Why do American voters not have choices between obvious qualified presidential candidates?
Let’s stipulate that a few of the many candidates in both major parties are electable. And let’s not argue that some do not seem suited. And, further, this perceived problem of qualification is not new. It has been raised in past campaigns leading up to nominating conventions. Once elected and time has passed -- even a couple hundred years -- historians are wont to find warts and smudge the image of the long dead or long retired president. News people, pundits, and commentators do the same for the current crop. It’s what they do.
Voters need to know all about possible candidates. Faults and character flaws can be deal closers. Praiseworthy traits are difficult to learn because who wants to be a sycophant (except for staffers hoping to boss cabinet secretaries). Other candidates with their opposition research staffs will scratch out plenty of raw dirt that might even be sifted in the sieves of public opinion.
No intention here to run through the current crop of presidential hopefuls. Rather, to resurrect an old cliche: Why in a country that could land a man on the moon with a population of more than 300 million souls cannot a handful of worthy candidates be found. “Found” because individuals believing in their great talents for national leadership are not bashful in volunteering for the most important and toughest job on earth.
To proceed. How would necessary talents and abilities be distilled for the presidential job description? How, that being accomplished, would the candidates be uncovered from the supply of ,successful people. And, most important, who would be performing these tasks?
A committee? We’ve all had it with committees sometime in the past. Besides, someone would have to appoint the committee. Where would such wisdom be found?
With such a scheme, the search is pretty much left up to the present system. If really good people do not volunteer to run the gauntlet of naysayers and political enemies, friends and colleagues of persons perceived to be qualified would need to persuade them to undertake the beating even the winner will have to take. Finding highly qualified candidates is a job with no one to perform it. Only persons knowing themselves qualified and worthy can do that. Unfortunately, too many egos exist, so sorting will pretty much remain the same as now,
Presidential job description? Academe probably considers itself as the only source. Just imagine the papers that would have to be written, and the peer review, the faculty lounge discussions, the debate on whether really to choose two. Phew! Conjuring such a mental image would blow a frontal lobe. No one in his right mind would wish politicians to do it. The smoke-filled room is gone, and marijuana smoke won’t do. (Phantasm: Coloradans or Washingtonians gathering in district caucuses to pick nominees. Wait for phone videos to show up on YouTube.)
If someone or some group is capable of cataloguing what a president should be and do, no one would trust them anyway. “Who are you to decide?” would be the cry.
How about a poll? We’re up to our noses with those already. And do they lie?
Too many people either have cell phones that for now cannot be used for polling or have caller ID that permits the unlucky guy or gal disturbed by the ring to decide to fuhgeddaboudit.
Attack ads could separate the good from the bad hopefuls. Can we really trust the guys who are trying to sell us sealer to make our screen doors into boats?
State governors used to be good choices, and some even won. They’re dropping like flies kamikazing into flypaper.
Outliers are doing pretty well, but how many remember Wendell Wilkie? Or George Romney, Mill’s ol’ man?
Other politicians and the press always find blame when an officeholder screws up. Only untainted excellence is the acceptable norm. (Well, okay, a few news media favorites do exist.) Knowledge about everything from the Big Bang to ganglia plus the ability to put that into a two-second sound bite containing a quotable pun is expected. The hopeful nominee also better know and not mispronounce the name of the deposed parliamentary leader from Lower Silesia and Sudetenland.
Is there really another way?
We are stuck with what we got until someone on a white horse rides in. Kimosabe?
Or, maybe, Tonto on a pinto could get the Indian vote?
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