Amy Poehler. You know her from "Saturday Night Live," "Mean Girls," "Parks & Rec," and most recently as the voice of Joy from "Inside Out." America loves this queen of comedy, but I think it’s time that we, the people, rally for Poehler for President 2016.
Here’s why.
Poehler’s a leader who marches to the beat of her own drum.
She would not hop on the bandwagon, nor would she be a gutless flip-flopper. She demonstrates strong conviction.
She also makes a point about sharing her journey of self-discovery.
Her ability to keep changing as she grows older, shows an openness to new thoughts and things. This would translate into her ability to process both parties' opinions and make the best decisions without bias.
She’s learned a lot from her time portraying the optimistic, government-devotee Leslie Knope.
She would charge into office, metaphorical sword in hand, and battle the anti-intellectualism stirring on American soil.
She believes that young girls should be able to look up to strong, powerful, influential women valued for their contributions to society over their appearances.
She is dedicated to her work.
So much so, she’s willing to sacrifice personal comfort for getting the job done. Always with a smile on her face, she appears cool and calm on the outside no matter what.
Her portrayal of one of the most loveable television characters would gain her popularity with the younger demographic.
Her faithfulness to H.P. would cause her to Apparate into the hearts of all Potterheads.
The real Amy Poehler demonstrates grace and wisdom.
Not to mention stellar improvisation skills, all of which allow her to navigate any tricky diplomatic situation with poise.
To win the vote, she’ll need to rely on the approval of many.
Yet, she values the support and honesty of those surrounding her. She’d create an excellent Cabinet filled with productive people (so long as the Senate approves her appointees).
Poehler understands the importance of being in touch with your emotions, and not just from her involvement in "Inside Out."
She is a proponent of emotional literacy and knows that crying is a symbol of strength, not of weakness. She could do a lot to foster empathy in America.
Along with supporting emotional literacy, Poehler would also serve as a huge advocate for arts education in public school.
She’d do away with the nonsensical core values system and, instead, opt for creativity in the classroom. After all, students are shown to exhibit improved concentration, communication, math and problem-solving skills when involved in the arts.
Safe-sex education would also be another imprint she’d want to leave on the nation.
Data is showing that abstinence-only education is ineffectual. Poehler could be a huge influence in creating more effective programming for youth.
Continuing with Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” program, Poehler would promote the health benefits of dance.
Poehler is unapologetic about her views on the struggles women experience in society.
She recognizes the double-standard and calls it out, proving that should she take office, she’d make female equality a priority.
She already spearheaded a campaign aimed at empowering girls, and everyone else for that matter, called “Smart Girls at the Party.”
The first videos were interviews with girls who show dedication to a particular hobby or sport. Poehler and her team also sat down with women considered pioneers in their industry, reinforcing the fact that smart girls come in all ages.
Along with hard-hitting interviews, Poehler also created a segment called, “Ask Amy,” in which she addresses different topics sent in by followers.
Her sincerity is touching and her words inspiring. In my opinion, her episode on courage contains important glimpses into how she’d make an amazing leader of the United States.
You might assume I’d support Tina Fey as Vice President, since the two are a comedic power couple, but I cast my VP vote for Maya Rudolf.
She, too, is all about empowerment and is unapologetic about calling out (and obliterating) stigmas placed on women. She’s quoted as saying, “I learned the enormous power of writing for yourself, especially now that people seem to be receptive to the fact that women can write.”
A huge reaso, for not casting Fey with Poehler on my ballot is because her decisions to portray minorities as stereotypes, both in "30 Rock" and "Kimmy Schmidt," are disappointing. I get that she’s doing it satirically, but I still can’t get on board. She is trying to address the problems in society, though, so I’ll give her an honorable mention.
Maya, on the other hand, is a woman of color. Her mother was Minnie Riperton, a black musician, and her father, Dick Rudolph, is an Ashkenazi Jewish music producer. In my opinion, this gives her more authority on talking about the impact of race in America. She’d be the perfect advocate for the need of intersectionality in feminism and would add diversity to a rather white White House.
Plus, think about it: Poehler and Fey are besties and so are Rudolph and Wiig. Capitol Hill would certainly receive a lot of commentary (political, social, financial, etc.) masked as comedy.
Poehler and Rudolph would make an excellent team, bringing grace and charm into Washington, D.C., while refusing to take anyone’s bull.
So, when the time comes, remember: vote Poehler for President!