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This is just MY personal opinion; your mileage may vary! Feel free to share your own preferences, opinions, and criteria.
1. Super smarts. I want a president who’s brainy to the point of nerdy and wonky, and one who doesn’t shy away from speaking that way. That doesn’t mean speaking in a way that’s confusing, but it means answering questions and discussing issues – the whole range of issues -- in a very informed and informative way, beyond superficial platform statements. One point for Gore and Clark.
2. Commitment to country, early on. I love an early moment in their lives that reflects a decision to serve their country, especially militarily. This is a point for Kerry, who volunteered for dangerous Navy duty in Vietnam after graduating from Yale; Gore, who volunteered to go to Vietnam as an army journalist, despite his father’s opposition to the war as a senator, and Nixon’s political fears about the young Gore being harmed; and Clark, first in his class at West Point and Rhodes Scholar whose talents could have taken him in another direction. All made remarkable choices when they had ample other opportunities.
3. Teaching experience. I think teaching involves organizing and presenting ideas in a way that no other field does. It involves careful thinking, communication, and interactions with young people, as well as mastery of subject matter. Points to Gore and Clark.
4. Familiarity, from experience, with all walks of life. Direct, ongoing contact with different racial, socio-economic, regional, religious backgrounds. Points to Edwards and Kucinich, based on their upbringings; to Kerry and Gore, based on their military experiences; and to Clark, based on both.
5. Foreign policy experience. I mean experience beyond sitting on committees, “visiting,” voting, or talking; I mean direct diplomatic experience as an expert and a US representative with head of state status. None of this “well the vp could make up for that.” This means the ability to hit the ground running on Iraq and other disasters. Points to Gore and Clark.
6. Staunch liberal on social issues. Clear stances on women’s rights, civil rights, gay rights, workers’ rights; unafraid to be considered “Liberal.” Points to Kucinich, Kerry, Gore, Clark.
7. No Congressional “strings attached.” Not only no voting record, but no congressional lobbying connections, deal-making, political debts, fundraising question marks, etc. One point to Clark.
8. Ability to unite the country. Granted, there’s a lunatic fringe who will never be placated, but in general, I want a president who can put the past 35 years of GOP-propagated strawmen, stereotypes, and schisms behind us. The polarity of parties, red/blue states, north and south, urban and rural, Christian and non-Christian, rich and poor etc. is surely NOT as deep as the things we hold in common. I want to see the baggage of the Vietnam era laid to rest at last. It’s not just about being from the south, because I think Dean could have done well there; it’s more about biography, background, and broad appeal to various factions. Big point to Clark, for ability to bridge the historic divide, and willingness to take it to Fox; smaller ones to Obama and Edwards.
9. However, I’d love to see a bonafide New England Liberal elected president! Call it my own personal bias, or see it as a hoped-for end to the southerners-only requirement. One point to Kerry.
10. Strong appreciation of the arts. I know, I know, with so many other priorities at hand, this seems frivolous, and so nobody’s really talking about it. Nobody’s even asking about it. I think it’s an important key culturally, historically, and in terms of basic humanity, on so many levels. No points to anybody in particular.
11. Married to ultra-strong spouses. I mean the kind of spouses who get their own attention, to the point of being controversial; who’ve had their own careers, who seem independent, who could easily overshadow the candidate. I think that shows a willingness to partner with equals in a very close way, and I admire it. Points to Clinton and Kerry, and also Edwards (if only because Elizabeth strikes me as being smarter and better-spoken than he is).
12. Straightforward, consistent, clear, honest. The quality of not mincing words or pulling punches, while remaining tactful; of being so clear in the first place, words from several years ago hold true today; of answering a question directly and fully without drawing on scripts. Point to Clark (despite the incessant twisting of his statements out of context); perhaps a point to Obama, as well.
So, my preferences for president add up to Clark first (no surprise), Gore second, Kerry third.
What are your own criteria or preferences?
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