Hocus, Pocus; VOTUS, POTUS Conjuring up the perfect president Imagine that you—as one of the Voters Of The United States (VOTUS)—have magical powers and are able to conjure up your ideal candidate for the office of President Of The United States (POTUS.) What ingredients would you throw into the mix? Hair of Edwards? Smile of Obama? Bill of Hill? Head of Fred? Seriously now: What characteristics and core competencies would your ideal candidate possess? Consider the following list of desirable traits, excerpted from Reader's Digest: Other, generally-accepted executive selection criteria might include: One important area that is often overlooked is: emotional health. Power over others is corrupting and dangerous. If we must have someone in a position of great power, shouldn't it be someone without massive, obvious emotional damage? Shouldn't it really be someone who is emotionally healthy? Characteristics of emotional health include: I encourage you to write down your desires in that classic 3-column style with headings of Required, Nice To Have, and Frills so you can give weight to each one. Next, check a list of candidates and compare your list of desired characteristics to those possessed by each candidate. Did you find yourself saying, "Well, I guess I can overlook this (or that) trait?" If so, why compromise? Try again—let yourself go! Remember, for the purposes of this exercise, you have magical powers! Think about the aptitudes and abilities necessary to properly perform the duties of the president. President Of The United States (POTUS) The POTUS presides over the Executive Branch of our federal government. There are only two requirements for the position of POTUS: minimum of 35 years old and a natural-born citizen of the U.S. The core, constitutional duties of the president include: Oath of Office As you conjure, keep in mind the Oath of Office, taken on Inauguration Day: "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." The Constitution The Constitution is not neutral. Why do we have a constitution? To define and limit the powers of our government. By defining and limiting what the government can do, the Constitution, including especially its Bill of Rights, provides an operational blueprint for governing the United States while protecting the human rights of every person—citizen or non-citizen—in this country. Corporations have a similar structure; their constitutions are called by-laws. The difference between the Constitution and corporate by-laws is: the Constitution defines and restrains an organization authorized to use force against peaceful human beings. This makes critical the adherence to constitutional restrictions on power; the power rests with the people: the VOTUS. Voters Of The United States (VOTUS) Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. The POTUS regularly faces major challenges; however, a more difficult challenge seems to belong to the VOTUS. My thumbnail assessment of the current crop of VOTUS is: weak. How did that happen? VOTUS fell victim to the deep-seated desire of politicians to get elected. When politicians asked, "What do I need to promise—not necessarily deliver—in trade for your vote?", the voters responded with a laundry list of constitutionally-unauthorized desires, possibly hoping to win the Entitlement Lottery. Politicians pandered to the deep-seated desire of the VOTUS to live at the expense of their neighbors. When voters asked, "What's In It For Me?" (W.I.I.F.M.), the politicians responded, "whatever you want" and followed through with coercive actions and new programs that benefited politicians primarily and taxpayers only incidentally. George Bernard Shaw said it best: "A government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend upon the support of Paul." What happened to the scenario where candidates presented their credentials and positions and let the voters determine the best fit within the bounds of constitutional limits? Did voters become lazy? Did they forget the rules? In 2008, we have the opportunity to restore credibility and return to the limited government model that made America special in the first place. Primary Power Plays In the case of electing a POTUS, the VOTUS must take action by going to the polls and voting in both primary and general elections; primary elections (known as caucuses in some states) determine which candidates' names will be on the General Election ballot in November. And this election cycle is presenting new challenges for candidates and voters alike. In an attempt to control the results, many states are re-scheduling their primaries so THEIR state will have greater influence on which candidates will make it to the November ballot. The way primary re-scheduling is being played out indicates that the power grab is coming from the state leadership of the two major parties; those leaders are the ones making the rules, attempting to control who will be nominated. Some states restrict, by party, which candidates a voter can elect during a primary; the only choices voters have are those candidates running in their registered party. The onus is on every eligible Voter to learn about registering, and then vote in their state's primary election. (Caution: the primaries for many states have been moved up to early 2008; preparations such as 30-days-prior voter registration deadlines may coincide with year-end holiday celebrations, shopping excursions, and holiday travel. Consider registering now!) BTW: If you have a busy schedule or travel a lot, consider absentee (usually paper-based) voting; if you anticipate not being able to get to the polls on Election Day (e.g., you plan to be out-of-town, have a medical procedure scheduled or are averse to electronic voting machines), you can still vote—early—either in person or by mail. Check out your state's Absentee Voting Rules. W.I.I.F.M. As you contemplate the voting process, you might ask yourself, "What's In It For Me?" The answer is: joining the Voters Of The United States (VOTUS) and expressing your desires feels good—and powerful! Voting is a privilege; use it or lose it. You can't get what you want if you do nothing; if you don't vote; if you don't get involved; if you leave it to everyone else; if you don't take the time. Voting for The Winner: The American Way Voters—and politicians—have come to rely on polls (usually conducted in conjunction with and reported by the MainStream Media, or MSM) to dictate their actions. Is this how the MSM got so much power? Are YOU tempted to go along with the majority opinion? Wouldn't it be great if there was a candidate that actually had a position—and a plan—for each question posed, without first referring to talking points or having to correct their response the next day? Preferably someone with a long, clear and verifiable track record so voters could review that history and determine the probability of future actions? As they say in the financial world, "the best indicator of future performance is past performance." When you review the list of candidates, possibly you will find someone who embodies aptitudes and abilities that would make you feel proud to live in the U.S.A. with that person as president; someone you could enthusiastically vote for in 2008. Just Vote! Hopefully this conjuring exercise has given you the confidence to select and support a candidate based on your own criteria, as opposed to voting for an MSM-approved candidate simply for the sake of siding with a perceived winner. After all, shouldn't the winner be you? Determine what YOU want; then vote for the candidate that most closely provides all that you want. |