what makes a good president?

one of the things i heard repeatedly in the coverage of tim russert's untimely passing was his quest to discuss the qualities that makes a President a good President, especially considering history and how past President's have performed.  while i've always enjoyed studying history, i'm probably not best qualified to discuss those aspects.  (much to the chagrin of dr. dad, who teaches history.)

i'm not going to tell anyone how to vote.  (i've been pretty open about who i'd hoped would get one certain nomination in the past.)  partisan views aside, what are the qualities of a good President?  pbs did a series in the 2004 election asking this very question.  doris kearns goodwin, a frequent guest on meet the press, also frequently speaks about what her research found to be qualities to look for in a President.  

while we look, hopefully, at voting records and where the candidates stand on issues important to us, it is also imperative to consider the qualities we find important for someone to lead us as we work towards solutions to problems currently facing our nation.

this morning, many of the political shows are talking about that ad that mccain ran comparing obama's celebrity to that of britney spears and paris hilton.  and obama's response.  sure.  it's interesting, if not sometimes fun, to watch the games that people play in these elections.  (the games that they play to get elected.....because those games work.)

and yes.  the way a candidate runs a campaign tells us something about that candidate.  but let's be sure to consider the issues, and the qualities we each believe to be key as we choose someone to lead us into the future.

what qualities do you look for in a President?

and what issues are most important to you in this election?

how do mccain and obama stack up in these areas for you?

all the best!

deb

p.s.  if you haven't seen the ad, here it is:

Comments

[Redphilly]

Honesty.