What's Important in a Candidate
As we get to primary crunch time, two things stand out. First, we the voters can't agree among ourselves about what characteristics are most important for a president (freshness vs experience, for example). And for any particular characteristic, we have trouble agreeing on how to assess assess each candidate's "worth" (experience as first lady vs governor vs long-standing senator, for example).
It seems to me that that at the end of the day what we're really interested in is the decisions a president will make, and his or her leadership capabilities. Jimmy Carter, probably our best ex-president, entered the White House with lofty ideals, a fresh, outsider's view of how Washington should be run, and a certain arrogance about how he was going to change Washington. He failed miserably as a president because he couldn't get the rest of Washington to follow his lead. I believe that an Edwards presidency -- he's going to Washington to FIGHT for you -- would suffer the same consequence.
As for experience, I submit President Bush (W) assembled as experienced and managerial competent White House as we've ever had. Moreover, Bush accomplished much of what he set out to accomplish: more power for the presidency, less for Congress, Saddam overthrown, lower taxes for America's financially elite, and the Supreme Court shifted significantly to the right. That says to me that getting the most experienced candidate (think entire team in the case of Senator Clinton) isn't particularly important if that candidate won't or can't lead us to where we need to go. Which is to say, demonstrated leadership ability and a philosophy of governance that is in synch with our own counts most.
For me, Senator Biden fills the bill, but I think Obama has some chance of mobilizing American's behind him in the same way Kennedy did 45+ years ago. Kennedy made some serious mistakes, and is remembered more for the way he motivated us as Americans than for specific actions, save perhaps for the Cuban missile crisis, where a lesser leader might have gotten us into a nuclear war. I look as Senator Clinton as a safe choice, I wouldn't expect greatness, but I wouldn't expect failure either. I think Biden has far more imagination and passion than she has, and I have a much better feel for where I think Biden would take us than I do for Obama.
Just a few thoughts.
