Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913

Candidates and Questions

Last week a friend asked me what I would write about if there were to be no repercussions. He said he’d choose politics, and confided he didn’t think very highly of the current crop of presidential hopefuls. I’m in agreement with him on that topic. And of course, he got my mind working on this subject.

In the past, the general feeling in this country was that campaigning for political office was distasteful and beneath a person of worth. One should sit and wait to be chosen. In 1821, Representative William Lowndes of South Carolina stated, “The Presidency is not an office to be either solicited or declined.” In fact, Rutherford B. Hayes didn’t even vote for himself in 1876. In 1916, campaigning was called “... a great interruption to the rational consideration of public questions” by Woodrow Wilson. My, how public opinion on this matter has changed. I’m not sure it’s for the better, either.

All of this has me pondering what qualities we should be looking for in our future leader(s). There are several offered in other essays on this subject. Most of them agree that our President should have integrity, and be honest and ethical.

Personally, when I hear the word politician, the furthest thing from my mind are the qualities of honesty and ethics. There is so much mud being slung, and so many slurs being cast, that I can hardly bear to watch any campaigning. To me, the ones slinging that mud are dirtier than their targets. The candidates seem to flip-flop on the issues based upon the latest polls. They appear to want to gain the office by whatever means they can employ. Most of them spend a great deal of their time running down their opponents in a misguided attempt to make themselves appear better by comparison. To me, it smacks of “vote for me because I’m not as bad as so-and-so”, and puts me in mind of little children pointing their fingers to deflect blame for their own misdeeds.

I’d rather hear them speak of what they hope to accomplish, and others speak of their good qualities. Do they have followers who are willing to testify to their temperament? Can they think analytically? Do they have high standards? Can they inspire others to follow them? Do they have plans for what they will put in place of what they want to undo from the current administration? I’ve not heard answers to these questions.

Governing requires the leader to be able to cooperate. Congress will not be composed entirely of members of the winning party. The president will need to be able to make compromises. He will have to be able to negotiate with both parties. He will need to be able to negotiate with our allies. Can he persuade others to follow his vision? Does he have a vision? Will he know when to curb his tongue to not make enemies? Can he inspire others to follow him? Is he able to communicate with both parties? Can he express himself to the press and to the public? Does he have the temperament to take criticism without knee-jerk reactions? Does he know when to speak and when to keep his mouth shut?

What are his priorities? How does he decide which issue to tackle first? Can he delegate authority? Can he build a team that shares his vision, and who can effectively carry out that vision? Can he not alienate our allies? Can he build more allies?

Being elected president should not be a popularity contest. At least, I hope we, as a nation, are wiser than that. I would prefer we take care of our problems at home before tackling world issues, but I also realize that’s not a realistic hope. We are not isolated from the rest of the planet. I also realize that this is a huge topic, and that I don’t have the answers to all the questions I’m asking. I’m hoping others are also asking these questions.

 

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