For thousands of years and from every nation, this has been the cry of the people. Today, we call our “king” president, but the desire is the same. We elect an individual to this position hoping that simply by giving them this title of grandeur they will miraculously be made worthy of the role. And we are more often than not disappointed.

In March of 2007, Barack Obama had just announced his candidacy for president, and we quickly began to see the grandiose expectations placed on the shoulders of one man that couldn’t possibly be made good on.

Why Every President Sucked: America’s Undying Pursuit for a King aims to halt a voter’s search for presidential perfection by detailing how each and every former president has failed to live up to those expectations.

This project, started as a blog, evolved into a music album, and is now a staple in American History curriculums in schools across the country.

Two terms later, and with a renewed and fiery interest on the other side of the expectations spectrum during this election cycle, we’ve decided to attempt a short-run publication of the book, at cost.

Eric Olsen  / Author 
Eric is a digital storyteller—a right-brain meets left-brain musician marketer who believes entertainment can be the most effective way to educate. Eric has been working in higher education for nearly a decade.

Lauren Meranda / Designer 
Lauren is a designer and educator in Chicago. She teaches design at Judson University and runs a small design studio out of her Portage Park apartment. Lauren specializes in projects for cultural institutions, social activism, civic engagement, and public memory through experimental media, collaborative storytelling, and interactive design for physical spaces.