Could Agamemnon get elected?

I was riding home on the bike this evening, and while waiting for a light to change, the thought occurred to me:  could Agamemnon get elected?  I mean, we are inundated with election stuff.  The Americans of course only have to suffer through one, but we in Canada have to suffer through two:  ours and theirs.  So Agamemnon, hailed by Homer as king of men, the one who holds the sceptre:  how would he fare in the elections?  An obviously important and pressing question on the minds of all voters these days.  I will try to give you the most up to date information on how Agamemnon's campaign is stacking up against the other candidates over the next little while.

Hail to thee, chief of Atreus' race,
Returning proud from Troy subdued!
How shall I greet thy conquering face?
How nor a fulsome praise obtrude,
Nor stint the meed of gratitude?
For mortal men who fall to ill
Take little heed of open truth,
But seek unto its semblance still

Aeschylus, Agamemnon, (the chorus speaks to the returning triumphant king).

This might sum up the role of campaign managers and media:

For mortal men who fall to ill
Take little heed of open truth,
But seek unto its semblance still...

Agamemnon seizes Breseis, thereby incurring the indignation of Achilles (Iliad, book I).

McCain picks Palin for VP running mate, thereby incurring the indignation of Achilles Obama.

Hector comes to despise the presence of Helen, the pride of the Trojan women.

Obama comes to despise the presence of Hillary, the pride of the Democrat women.

Agamemnon tells his men that they should give up the fight and return home.  This is a ruse, in order to test them;  he spurs them on to more battle, and they suffer heavy losses. (Iliad, II)

Stephen Harper tells Canadians that he will pull troops out of Afghanistan in 2011.  This is a ruse, in order to test them; he spurs them...

Paris and Menelaus engage in single combat.  Helen watches the combat from afar, she is at the walls of the Citadel, not knowing her fate. (Iliad III).

The leaders of the real parties engage in televised debate.  Green Party leader Elizabeth May watches at home.

μῆνιν ἄειδε θεὰ Πηληϊάδεω Ἀχιλῆος
οὐλομένην, ἣ μυρ Ἀχαιοῖς ἄλγε' ἔθηκε,
πολλὰς δ' ἰφθίμους ψυχὰς Ἄϊδι προΐαψεν
ἡρώων, αὐτοὺς δὲ ἑλώρια τεῦχε κύνεσσιν
οἰωνοῖσί τε πᾶσι, Διὸς δ' ἐτελείετο βουλή,
ἐξ οὗ δὴ τὰ πρῶτα διαστήτην ἐρίσαντε
Ἀτρεΐδης τε ἄναξ ἀνδρῶν καὶ δῖος Ἀχιλλεύς.

Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus' son Achilleus, and its devastation, which put pains thousandfold upon the Achaians, hurled in their multitudes to the house of Hades strong souls of heroes, but gave their bodies to be the delicate feasting of dogs, of all birds, and the will of Zeus was accomplished since that time when first there stood in division of conflict Atreus' son the lord of men and brilliant Achilleus.

What does it take to be lord of men?

Comments

[alex]

I was on the bus going home yesterday and wondered to myself whether Claudius Etruscus would ever be appointed as the Finance Minister.... Oh wait, that was in my *other* life where my brain is replaced by that of an Anglican Priest....

You bring a smile to our lives, Mr Felix. Thanks for this fun little take on elections. And I doubt that Agamemnon would even want to run in our election - he has too much pride left.

[Kate]

The problem is, often what it takes to be a true leader and what it takes to get elected are opposites.

[Leslie]

Which leaves me wondering how vote splitting might impact his success. His appeal seems broadly based.

[joseph]

The leaership of the Greeks is amplified in tragedy: the leader is a good man who is inadequate to the task (Creon - Antigone)