“Liberty cannot be preserved without general knowledge among the people who have the right to that knowledge and the desire to know. But besides this, they have a right, an indisputable, unalienable, indefeasible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge—I mean of the character and conduct of their rulers.” -- John Adams, 1765
What are the expected qualities of a future president? What are the determinants?
It depends on what America’s expectations are for the office of President of the United States of America. If Americans require that the office of President be based on the institutional values the office represents, then they will select a President who will conform to those values. If Americans have no idea what institutional values the office should represent, then their selection will be based on the man or woman who more closely represents their perceptions based on their own values.
Americans need to know what to expect in order to objectively ratiocinate a decision; without knowing what to expect Americans are relying on those who are contending for the presidency, pundits, their interlocutors, and the insidiousness of the media, to tell them what they should expect. The candidates posit what they are going to do if elected president and that becomes the basis for their vote.
If we expect national and international respect and dignity for the United States of America, then there cannot be any determinant more important than the principles, moral character, and quality of leadership of those who occupy the oval office. The expectations are what are delineated in the Constitution of the United States of America which extends itself to a leadership with probity in relation to peace, human rights, justice, the environment, fiscal responsibility, respects for the civil rights of Americans and others, the honoring of international commitments, the separation of church and state, secularity, and the prudent management and control of our military and particularly nuclear weapons.
When Americans are ignorant of -- or choose to ignore -- the expectations of the Presidency as an institution is when Americans build their expectations around the man or woman running for the Presidency. Sometimes the sizzle becomes more important than the steak. The substance of their rhetoric obfuscated. The sizzle is not only in their rhetoric, but includes the object value we place with the candidate: whether they look presidential.
Whomever the President chosen, he or she must posses because of the expectations of the office:
Good behavior; moral and ethical standards in judgement based on principle rather than expediency, and uphold the tenets and essence of our Constitution and democracy.
Private and public moral character; keeping in mind that they are role models for other nations, Americans in general, and our children. The office must reflect our expectations of how other nations should behave. A leader’s duty is to act in a way so as not to physically or emotionally hurt others, and traits that include trustworthiness, respect for others, self-restraint, honesty, integrity, reliability (promise keeping), loyalty and fidelity, sincerity, candor, integrity (playing by the rules), reliability (keeping ones word), accepting accountability and responsibility (the willingness to be accountable for one’s actions), prudence, vision, and compassion for others: if one cannot be sympathetic toward others, one’s actions will be based on criteria that do not take into account a full respect for human beings and their circumstances.
Quality of leadership: “And if the President builds that trust to the American people, so that when he says it, they believe it, even if they disagree with the policy that he's advocating, you can create a situation in which leadership can be exerted, that can take this country forward. I don't think it's possible to do that if the President, in the view of the people, is not a man that you can trust and you've caught him in too many lies.” – Stephen Ambrose
The man or woman who is President of the United States must have gravitas, and a command of the issues that face America, of course. His or her principles, character, and quality of leadership will affect how she or he responds.
It is a lot to expect of a man or woman, but the office of the President of the United States of America demands high expectations.
Unfortunately, most Americans buy the sizzle of object value, ones faith, and rhetoric based on what they want to hear; promises of what the candidates are going to do if elected that many times they do not have a hope in the world of accomplishing. The steak, the essence, the basic substance of a man or woman’s electablity must be based on principles, character, and quality of leadership.
However, there are caveats posed in two questions: If Americans do not posses these same qualities, are they capable of making judgments of these qualities in others? Do they have the desire to know the issues facing our country or is the race for the Presidency just like any horserace, only about winning and losing (Democrats vs. Republicans, and the candidates being the stable of each running in the race); a game on which to wager a bet.
