In A Word – Qualification: What traits or habits should a candidate have to make a good president?
Gerald Eisman
September 16, 2007
Qualification: A quality; an ability, or an accomplishment that makes a person suitable for a particular position or task.
We the voting public have been bombarded for the last several months with rhetoric, photo-ops, and appearances by candidates for the top job in our country. Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Communists and members of Splinter Groups have all entered the fracas in hopes of earning your vote. More than twenty men and women straight and true want the position. But what qualifications do they bring with themselves when presenting their case before the court of the public?
The fact that they belong to a political party is of no consequence for that doesn’t give them any advantage over their rivals. Those holding any elected public office do not qualify in our topsy-turvy world, for many of our current legislators are shamefully dishonest and vindictive while protestations of innocence float from their guilty mouths.
So what qualifications would make a candidate stand head and shoulders above the rest of the field? The following is my list of qualities a person should have in order to run for the highest office in the land.
First, the candidate needs to be honest. Not the kind of honesty fashioned out of the G. W. Bush playbook, but one more resembling Harry S Truman. There’s a world of difference between the two. George, for instance, tells a very selective style of truth as is evidenced by his insistence of “weapons of mass destruction” to instigate a war. Currently he spins his version of truth which sits 180 degrees opposite known facts and extolling the success of a venture that has been debunked by members of his own administration.
Truman, on the other hand had a different approach to honesty as the sign on his desk proclaimed. It stated unequivocally “The buck stops here!” it stated On R. M. Nixon he said: “Nixon is one of the few in the history of this country to run for high office talking out of both sides of his mouth at the same time and lying out of both sides.” On his presidency he said this: “When even one American - who has done nothing wrong - is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth - then all Americans are in peril.” Quite the opposite of the Bush philosophy. That’s the mark and speech of honesty.
The next trait needed in any president is courage. Not the kind that drives a man to rise above the battle when fear reigns, but the kind of courage that prompts a man to enter into meaningful dialogue with his enemies in order to save the lives of millions of the world’s youth. The next president needs the guts and gumption to stand before the nation and say “I made a mistake, and for that I apologize,” then offers several options to make corrections. A man who appoints his cabinet and then listens to every word they say in discussions concerning affairs of state. He would then consider their thoughts and emerge with a workable solution for the problem discussed.
The next trait a president must have is experience in governance. He or she must be capable of leading one of the most diverse populations in today’s world. He must be a combination of Solomon, Socrates, and have the nerves of Superman. But, without experience in governing a state or other entity, having those other attributes aren’t always strong enough to conduct the job in a businesslike and successful manner. Senators and Representatives are legislators, not governors and their area of expertise rests in the political arena.
Those few candidates who can understand both legislation and governance would stand head and shoulders above the rest of the current crop and deserve more consideration than the others. That would also narrow the field and give the voting public a fairer and more balanced perspective as well as better choices.
One of the last characteristics needed for any candidate for the office of the president is heart. She or he must understand the needs and dreams of the common man, be in tune with the poor and middle class as well as the well-to-do. There must be an understanding of national needs and international expectations; the knowledge that will help him or her to the do the humanitarian works needed to create a safer, saner world.
One further trait I would look for in a presidential candidate is a strongly developed sense of humor, and whoever wins will need it. Going into the office of the president must be one of the most responsible positions anyone could want and they will be well served if they bring humor with them.
Of course there are many other traits that will help the next president to cope, but without those enumerated above, the job would be unbearably difficult and for an inexperienced person, an impossibility.
We the voting public have been bombarded for the last several months with rhetoric, photo-ops, and appearances by candidates for the top job in our country. Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Communists and members of Splinter Groups have all entered the fracas in hopes of earning your vote. More than twenty men and women straight and true want the position. But what qualifications do they bring with themselves when presenting their case before the court of the public?
The fact that they belong to a political party is of no consequence for that doesn’t give them any advantage over their rivals. Those holding any elected public office do not qualify in our topsy-turvy world, for many of our current legislators are shamefully dishonest and vindictive while protestations of innocence float from their guilty mouths.
So what qualifications would make a candidate stand head and shoulders above the rest of the field? The following is my list of qualities a person should have in order to run for the highest office in the land.
First, the candidate needs to be honest. Not the kind of honesty fashioned out of the G. W. Bush playbook, but one more resembling Harry S Truman. There’s a world of difference between the two. George, for instance, tells a very selective style of truth as is evidenced by his insistence of “weapons of mass destruction” to instigate a war. Currently he spins his version of truth which sits 180 degrees opposite known facts and extolling the success of a venture that has been debunked by members of his own administration.
Truman, on the other hand had a different approach to honesty as the sign on his desk proclaimed. It stated unequivocally “The buck stops here!” it stated On R. M. Nixon he said: “Nixon is one of the few in the history of this country to run for high office talking out of both sides of his mouth at the same time and lying out of both sides.” On his presidency he said this: “When even one American - who has done nothing wrong - is forced by fear to shut his mind and close his mouth - then all Americans are in peril.” Quite the opposite of the Bush philosophy. That’s the mark and speech of honesty.
The next trait needed in any president is courage. Not the kind that drives a man to rise above the battle when fear reigns, but the kind of courage that prompts a man to enter into meaningful dialogue with his enemies in order to save the lives of millions of the world’s youth. The next president needs the guts and gumption to stand before the nation and say “I made a mistake, and for that I apologize,” then offers several options to make corrections. A man who appoints his cabinet and then listens to every word they say in discussions concerning affairs of state. He would then consider their thoughts and emerge with a workable solution for the problem discussed.
The next trait a president must have is experience in governance. He or she must be capable of leading one of the most diverse populations in today’s world. He must be a combination of Solomon, Socrates, and have the nerves of Superman. But, without experience in governing a state or other entity, having those other attributes aren’t always strong enough to conduct the job in a businesslike and successful manner. Senators and Representatives are legislators, not governors and their area of expertise rests in the political arena.
Those few candidates who can understand both legislation and governance would stand head and shoulders above the rest of the current crop and deserve more consideration than the others. That would also narrow the field and give the voting public a fairer and more balanced perspective as well as better choices.
One of the last characteristics needed for any candidate for the office of the president is heart. She or he must understand the needs and dreams of the common man, be in tune with the poor and middle class as well as the well-to-do. There must be an understanding of national needs and international expectations; the knowledge that will help him or her to the do the humanitarian works needed to create a safer, saner world.
One further trait I would look for in a presidential candidate is a strongly developed sense of humor, and whoever wins will need it. Going into the office of the president must be one of the most responsible positions anyone could want and they will be well served if they bring humor with them.
Of course there are many other traits that will help the next president to cope, but without those enumerated above, the job would be unbearably difficult and for an inexperienced person, an impossibility.
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