As an immigrant I find American politics extremely theatrical; circus style debates, a seemingly unending cash flow and events that are directly lifted from HBO’s Veep (Melania Trump’s borrowing of Michelle Obama’s speech is a storyline in Veep, Season 2, episode 10).
But my bewilderment at the posturing and empty promises of both candidates is echoed by the natives; studies show that 60% of Americans don’t know who controls the Senate and the House of Representatives, and 55% think GOP stands for Government of the People or God’s Own Party.
Whether or not Donald Trump wins this year's election, politics as we know it has been irrevocably changed. In a two party system, either party is a viable winner and despite Trump’s divisive views on immigration, gun control, taxes and foreign policy, there’s a lot about having him in charge that makes sense. Think about this:
Trump’s skillset is born from a lifetime of working in business and dealing with situations in real time — not from a lifetime of political wrangling and trading insider favors on The Hill. It’s easy to argue that he didn’t work that hard or that he was handed wealth and privilege; and while that’s true, his empire building achievements are undeniable. And he’s lived in the real world — albeit with bullet proof tinted windows — where deals get signed and things happen, instead of getting buried in motions and bills that amendments make unrecognizable.
Hillary Clinton could be a wonderful president, and it’s possible Trump could be great too. But by the running, I believe he’s set the stage for something far more important — Mark Zuckerberg for president.
No, not immediately, but eight years from now. Hear me out. In 2024, Zuckerberg will be 40 years old, just two years younger than Theodore Roosevelt was when he took office. Zuckerberg has an enormous reach — around one billion people use his platform everyday; for reference, there are only 324 million people in America. He’s someone people trust, and he has a huge fan base of millennials — who will make up a large percentage of the voting public in 2024. And as the 6th richest person in the world, he’ll have no problem funding a campaign.
But these are just reasons why he could run — here’s why he should run.
Zuckerberg's whole career has been about connecting people, finding ways for them to talk and communicate. He recently changed Facebook’s newsfeed algorithm to promote friends and family contact — much to the dismay of many advertisers— and he’s constantly looking for ways to solve bigger problems. Such as his September announcement of the Chan-Zuckerberg Science initiative that’s pledged to end ‘all disease’ by 2100. He’s contributing $3 billion to this mission.
Another project he’s working on is building solar-powered drones to provide internet access to developing countries and he’s also invested heavily in education and created a fund to teach skills in Africa.
This isn't to say that Zuckerberg’s perfect. His first school project was a disaster — he pledged $100 million to Cory Booker for a test school in Newark that never properly materialized. But he learned from his mistakes and his latest project, a free to attend school with 100% free healthcare for attendees launched in August.
It’s not the traditional route to presidency, but his very public life and very public wins and losses create a transparency around Zuckerberg that’s very appealing. Trump might have had a TV show, but Zuckerberg’s had a life — and a Hollywood movie. Plus he’s married to pediatrician Priscilla Chan, a first generation Chinese-American, which is a big win for presidential diversity. He’s publicly pledged support for gay rights and publicly empathizes with global events by creating special Facebook profile filters.
He’s also a father — reports show all but one of the presidents were married with at least one child (adopted or biological) when they were elected to office. In 2024, Zuckerberg’s daughter, Maxima Chan Zuckerberg, will be 9 years old, a reasonable age to start dealing with more press attention. Add to that Zuckerberg’s adorable dog Beast (who has his own fan club with 2 million likes) and that’s another tick; every single president had a pet, the majority of them dogs.
Zuckerberg’s famously a little reclusive — and this is a good thing after all the bluster that’s been in the Capitol. To finally have someone smart, action orientated who has full public support would be a win all round, and eight years give him the time to fully learn from his mistakes and work out how to address some of the bigger issues the country faces. A year ago, suggesting Zuck would have caused laughter at parties; now, with Trump setting the stage for non-traditional routes in, people actually pause and consider if this could work.
I don’t know if Trump will Make America Great gain, but whoever wins, his campaign has cleared a path for Zuck to take leadership, and that’s a win for all of us. Think about it a second; is it really any crazier than what's going on today?
