Although I am convinced that the current scramble for the Presidential nomination is little more than an elaborate charade by the media and the political establishment, it has stimulated me to think about what makes a person qualified to be President of the United States and which of the current crop would meet that standard.
The first criteria is support for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The President is the chief officer of government charged, like all of them, to “protect and defend the Constitution”. A candidate who does not believe in the Constitutional separation of powers, the protections against unlawful search and seizure, and habeas corpus is patently unqualified to hold the office.
The second criteria is the knowledge and intelligence to formulate policy positions based on facts and an understanding of history, economics and international affairs. That would be evidenced by an understanding of the perils of empire, the limits of military force, and the history of U.S. interventions in other nation’s affairs.
The third criteria is the courage to take unpopular stands because they are the carefully thought out right thing to do, even when the polls and the party bosses are against you. (This only applies after qualifying under #2.]
Lastly, I would require a record of public service that demonstrates integrity, and a commitment to government “of the people, by the people, and for the people”. That would mean a commitment to support for labor, national health care, serious campaign finance reform, restoration of the fairness doctrine, and keeping Social Security public with the current benefits or better.
