's how we're treated?

[@wavemancer]

oh damn this is a great line

[@spirit469]

The kind of person who understands they don't know enough to run is exactly the kind of person I want running, because they will surround themselves with people who do have the knowledge and actually listen to them.

[@burnyizland]

Holy shit I suggested you do that on the very last vid of yours I watched! I stand by it. You can always start with a smaller office while you learn - once upon a time you knew nothing about selling socks or any of the myriad things you do for Nerdfighteria.

[@gabby4558]

My thoughts seeing the title "Nooo Hank you don't need to start EVERY new thing"

[@ivytarablair]

the 'days since' website would have had a melt down😂

[@Alfonso162008]

Your comment reminds me of a scene from The Simpsons where Marge tells Homer (paraphrasing) "you don't have to do every single thing just because it is offered to you" 😂

[@gabby4558]

@Alfonso162008 oh that quote fits perfectly!

[@jenac2156]

I was pushing for Green/Green 2016. Like many others in the comments, I feel very "yes, but no, you would probably hate it" We will continue supporting your sock campaigns!

[@P-Mouse]

i kinda feel like they should be running against each-other

[@vlogbrothers]

I just want people to know that I would also not be /good/ at it.

[@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat]

​@vlogbrothers I believe in you! No but I actually would. Still, I'd like you to not age 50 years in 4 like most presidents.

[@gandalfholmes66]

@@vlogbrothers Honestly Hank, I think that while being president is a complex job, a lot of it does have to deal with not necessarily knowing everything yourself, but surrounding yourself with the best people who do know what they're doing and can help inform you. I think part of the reason why Trump got next to nothing done was simply because he didn't want to hire people who knew what they were doing, he wanted "yes men" who wanted to do what he wanted. I still don't think someone who hasn't previously had a position in government would necessarily do as good of a job/be as efficient as someone who's been in some sort of government position prior, but I think that they could get some good stuff done if they really wanted.

[@gephc4]

@@P-Mouse There you go. We could finally stop voting for the lesser evil and instead debate endlessly about who would be the greater good! Wouldn't that be a nice change.

[@antispeedrun]

Me, unemployed with chronic burnout/mental illness from living some of the spiciest of neurospicy living, having wanted for some time now to find a way to give some of my time to political causes but at a loss to figure out who to speak to about that: wait I CAN JUST FIGURE OUT HOW TO CONTACT MY STATE DNC (thanks, hearing this made that click for me!)

[@slwrabbits]

That's really cool, hope you are able to help! Isn't weird how the strangest things help you realize stuff you wouldn't think of on your own?!

[@mahzi_productions]

A great man doesn't seek to lead. He's called to it. And he answers. And if your answer is no, you'll still be the only thing I ever needed you to be. We love you, Hank!

[@weedlechu]

I still think it’s so cool that Hank’s hair is just curly now

[@vlogbrothers]

Me too

[@You_work_tomorrow]

@@vlogbrothersdid the little nodules on the base of the hair grow after cancer? God or anyone who can forbid it, but if you beat cancer multiple times could you get an Afro like me? I’m from Cameroon, so interested in this and very little about details when I look. Thanks for the curiosity

[@mayaenglish5424]

@@You_work_tomorrow There is a video about it on Scishow but long story short they aren't sure exactly why it happens because there hasn't been much study done on the topic. Hair can do all sorts of weirdness after chemo.

[@SigFigNewton]

Hey remember that time when cancer scared the straight right out yo head

[@ObviouslyBenHughes]

Okay but hear me out… Hank Green: Sockretary of State.

[@AludraEltaninAltair]

YES.

[@fossilfighters101]

+

[@michaelmicek]

-

[@AndreaCrisp]

++😂🙃🤣++

[@squirrel5809]

I am extremely not a fan of puns, but this is so good

[@Akkodha.]

I want an outsider not because the system corrupts but because the the "insiders" so far are not cutting it.

[@imsocorkyy]

as a (now former) government / politics worker, thank you for this video. more people need to hear this perspective. SO true.

[@stevegeorge6880]

Hank Green for president of the national department of socks!

[@tarabates7088]

+

[@turdl38]

I believe that would be secretary of socks, but YES

[@stevegeorge6880]

@@turdl38 S.O.S. I like it.

[@Beanzoboy]

@@turdl38 Sockretary?

[@craigr.3135]

Imagine having an educated, charming, survivor educator who pushes positivity and deep thinking as a public figure.

[@homosapien6031]

Sounds like a dream compared to the situation we have now. But… it’s understandable why it’s not the most practical. This public figure would also have to lead the armed forces, and go up against people who care nothing of the truth, and use lies and slander routinely

[@brookethorpe9690]

It would be amazing

[@ObsidianxAlice]

We already do, in so many ways. Hank and John are very public figures, they're just not politicians. The good that they're doing is tangible and meaningful, and the nuance and critical thinking skills they teach is important. If Hank Green were to become a politician, his job would be significantly changed - he could no longer be the educator you see him as now. Better to vote in your local elections, and get involved. Change isn't fast, but if voters make it clear that something's not working, elected official risk losing if they don't listen, and that's powerful.

[@space_1073]

The people who are dumb think they are capable, and the actually smart people think they know nothing. Nobody who deserves to be president also thinks they should be president. They’re too humble.

[@RobertJones]

"John I'll see you in August" was such a huge giggle line for me, and I'm not sure why.

[@Elrond_Hubbard_1]

Starting in local governance is how you GET experience though.

[@vlogbrothers]

Right! Yes!! 100%. I just don't want to!!

[@bluetannery1527]

@@vlogbrothers starting to think maybe you should get experience in montana democratic politics

[@Amy-wt7wq]

​@@bluetannery1527 but he doesn't want to! And that's fair!

[@kepspark3362]

​@@vlogbrothersWhy don't you want to? Like safer life? Don't want to put yourself in situations in which you'll have to pick some over others? If all seek easy life, times when it's bad won't improve.

[@stainedglasspixie]

@@vlogbrothers I tried to work in local government in a very leftist town and it was STILL a nightmare!

[@teachercarli]

So, Hank, I live in the same state as you, and let's just say I used to hold a non-elected position in state government. People around me were constantly asking me to run for the elected position at the top of the department. Don't get me wrong, it felt good for people to see me as someone competent to do the job, but I don't want it. I don't want to be in a popularity contest. I'm an introvert. I'm also chronically ill with Ankylosing Spondylitis snd stress flares my disease. If I can, I'll guide quiety from the inside, but no running for me. I'm not Hank Green, but I kinda understand this.

[@MegaKiri11]

The best person to be elected is often the one who doesn't want it. And the worst people are who really really want it. Unfortunate paradox.

[@Momo83]

Thank you! I've been so worried about how many people are seeing this in terms of Good vs. Evil, Us vs. Them, Yes vs. No, etc. and are forgetting our are unwilling to see the nuance and details involved in politics.

[@VictorMartinez-zf6dt]

Yes! Absolutely yes!

[@fabregas10kleine]

Aw the 'John, see you in August' hit differently

[@rantingrodent416]

I have high respect for both politicians and lawyers because everyone hates them for doing a difficult job that has to be done, and if done properly will make a lot of people hate you. The rest of us get to pretend everything is simpler than it is and blame the people who handle the inherent complexity for the fact that the complexity exists.

[@michaelmicek]

+

[@vlogbrothers]

Agree...but also a lot of politicians and lawyers really do suck, so it would be great if that happened less.

[@brubs2556]

@@vlogbrothers as a lawyer, that hurts my feelings, Hank! lol jk, but I do think being a lawyer is no different than, say, being a web developer or something. You have a skill and you can use it for good things or for bad things. There are tons of lawyers who are just out there protecting the rights of people all over the world.

[@trevinbeattie4888]

Exactly why my aunt persuaded my cousin against running for a local office.

[@subscribetopizzatheonlyrea7322]

exactly! whatever you say about trump/biden, no one could do it better!

[@Alzorath]

While I think we need less career politicians, and more citizen politicians - I do agree, straight from personality to president is not a good path. And frankly, I think we do need more people with your philosophies and approach to knowledge in leadership roles, the trick is maintaining those philosophies and approaches in the face of experiencing the system (be it fighting against it, or working with it). And really - I think a more important place to focus is on getting people like you into Congress, not President. People often forget just how much both influence what does (and does not) get done. We need more good people, not just one good person.

[@grannypeacock]

Honestly I think you're the only KZbinr I would consider voting for. You are involved in leading such a diversity of projects that I trust you to understand the complexity of the job even while lacking knowledge of the details. I would trust you to gather smart knowledgeable people to help you. While I love your beliefs, I also trust you to put working with people ahead of ideology. I think you would be an excellent example to others in office and to the rest of the country on how to be a leader. But I don't think you should run because you don't want to. Good luck becoming the world's biggest sock dealer

[@Elzyrix]

in my lifetime, since 1980, every time we elect a celebrity to president, it has been horrible...

[@geeksdo1tbetter]

/genuine - did we elect celebs before the 1900s?

[@MikeJones-vk3wz]

@@geeksdo1tbetter I don't think you can really say that we had celebrities back then in the same way we do now. Before the 1900s mass media was like... books and newspapers. Entertainers didn't have nearly the reach they would achieve with radio, film, and eventually the internet.

[@MrBrock314]

@@MikeJones-vk3wz Ulysses S Grant would definitely have counted as a celebrity since he was a war hero.

[@heroichitsuji]

@@MrBrock314Right, but it kinda falls apart there because he literally had leadership experience.

[@jogadorjnc]

​@@MrBrock314 I think the issue is with professional celebrities, people whose primary job is to be famous. But it does feel like an inherent problem of democracy: as society and technologies progress and let people focus more on their leisure, the people's urgency to elect capable candidates gets lower. It feels like there's an unfortunate trajectory inherent to democracy: 1. People see how shit life can be and use their vote as a tool to improve their lives 2. Over time, people's lives get better and they start focusing more on entertainment and leisure (this is a good thing) 3. As day-to-day gets progressively more light-hearted, serious things (like voting) get less of a focus 4. Eventually entertainers see politics as another niche to fill and start running for office: politics as entertainment gains traction 5. Voting becomes a form of audience participation, rather than a tool to improve lives (this differs from dystopias where votes don't matter, because here they do still matter: Biden winning the US presidential elections leads to a markedly different world than him losing) Weirdly enough, I think we're reaching a kind of post-seriousness utopia/dystopia (a sillytopia, if you will) that wasn't even considered when the concept of democracy came about, and which it isn't well-equipped to handle. I have no clue what the next solution is, for now the only thing I can think of is mindfully taking our votes seriously to try to compensate for it, but that's a solution for individuals, not society.

[@pederw4900]

I DO believe in Hank Green’s ability to find people who do know how to do the job and uniting them in a good vision for the country

[@brookethorpe9690]

Same.

[@sexyscientist]

Have you seen the glassdoor reviews of complexly when Hank was the CEO?

[@lilypudd]

My Dad always used to say that when you vote, you are hiring that person to do a job for you as a voting citizen. Too many people think it's a popularity contest and never look at the whole of it. People need to be qualified & be experienced. Even though I personally think you'd make a great leader, I think what you do here now, is more important. You reach more people and positively influence more here. Thanks and keep the sock going! 😊

[@donov25]

Well no. Almost all forms of electoral politics always boil down to a popularity contest and thats to do with the form of the system not the individuals forced to be inside it.

[@lilypudd]

@@donov25You know you could have just scrolled by but no, you just had to tell me I'm wrong. It's my post. It's my opinion. If you don't like it fine but you don't need to be a jerk about it.

[@berglettemom6045]

Well said, Hank!

[@_maxgray]

Hank, if you ever change your mind about running for office, you would be excellent. Your humility and willingness to learn from others would serve you well - your constituents would be lucky to have you.

[@lynnaschaefer]

maybe start with the local school board? Relevant and needed to bulwark the banning books crowd

[@wildflower1397]

I agree. If there was ever anyone who would simply ignore special interests, it's Hank. He wouldn't even fight with them, just look at them and say "naw". 😂

[@homosapien6031]

@@wildflower1397lmao true

[@RedBar3D]

Bernie had both experience and a vision. I often ponder what the world would have looked like right now had Bernie become the democratic nominee in 2016.

[@renim2974]

A wasteland.

[@carad5104]

Especially because he was considered old back then but younger then than those running now...

[@lekeAchgeketum]

This always hits me so hard. He had such a following in 2016, until Super PACs chose Hillary, and...here we are today, still feeling the effects of that monumentally short-sighted decision.

[@RedBar3D]

@@lekeAchgeketum I'm not even an American and it hits me hard as well.

[@ann5944]

love the energy in this one, hank! that and the humility of you going from presidential hopeful to socks salesman 😂

[@RyanCrossOfficial]

Enticing, but I'm glad to hear your thoughts. I wish more people would watch the video "The Rules for Rulers" (and read the book its based on) which does such a great job explaining why politics and politicians are the way they are.

[@talos_the_automaton2329]

I think Hank is already something much better than a president, a humanitarian. And also a socks salesman.

[@lorenabpv]

unrelated to the topic, but this color of shirt looks great on you! very summer-y

[@yourfriendmelanie]

reminds me of the professor from the movie Atlantis!

[@SeanTBarrett]

Did it? I don't remember, I couldn't stop looking at his curly hair.

[@vlogbrothers]

Thank you! Like all of my best shirts, someone else bought it.

[@evandesdelcay971]

You'll never have nice shirts if people keep buying them from you! Not everything has to be a business, Hank.

[@MikeMcCaffrey]

Damn, I wore my awesome socks to the municipal waste transfer station yesterday, but didn't think to take a photo while recycling that broken microwave.

[@gillesdelatoet]

A truly great answer to Tuesday

[@Macieks300]

Paradoxically, I think not wanting to be a politician is a good trait for someone I'd like to vote for.

[@kenrickman6697]

I have often said that the first qualification for any public office should be a complete lack of desire to do the job. Anyone who WANTS that job is either severely deranged or power hungry or corrupt, so no matter what I don’t trust them with the job.

[@demonduck132]

@@kenrickman6697 I think it's important to make the distinction between wanting to DO the job and wanting to HAVE the job. I will absolutely vote for someone who understands the job and wants to actually do it, but I am not comfortable voting for someone who just wants to BE president.

[@MrBrock314]

@@kenrickman6697 It's important to hire people who want the job they're about to get in all fields, including the President. If you don't want the job, you won't be committed to it and put forth a good effort. Even good people are lazy in jobs they don't want.

[@morganpavelka4945]

Hi Hank, I work in local government and I couldn’t agree more that things are complex and never quite as one sided as they seem. I hope everyone looks into the candidates for their state legislature and considers supporting the people who align with their values. Your time and money mean a lot to these smaller campaigns. And while I agree you probably shouldn’t run for president, Hank, you would be a great Montana state legislator! DFTBA

[@amberbydreamsart5467]

Honestly, taking the time to research every single person on my ballot (as well as i can - BOY some of those people don't even have facebook pages) is honestly the only marginally enjoyable part of elections. I get to learn a little more about the small local positions and what people hope to do with them.

[@morganpavelka4945]

@@amberbydreamsart5467 I love it!! I always offer to help friends who might be a bit less up to date on local issues. Some organizations (like the teachers union) also will make a sample ballot with their recommended candidates.

[@trevinbeattie4888]

And spending a term as a state congressman can give him useful experience to one day, for example, running for federal office. ;)

[@EducatedNation2]

Me too! I’ve always been an advocate for voting in local elections but now I’m a really big advocate for it because it determines how hard the next couple of years of my life are going to be.

[@morganpavelka4945]

@@EducatedNation2 yeah i think people often don’t realize that the more localized an election the more impact it has on your everyday life.

[@SamiJaneRen]

My favourite show on Netflix, The Diplomat, covers lots of conversations of this type of dialogue. And now I’m off for a rewatch 😂

[@poiuybest]

Hello, greetings from Singapore! I recently heard your vlog w Secy of Transportation, PB. Am Singaporean. I enjoyed your two ways conversations. Where I wanted to share and perhaps point you to for some answers to your many questions and/or ideas of future of transportation in Singapore as a reference. I am not suggesting we have all the answers or things we do are models for everyone in the world. But I wish to say, as a very small state/city/country, we have no choice but to embark on many of your important questions you asked PB during the interview. Well wish you speedy travel and perhaps find some time to swing by here in Singapore one day and enjoy some time in this part of the world. With that, i wish you continued good health (as revealed in your vlog, you r on a cancer recovery process 🫡) and good luck. Hope u get to your vlog name..I bet the high speed rail between LA and LV is likely to be on time as well…haha

[@nobbie01]

I'm terrified people I like end up in power, that they will no longer be the fantastic people I've known them before then.

[@bradleystites]

I'd still take that risk over the people running I know are outright shit

[@rantingrodent416]

Even if they do continue to be the fantastic people you've known them to be, the job will require them to make decisions you won't like or understand, because it is clear to someone with all of the context that it is the least bad choice.

[@vlogbrothers]

Having been a person with power, I think it is just as likely that they don't stop being fantastic people but instead: 1. Are in situations where they have to make brutal compromises that no one has the time or interest to understand. 2. Are in situations where small differences of opinion or values are magnified. 3. Do not act very quickly because their own power intimidates them. 4. Are constantly barraged by people trying to obliterate them and so they become extremely careful. A thoughtful person with power is still a powerful person, and part of what we don't like about powerful people is that they are not acting exactly how we would, and part of the reason they are not acting exactly like we would is because they are powerful. This is certainly not always the case, but I have seen it close up.

[@yeahbutthendragons152]

​@@vlogbrothersincredibly thoughtful take hidden here in these replies

[@shifterzx]

I had hoped Kevin Sorbo would have taken the values his characters of Hercules and Dylan from Andromeda had to heart but he's so awful in real life.

[@lionelf329]

I'd much prefer to have good politicians getting nothing done because of bad politicians than bad politicians efficiently making things worse because they all agree and are able to work together

[@InterloperBob]

Hank, my sock situation is in tatters, thank you for asking, I wasn't sure who I could talk to about this. For decades, my home town had a speciality sock store and it closed this summer. When my socks became worn at my job in which I walk around for 8 hours straight on concrete, I didn't know how to replace them. I have very specific sock needs that I won't elaborate about, but needless to say Amazon or any delivery is a laughable proposition. I need to see and feel and try on and ask questions about the socks before I purchase them. I went to Walmart. Their socks are locked behind glass cases. I asked the employee to unlock the cases, and she did, but she also told me that I'm not allowed to try on the socks or put them in my cart - they needed to be purchased immediately for "security reasons." Remember, these are socks, not iPhone. Anyway I rules them out. Target's sock selection was downright dilapitated. JCpenny didn't have my size, and I just don't like them. Kohl's is in another county, but it was my only chance until I had an epiphany! They sell socks at shoe stores! And there are so many of them. I just walked into a shoe store right next to the target and they had exactly what I needed, at reasonable prices, in bulk. And no one looked twice at me trying them on because everyone else is trying on shoes anyway.

[@MrGameAndWatch_3]

I feel like since Hank doesn’t want to do it, someone like him with more political experience would be great

[@Lily-cx1vo]

Wish when you mentioned that tax cut, you specified it wasn’t for regular people. It was for millionaires and billionaires.

[@Ikbob11]

No, there was a little sprinkle for workers.....but significantly more for the rich to be sure

[@colonelb]

For what it's worth, I think you're EXACTLY the type of leader that the founders would want for our country. Washington himself was a reluctant leader who didn't want to do it, and reluctant leaders make the best leaders. I've been in a hiring role for tech for decades and voting is essentially hiring, and what I've learned is that the skills can be taught, so you don't hire for them, you hire for communication and morality. And that's why I'd vote for you - because you and your brother have made it your mission to help as many people as possible. Be it with education like crash course or PIH or other charity work, you have had many, many, many opportunities where you COULD have done something to make a lot of money for yourself, and instead have always looked at how you could make a lot of money to help other people instead, and you surround yourself with the best talent you can find and honestly try and learn as much as you can from the people around you. You can learn government processes, but you can't learn morality or selflessness. Cheers

[@seal7224]

exactly

[@homosapien6031]

You can learn morality and selflessness, but it’s certainly much, much harder. I think you’re right that Hank could learn, and I would definitely vote for him, but running means going through all sorts of lies and slanders. And he might not even succeed cuz people aren’t the smartest.

[@sohu86x]

Not all reluctant ppl are the best... Cmon think for a moment

[@bobert6259]

We are not born with morality or selflessness or any other trait, all of that is a combination of nature and nurture (imo it’s overwhelmingly about who you were taught to be). Governing an entire country is something that is quite hard, and for a job like president of the US, that’s not something you can afford to do on the job. I agree that Hank is a great guy, but part of the problem with modern politics is that we vote for who we like instead of who will be good at the job.

[@XIIchiron78]

While true that Hank might not be the best qualified, it is also true that so long as people who could make a difference decide to abstain from the process, nothing will change. If everyone were to wait until they were ready, nobody could run at all. The most important quality in a leader is humility, and the ability to listen to the right people, at the right times. The president, after all, has a literal army of people to manage their duties, and a monstrosity of state apparatus and bureaucracy with all of the experience and knowledge they may lack. After that, it's their ability to communicate and rally the people to actually create a specific narrative and direction for the country. The president, despite the Supreme Courts best efforts, is not in fact a dictator. They are an overseer and executive - not a micromanager. Hank's experience doing what he does is probably more relevant than you think - juggling a large number of organizations and individuals, while gaining the kind of generalist knowledge that lets you make good decisions about who and what to trust. There are certainly more experienced people who would be better suited, but the best option is also the one who can actually win and do any good at all. None of them matter if they have no chance. Idealistically, he is correct, of course. There should be a process, and a career, and reputation and experience and relationships, blah blah blah. Yet, I think he would also do better than basically anybody else who is in serious contention. His current mission is very important, obviously. And maybe he can do more good there than in politics. Yet I am left with the question... Who, then?

[@ProjectLOOP_]

You seem genuine and actually care about people. At this point, the bar is so low, you'd completely have my vote, lmao!

[@lukaslambs5780]

I know you don’t have experience but I know that your heart is in the right place and you would learn as much as you can and you’ve demonstrated that you are a thoughtful and reasonable person. Also you don’t have several egregious flaws that would in my eyes disqualify you from the presidency…. and you’re young! I feel as confident in those statements about you as much as is possible for a person whom I have never I’ve never met. Regardless of what you do, I hope you are happy! The world is a better place with Hank Green in it!

[@SideshowCris]

Things Hank is good at: [X] Running for/Being President [✓] Soliciting Feet Pics for Review

[@DragCadRacing]

Thank you, Hank, for not running for president. You are much more powerful where you are now!

[@petsgamesandrobots438]

A great man doesn't seek to lead. He's called to it. And he answers.

[@kaloncpu57]

Totally agree that experience is good and the amount of money involved is an issue. I think politicians should still make enough so they can give their full attention to their job and helping us all out, but not enough that they become out of touch or corrupt, and especially not the amount they're currently allowed to get from outside groups who just want something from them.

[@Anteum]

The number one thing I look for in a leader is that they don't want to do it. They see the responsibility for what it is, a burden of sorts, not a chance to exercise their will. Second, the ability to distinguish fact from fiction and the self awareness that allows one to know the limits of their abilities and when to defer to others. Third, empathy and an objective to make change that does the most good for the most people. Experience with bureaucracy helps to accomplish more, but the rest is necessary to accomplish good.

[@XIIchiron78]

While true that he might not be the best qualified, it is also true that so long as people who could make a difference decide to abstain from the process, nothing will change. If everyone were to wait until they were ready, nobody could run at all. The best candidate is the one who can make a difference. Not the best one in theory, but the one who can actually win. And because our traditional systems are so broken, it is probably going to take people with alternative standing and recognition, like Hank, in order to usurp the quagmire we are in. Because the people who are more qualified have no chance at all.

[@Anteum]

@@XIIchiron78 I think Hank has the three qualities I listed. As much as could be hoped for; there is no perfect candidate. The problem with self-aware people is they know their limits and can't muster the confidence to match those who don't. I would vote for Hank. He's smart and caring. The rest can be learned.

[@martinc7873]

What you said about working with multiple special interest groups really hits me. "why doesnt biden make abortion legal" well first he has to write a comprehensive law that like 200 people will like enough to agree with, which is hard and takes a long time, because this is a democracy, actually, despite what trump keeps saying the president does not have unilateral power to do whatever they want

[@vlogbrothers]

It is really important for us to remember that Trump cannot just do everything he says he's going to do...and that probably, if he is president again, he will try and bluff and bluster his way into doing things that he does not have the political power to get done. If we pretend that his threats are real when he is in power, he will have that power over us. We'll need to constantly remind the world that this is still our country.

[@trevinbeattie4888]

​@@vlogbrothershe couldn’t do everything he wanted in the first term just because of career bureaucrats who got in the way. He’s learned from that and had plans to replace them all with loyalists: “Schedule F”. That’s part of the plans to expand presidential power should _any_ Republican take control of the executive branch again (Project 2025). In addition, recent rulings from the SCOTUS have shown that the judicial branch is willing to give a Republican executive carte blanche to do whatever they want. We can’t let that happen.

[@Zaki_1052]

⁠@@vlogbrothers​​⁠​⁠respectfully, we can only hope (and vote!) that local elections pan out enough that Project 2025 (kzbin.info/www/bejne/nYraoqOua9GjldU) from the Heritage Foundation (static.project2025.org/2025_MandateForLeadership_FULL.pdf) will make it so that Trump’s threats against Democracy don’t actually come true. I don’t know why I’m telling you this - you’re literally Hank Green - but I really truly hope you’re right about that last point. I’m going to be in college in a couple months, and it’s scary to think that everything I was just taught in Government about the Executive may no longer be true by the time I graduate.

[@T61APL89]

Which is completely true... until the most recent SCOTUS ruling that literally every legal professional including the 3 remaining good justices are warning that it breaches the exact balance of power you outline... but we'll just ignore that and shout "Orange man bad! Ehatever can old Joe do?"

[@mascot4950]

His undisguised aims at autocracy, should be a point of worry. It seems unlikely that current legislation offers sufficient protection against authoritarianism. There are probably good reasons why The Economist Democracy Index rates the US as a flawed democracy as opposed to a full democracy. When it's gotten to the point of other nations updating their constitutions to protect against "trumpian" political influence over the judicial system, that's not a great sign. If I were American, I would vote for a literal chipmunk over Trump at this point.

[@Kristoferpalmestal]

I you continued communicated your choices and the complexities of them, I would vote for you despite your lack of experience.

[@orangemage9522]

The person who wants power seldom deserves it. The person who deserves power seldom wants it.

[@SylviusTheMad]

It is important to remember that politics are governance are different things. That's a problem, because we elect people based on their skill at politics, but then we live in the environment created by their governance. You are very good at understanding and explaining conplex systems. This is relevant to both politics and governance, and is something many politicians do poorly, which is probably why you look like a good candidate. I do encourage you to run for Governor should the opportunity arise. If nothing else, it would be an excellent learning experience, and you would really enjoy that.

[@AludraEltaninAltair]

I'd be way more excited to hear that Hank ran for his local school board. There are so many local elected offices where people can make a real difference, but we tend to only focus on the big, flashy ones.

[@darththespian4856]

Yeah no I’d rather see him in small government.

[@MrBrock314]

It's a bad idea for anyone with no experience in politics to run for any major office. Good intentions are not enough. Better to train up some nice 17-year olds in political science or law and get them into local government and have them work their way up.

[@jexx7584]

Hank, your vibes are always on point.

[@skysthelimitvideos]

Hank I would definitely vote for you. I would canvas for you. I hope you change your mind on this someday I would be so dedicated. I do agree that any celebrities or KZbinrs who want to run for office should start lower than president though. But you are one of the very few non-politician public figures I would actively and happily support for public office.

[@SeanGHOB]

Excellent pivot to sock marketing.

[@emmyjohnson6143]

Reminder that this upcoming election is literally between (deeply imperfect) democracy and fascism. Highly recommend the episode of 5-4 (podcast) about Trump v. United States for more understanding.

[@AludraEltaninAltair]

This!!!!!!! You can also check out Rachel Maddow's discussion of the subject. Or John Oliver's. Whatever flavor you like, find someone explaining what the stakes actually are because it's not about picking between 2 flawed dudes.

[@OwlBeThere4U]

+

[@ivytarablair]

can't repost this enough: “Voting isn’t marriage, it’s public transport. You’re not waiting for “the one” who’s absolutely perfect: you’re getting the bus, and if there isn’t one to your destination, you don’t not travel- you take the one going closest.” @DebbieBMoon

[@pthaloblue100]

+ + + I think this is the best thing we can do, make certain the people in our circle know what the stakes for this election really are!

[@MrBrock314]

@@AludraEltaninAltair That's partially true. They are still 2 flawed dudes. Just one is riddled with flaws like a 1930s Al Capone shooting. However, the bigger problems in the US will NOT be solved by voting in either of them. That will take a new person (or more accurately, generations of them) entirely.

[@user-by2ov1wt8g]

Really got my hopes up -

[@KiddsockTV]

Absolutely!! President of Socks!

[@lisamagnussonbiel5695]

I wore my awesome socks today while trying on wedding dresses! I found the one, and attribute the success to my socks entirely!

[@Jaynayh]

That title scared me for a minute lol

[@derpatel9760]

Yes. Yes. Undeniably. Please run. You would win. You are the best chance.

[@BinaryRex18]

This is the single best argument I've heard for why we should vote for the democrats in November.

[@Tquadpod]

Ranked choice voting!!

[@jon1913]

I advocate for STAR voting, but I will take ranked choice as an acceptable interim system.

[@michaelmicek]

​@@jon1913+

[@himothaniel]

Thank you for not running, because you're right, it has nothing to do with what you do. That being said I have to wonder if *somebody who isn't interested* is actually the perfect candidate.

[@ospididious]

THANK YOU! "People who don't have a large body of experience in politics shouldn't run for President"

[@Ry_TSG]

> Good communicator > Intelligent, able to learn and become competent on a variety of different matters > Has at least a shred of empathy and compassion for other people > Doesn't do everything with the expectation of personal gain > Not blatantly influenced by money and corporate interests It's pretty obvious that you'd be better than essentially every presidential candidate from the past few years, but if not that then please at least reconsider running for a local office! Politics starts from the ground up, and local government generally has more ability to solve the problems that people see in their everyday life than the federal government. Plus, being a local politician is usually a part-time job, which leaves time to keep selling awesome socks!

[@brientaylorcohen]

Hank lives in Montana. My guy does not need Daines and his madmen running "Hank Green'll take away yer guns and yer fredums" ads 24/7.

[@homosapien6031]

@@brientaylorcohenI’m assuming Dianes is the local republican. And, yeah now I get it. These days running for office basically means getting bashed publicly, which could hurt other things Hank’s doing to help the world. And it’s less about truth now

[@CaseyBDook]

It's not a job for everyone. I couldn't do it. For some reason, I do want to buy some socks... hmmm.

[@MrAbkejoe]

Before even watching the video, just to answer the question that is the title, YES. Please Hank, run for President. You'd wipe the floor on any debate stage, and my god I would pay to see that. You're articulate, grounded, creative, intelligent, a decent person, lol you check ALL the boxes aside from being actively political? I'm not sure, but dude please save America and run for President. Okay now I'll watch the video and presumably be talked out of why you think you probably shouldn't run for President? Either way fuckin' run Hank, RUN!

[@MrAbkejoe]

Here after the video. Dammit Hank what about the greater good?? Hang up the socks and run for office get some government experience help America and the future of this society. The socks might help but you'll sell a lot more as President. Imagine walking on stage to a debate rocking those socks Hank, you'd already be winning.

[@thomasrogers8239]

I would vote for you, I don't agree with your politics but you've shown a determination to actually learn which puts you ahead of the competition

[@nehukybis]

If I remember correctly, other than retired military officers, the only two people whose first government job was president of the United States of America were Herbert Hoover and Donald Trump.

[@thefaboo]

Sooo... bad track record then. Maybe we don't need to try it a third time 😬

[@rethinkOURreality]

Re military: Andrew Jackson was pretty bad too 😬

[@nehukybis]

@@rethinkOURreality I agree. I just included the military officer part for anyone who doesn't think of that as a government job. But it is another traditional route to the presidency, and not the worst training for a job that requires stamina, leadership, and focus. Whether or not you like Ike, it's hard to argue he wasn't qualified. And FWIW, Hoover had admirable qualities, he just wasn't prepared to be or qualified to be president.

[@Meloncov]

Hoover had a previous government job: he was director of the FDA, then the Secretary of Commerce. It is, however, true that Trump and Hoover are the only two presidents who weren't either former generals or former elected officials.

[@rethinkOURreality]

@@nehukybis exactly, off the top of my head, most of the other military prezs were pretty good. Too bad Old Bone Spur didn't go to Korea! 😅

[@-Teague-]

All the people saying "Yes! Please run! You'd be so much better for this list of reasons!" are kinda missing the point 😅 I blame it on how KZbin encourages people to rush comments before watching the video so they can get more likes.

[@michaelmicek]

No, he's just wrong.

[@MrBrock314]

@@michaelmicek No, he's right. It's about a choice he makes. He doesn't want to be a politician and that's not a bad thing. Some people don't like ballet or Mozart and they're not bad people either. If you want someone to run, find a young poli-sci major or law major who's a nice person and back them as they're more qualified and want to do it.

[@crispygoth]

Speaking as someone who recently woke up to an election result that actually made me feel hopeful for my country for once, I do hope you all get a similar feeling in November! Incidentally, I wore my awesome socks when I went out to cast my vote on Thursday 😊

[@ms.antithesis]

the problem with politics is that the only good politicians are the ones who actively don't want to be politicians.

[@SmeiskAudio]

Question. While John is gone, can we have secret guest nerdfighter brothers and sisters come on, like it was done in early vlog brothers?? You don't have to of course, but it could be fun!

[@vlogbrothers]

We thought about this, but too late!! Or maybe it isn't too late....

[@ameliafrandsen668]

​@@vlogbrothersif I've learned anything from being a nerd fighter for 10+ years, it's that it is never too late

[@ivytarablair]

can't imagine it's too late - so many woud hop to it & enjoy the heck out of it!! 🎉🎉🎉

[@zyaicob]

​@@vlogbrothersmaybe this is how Tom Scott comes off sabbatical

[@jwuertz7101]

The boys at SortedFood or Jolly?

[@eveningblues8132]

John: Hey guys, I'm taking a few weeks off Hank: So, you guys think I should be president? John: 😫 Seriously though, we appreciate that you can be candid and introspective about something important... that was once handled by an orangutan sock-puppet. Being humble is a great personal characteristic, but it's also a political epitaph. You could do it, Hank.

[@GabrielaCenturionNeumann]

'Cause they're useful, OK? 😂 Loved the enthusiasm, LOL

[@jwhite984]

I'd be tempted to vote for you not only or even primarily because it's YOU, but because I know you would put great thought into surrounding yourself with people who do know what they're doing... and you would actually listen to their advice, research, and wisdom. :)

[@LoudAngryJerk]

I have the utmost respect for you sir, and as much as I'm sure your heart would be in the right place, I appreciate that you understand that its not something you should just do because other people say so. I've had just about enough of celebrity politicians for one lifetime.

[@sams1982]

great title to make me scream “NOOOOOOOO!!” and startle my cat