Tuesday, April 1, 2008

The Presidential "What If"

Writers, particularly fiction writers, are familiar with the “what if” exercise, the practice of taking a familiar event or day-to-day experience, introducing an unexpected twist and then seeing what happens. For example:

What if in January 2009, Inauguration Day arrives and everyone is ready for the swearing in of the next president…and the current president decides he shouldn't leave?

He determines it is in the best interests of the country for him to stay president because we are involved in a controversial war and in a domestic economic crises and he believes he is the only person who knows how to manage everything…and his attorneys and advisors tell him he can.

Now what?

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One of the rules of the “what if” game is that your answer can’t be “oh, that would never happen.” Besides, is this scenario really beyond the realm of possibility?

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Despite the date, this is not an April Fool’s Day post. I’m not sure what writer I would pick to take a crack at this “what if”; Stephen King doesn't seem quite right.

2 comments:

Angelissima said...

Well, Greg...
If your scenario came to pass, I'm sure someone would assassinate him within a week.

Greg Gillette said...

Angela - this isn't me! I'm at Gillette on Hillsborough cnhillsborough.blogspot.com! Now I know why I don't see my link on your blog, you thought I was him!

This blogger is mysterious!

I am just me.