November will be here before we know it and it will be time to cast a vote for Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. While the party conventions are yet to occur, there is little doubt about who will be on the ballot. Who is most qualified to be President?
Now is the time to really assess the character and qualifications of both candidates, Obama and Romney. Such an assessment will be needed to separate the false and exaggerated information we are bombarded with on a daily basis. It will be difficult to separate fact from fiction. And no one has a crystal ball to tell them how either candidate will ultimately handle the issues that will arise once they are in office. In addition to a new Congress, the direction of future policies cannot be foretold with any certainty.
But foretelling is not the business that the voting citizen is in. Rather, given what we know today about the challenges this nation faces and the track record of each candidate, who should get our vote?
Like any other job description, there are required qualifications and desired qualifications. The desirable ones are more likely to be dispensable, most of the required ones are not. What do you think the qualifications of the next President of the United States should be?
Former Governor Mitt Romney is wrapping up the Republican Primary election after a hard fought campaign. President Barack Obama officially kicked his campaign off this week. So, the race for President is on.
The real questions: Given the choices, who is the most qualified to hold the office?
As the race for president moves forward in the coming months, we will have the opportunity to see which candidate consistently demonstrates that he has a command of the major issues, challenges, and policies decisions facing the country in sufficient detail to distinguish between good advice and bad. The man best suited to provide leadership and direction, and has the communication, negotiation, and consensus-building skills to achieve meaningful outcomes.
We will be able to determine which candidate has the right kind of experience. Some of the questions to ask include, Which candidate has the best career experience to grapple with some of the most complex issues facing our time within our borders and globally? Among those complex issues will be keeping an ailing economy on the road to recovery in a way that continues to keep America strong and benefit the greatest number of Americans.
Who will be the best man at the table to help mediate the crisis in the Middle East and other troubled spots in the world? And, win the war on terrorism?
The President of the country cannot be effective without a good dose of compassion and inclusiveness when one considers the complexity and diversity of the American landscape. The President must incorporate both if he is to balance the needs or the rich and the poor, the young and the elderly, the needs of minorities with those of the majority, the privileged and the disenfranchised in his decision-making.
The President must perform the ultimate balancing act, making decisions based upon what is good for America and/or most Americans. In addition to knowledge and courage, strong integrity, and high moral standards must be the foundation on which all decisions are made.
In the remaining months before the general election in November, voters will be bombarded with endless political commercials with claims and counterclaims. Political pollsters, pundits, and partisan spin-doctors will proclaim and posture about what will, should, or need to happen for either candidate to be the victor.
Perhaps one of the best things a voter can do during the next few months is to find some quiet time – create his/her own soundproof booth – and, given the candidates, decide who is the most qualified.
In appreciation of being the recipient of what this great country affords its citizens, the least we can do is to cast an informed vote in November 2012. In truth: It is just the beginning of what this country could or could not become over the next four or eight years.
Who should it be? Who will it be, Barack Obama or Mitt Romney?
There is a lot at stake for America and Americans during this election year.