American President: Hail to the Chief or Washington Politics

Hail to the Chief.

Every voting cycle the political candidates of their respective political parties square off and debate the issues in a competitive race to win the White House. This political conversation focuses on the problems the nation is faced with. Many dreams sent to the International Institute for Dream Research are based on social problems which have political undertones: political policy issues such as national character and resolve, foreign policy, economy, war, domestic policy, abortion, gun control, crime, health care, drugs, sexual abuse, pornography and prostitution, militarism, prejudice, etc. are all communicated. Presidents are leaders, who are looked upon to guide their nation and make decisions that benefit the People.

The film The American President (see video trailer) addresses issues during an election year the topics of character, environmentalism, gun control, crime prevention, American civil liberties and free speech are placed centre stage. Presidents are icons in American folklore. Kelly Bulkeley ("Political Dreaming; Dreams of the 1992 Presidential Election") is a leading dream researcher who discusses the nature of American dreams as they relate to presidential elections. Those who wish to donate a dream about American political candidates and politically charged issues can send in their dreams here: His article "Dreams of the 2004 US Presidential Election: A Research Update" is based on his ongoing researches.

Historically a number of American Presidents have reported their dreams. President Abraham Lincoln reported having had a dream about two weeks before he was assassinated. In the dream he found himself in his bed at the White House and he heard weeping and mournful sounds. Lincoln got up to investigate the cause of what he was hearing. Lincoln wandered from room to room and upon entering the East Room he found a coffin laying in state. Soldiers were standing on guard around the coffin while mourners paid their respects. Lincoln asked one of the soldiers, "Who is dead in the White House?", the soldier replied, "The President. He was killed by an assassin." A few weeks later Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Booth at the Ford Theatre.

In her biography of President Johnson, Doris Kearns Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream reported a number of dreams that Johnson had communicated to her. One was a recurrent childhood nightmare in which he felt paralyzed in the face of a cattle stampede. In another dream, Johnson while he was President during the Vietnam war, found himself in bed in the Red Room, his body resembled the paralyzed body of President Woodrow Wilson and Johnson was unable to speak. When contemplating his chances for a second term of office, Johnson had a dream that dramatized his no-win situation, shortly after the dream he announced his decision not to seek a second term of office.

From a more humorous perspective Julia Anderson-Miller has provided dreams American women and men have had about President Clinton. "Dreams of Bill, a Collection of Funny, Strange and Downright Peculiar Dreams about our President"

Who will be the American President in 2009? A website is posting dreams that the public is having of the 2008 Presidential candidates Obama, Clinton and McCain. A Washington Post article provides a look at how much the media influences politics and our dreams.

All material Copyright 2006 International Institute for Dream Research. All rights reserved.