This is topic Identity of the President in Empire: Spoilers in forum Discussions About Orson Scott Card at Hatrack River Forum.


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Posted by ThePersonMan (Member # 9440) on :
 
Is the President in Empire Bush or based on him? It was determined on Wikipedia that most of the book takes place in 2008.

"Most of the story is set on and after Friday June 13, 2008. Evidence for this comes from the fact that the only year in the near future which includes both a Friday the thirteenth in June and a Presidential Election is 2008."
 
Posted by Liz B (Member # 8238) on :
 
I assumed that the President was intended to be at least reminiscent of Bush.
 
Posted by Puppy (Member # 6721) on :
 
I suspect that he specifically intended for it to be Bush, but that he left the president unnamed so that the story wouldn't feel too dated if someone picked it up 12 years from now.
 
Posted by ThePersonMan (Member # 9440) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Puppy:
I suspect that he specifically intended for it to be Bush, but that he left the president unnamed so that the story wouldn't feel too dated if someone picked it up 12 years from now.

Thats a good point.
 
Posted by Mindbowels (Member # 7407) on :
 
He would know.
 
Posted by Nikisknight (Member # 8918) on :
 
The president was quite clearly GWB, and "the frontrunner" was less clearly though almost certainly Hillary Clinton.
 
Posted by Mark (Member # 6393) on :
 
Yeah, there was an outcry when the movie, "Death of a President" came out. Even though it protrayed Bush favorably, alot of people were upset that a movie would be made about the subject.
 
Posted by len (Member # 10144) on :
 
quote:
Originally posted by Puppy:
I suspect that he specifically intended for it to be Bush, but that he left the president unnamed so that the story wouldn't feel too dated if someone picked it up 12 years from now.

The story was quite dated. It references the 2000 election, Al Gore is still in the national spotlight enough for jokes to be made about him, and Cat's deployment to Iraq was in 2003. If not 2008, it could only be 2012.

What I find amusing is that there is no reference to the current situation in Iraq. It almost seems like an alternative history where "winning their hearts and minds" was real policy and not just lip service, and Iraq was already stable and self-sufficient. There is no way Bush or his administration could exist in that universe. [Big Grin]

And besides, how can a story about civil war not mention the civil war that is causing most of the political heat in America?
 
Posted by Avatar300 (Member # 5108) on :
 
Al Gore never left the spotlight. He invented global warming, you know.
 
Posted by Bella Bee (Member # 7027) on :
 
quote:
Al Gore never left the spotlight. He invented global warming, you know.
In which case, Al would have switched the spotlight off - and helped save the planet.
 


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