Prediction: Disney CEO Bob Iger Will Run for President


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When asked whether you want to run for President or not, it is safe to assume that you’d have a firm answer. In a recent interview with CNBC's "Closing Bell", Disney CEO Bob Iger had a hesitant response to the question. I want to make it clear that this is all personal speculation at this point, but his reaction seemed to me that the likelihood of him running for President is fairly high. In my opinion, when asked, “Do you want to run for President?” anyone that is not interested in the idea would answer with a pretty firm "no". Iger instead chuckles, and then answers with, “I’ve had one of the greatest jobs in the world I believe for the last 12 years, I’ve got a few years left…we just talked about that…I’ve got a lot to do here still, and I want to make sure this company is set up for the future, and I’m not spending much time thinking about what I’m going to do next.” The follow up question was what seemed even more suspect. The CNBC reporter said, “There have been reports that (Jeffrey) Katzenberg, and others are pressuring you to run, are you entertaining the idea?” Again chuckling, Iger answered with, “I’ve said what I’m going to say.” Now that should be a very simple answer if you aren’t at least intrigued to run. It seems to me like Iger doesn’t want it on tape that he is denying the idea. These non-answers and question dodging tactics are fairly common with eventual candidates for President. In 2004, when Hillary Clinton was asked if she was going to run in 2008, she stated, “You know, in 2008, I hope I'm going to be working for the re-election of John Kerry and John Edwards.” Waiting to announce your candidacy is something many politicians do, and there are a number of reasons why. Jeb Bush did this as well in order to fundraise millions of dollars from donors before he decided to run in 2016. Other politicians will wait for precise missteps by the incumbent President or other candidates before they announce. In March, sources told The Hollywood Reporter that, “Iger has told friends he is considering their nudges (to run)." Bob Iger is one of many CEO’s on President Donald Trump’s financial advisory panel; he has yet to go to a meeting with the President. According to Iger, he missed gathering with the President and other CEOs for the panel’s first meeting due to a “scheduling conflict” with a Disney board meeting. With all this said, there is still some reason to believe that Iger won’t run for President in 2020, as his tenure as Disney CEO ends only one year before the election cycle begins. That turnaround seems questionable, and all of this speculation could be for nothing. According to The Atlantic, the 2016 election cycle lasted 597 days or ~1.64 years, which would mean that Bob Iger would be well into the election cycle during his remaining months as Disney’s CEO. This speculation is clearly a political topic that I’m sure will be further politicized in the comments. The point of this article was not to argue whether or not Disney CEO Bob Iger should run, nor is it an endorsement for him, just don't be surprised if you hear him speak of running in the future.
Credit: CNBC, The Atlantic, and The Hollywood Reporter

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