What qualities do you look for in a candidate? A president?

[cleveramerican]

in a candidate: I look for the ability to make the right points bluntly, efeectively and briefly.I am suspect of hedgers.I am suspect of cautious fence-sitters.
The desire to win cannot be overshadowed by the fear of losing.


In a president: I want tenacity, forthrightness and candor. Willing to fight against odds for what they care about, a willingness to compromise to achieve, a willingness to put the nation above party when its called for.
The desire to win cannot be overshadowed by the fear of losing.


No Names please just the qualities YOU look for.

[peacebird]

1. Honesty. Intelligence. True concern for well-being of others. Put country and world before party.

Able to understand "shades of grey" because the worlds problems are rarely black & white

[izzie]

2. Hard to put a finger on it. A way of thinking I guess.

An open mind to see what is coming down the road. I left the GOP when they put up RR as I saw him as a man of the past and Carter as a man of the coming age. I had been working on leaving for years. Bush is a man of the past as his father was. Clinton, a man, seeing what was coming as Gore was. I do not think it has a thing to do with age as I am old and do love parts of the pass but do not live in it. We just drag little parts along with us. But I just do not see how I figure this out in my mind. The men running under the GOP now I feel are men of the past and I do not feel that the Dem. running are but each of these fit into a different part of my mind on just how open they are. I still feel Obama is the best one but would gladly vote in Hillary just to get this type person in the WH.

[Eagle_Eye]

3. My candidate will show concern for the 'Little Guy'

My candidate will advocate fair taxes, affordable health care, employment opportunities, and higher education for those qualified for it.

I am apposed to tax breaks for the rich, individuals having to search out their own health care, the best jobs going to 'insiders', and limits on quality education based on income.

Right now I pay the most attention to Democrats who will point out how bush Fvc*ed us and how they intend to fix it.

[Mother Of Four]

4. Thought provoking...

Will try to do this justice. For both I want the same thing.


I want someone who differentiates themselves from "Pack thinking" and isn't shy about saying our democracy is broken. I want someone who truly believes in the fact that everyone has a voice, no matter how old or young they are. One who realizes that they are the true "Voice of the people" and the office they hold should be one of honor and dignity. This may sound silly, but I want someone strong enough not to be perfect. One who can stand in the stage lights warts and all saying "This is who I am, but in spite of my flaws...or perhaps because of them, I will serve YOU my countrymen and women with every last beat of my heart."

I want someone who is no stranger to pain, remorse and loss. Someone who isn't part of the silver spoon elite, who has had to struggle. I want someone who can look you in the eye and see a person, not a party or leaning.

I want a President who will never forget that it was the people who put them in that office, and that its the people they must look out for.

I want a President that we can be proud of, one that can make us laugh or weep and that can be looked at with admiration and respect around the world.

One who can speak clearly, succinctly and put things in a way that everyone can understand without ever talking "down" to them. One that is NOT afraid to simply say "Yes" or "No" when they answer a question. I can't abide running around the mulberry bush.

And most importantly, I want a President that has the backbone to stand up to the status quo, and despite all the limitations this office has will do everything in their power to bring us all together. There is no reason parties, affiliations, beliefs should be a block to discourse and working together to make this country great again.


A candidate should be what we want in a President.

But, perhaps I'm dreaming.

[papercut]

5. Working for a living.

I want someone who knows what it's like to have to work for a living. Simple as that.

[JTFrog]

6. Someone who will stand up for:

Health care for all over corporate profit. Domestic job growth and security over corporate profit. Clean air and water over corporate profit. Power through Peace, not war.

Someone who doesn't change their position as the wind changes. Someone that doesn't feel the need to pander to international criminals and murderers. Someone who's desire to win will not overshadow what is fair and humane.

[Peace Patriot]

7. 1. Honesty about the rigged voting machines. 2. Previously elected president.

So, my picks would be...

(On honesty about the rigged voting machines)

Kucinich
Edwards
(Clinton*)


(Previously elected president)

Gore
Kerry

Interesting. I just asked myself honestly what I think, how I judge candidates. The current announced crew are mostly full of shuckin jive, in my opinion, cuz they've let the most scandalous assault on our democracy in our history go unremarked, let alone unscreamed about--the takeover of our vote counting system by RIGHTWING BUSHITE CORPORATIONS, using 'TRADE SECRET,' PROPRIETARY programming code, with virtually no audit/recount controls, in all the new electronic voting systems. In fact, Christopher Dodd helped Tom Delay and Bob Ney (biggest crooks in the Anthrax Congress) DESIGN this NON-TRANSPARENT, corporate-controlled, extremely riggable, inherently FRAUDULENT vote counting system; and Richardson abetted it, by stopping the recount in New Mexico in 2004 (--and supporting this fraudulent vote counting system in NM in the first place). Dodd and Richardson are on my shit list because of this. I think they are both frauds, who are running for president because Diebold/ES&S owe them one.

I knew of Kucinich's activism on this issue. I waited, and waited, and waited for the other Dem candidates to say something. Finally, Edwards did. That, to me, is a critically important sign of independence from the DLC-warmongering-fascist-corporatist-"Blue Dog"-traitor Dem Party establishment.

I'm neutral on Obama. Too young, too inexperienced, too bendable, is my feeling. We need toughness, wisdom, rock solid principles, and SHREWDNESS. But I would put all this aside if he blasted the rigged voting system. It is THE issue, in my opinion. It's how they kept these fuckers, Bush and Cheney in office, and extended the war.

On "previously elected president": I think the evidence is overwhelming that both Gore and Kerry were elected and were unlawfully deprived of the White House. Thus, if either of them ran now, I would feel obliged to support them because, goddammit, they were the choices of the People, and I want ORDER TO BE RESTORED. I was hoping they'd team up--a Gore/Kerry ticket for '08. I think it would have been a magical ticket--the Restoration Ticket, the ticket to redress this great grievance against the American people (stolen elections), restore the proper order of things, and put the country back on track in every way, as a progressive democracy. I think this ticket would have blown the rigged machines right out of the water. I understand mixed feelings about Kerry. But, goddammit, he was ELECTED! And I support the Draft Gore movement, although I think I understand the reasons he is not running (global warming too important--issue needs to be kept above the political fray; also, the global corporate predators have crowned Hillary (she will consolidate their enormous gains under Bush, and prevent outright revolt, with her "liberal"-seeming veneer), and he has to work with that reality to save the planet, an overriding concern--I think that's what he's thinking). (Note: I don't agree with him. I think democracy in the U.S. is essential to saving the planet--and he could help us restore democracy by running for president; he may be looking at the downside--the blow to the global warming fight if he lost to Hillary, or a Puke.)

*Speaking of Hillary, here is a fascinating fact about her. Hillary--and her NY compadre, Schumer--were the ONLY TWO Senate votes against the "Help America Vote Act" (e-voting-fascist coup). Go figure. Probably their votes were so as not to offend NY voters, who are very attached to their old, reliable and virtually unriggable lever voting machines--that is, it's not that they have a particular devotion to democracy, but that they could safely vote against rightwing global corporate predator control of our election outcomes, in the confidence that everybody else was voting for it, and it would pass. But still. While, this doesn't persuade me to support Hillary--her other policies and votes are so bad--it does give me hope that Emperor Hillary may permit us to restore our right to vote--won't block reform at the state/local level, may even be convinced to support it (since she will be locked into power already). This vital, first priority fight--to restore our right to vote--would thus be made easier. It is otherwise going to be one long, hard, complicated struggle in every jurisidiction--state/county--in the country. I don't trust Hillary, though. She could--and I think would be INCLINED TO (despite her anti-HAVA vote)--end-run this struggle by pulling control over elections further into presidential/federal (i.e., global corporate predator) hands, while falsely calling it "reform." (This was the problem with HR 811--Holt's election 'reform' bill.)

[cobalt1999]

8. Intelligence, experience, policies I agree with, and ability to get things done.

Intelligence: I want a someone who understands science and won't discount science because it happens to disagree with what they'd like to be true. I'm wary of people of faith especially if that faith interferes with their decision making.

Experience: Nothing is black/white. Experience in life, diplomacy, congress, teaches everyone how complex and inter-related issues/policies are. I'm wary of "quick fixers".

Policies: They don't have to line up exactly with me (no one except me does). However, I want to see movement in a positive direction even if they don't go as far as I'd like.

Ability to get things done: Give me someone who knows how to get things accomplished. I'd rather have a partial solution actually implemented over dreams that sit on un-passed bills.

[murbley40]

9. My candidate should:

Be down to earth,a"peoples" candidate, forthright,no dancing around, willing to stand up for what he believes is the right thing to do,accessible,say what he means, and will keep his word,must be consistent on issues not changing with the wind and most of all, he must respect the American people. :patriot:

[murbley40]

10. K&R

[cleveramerican]

11. upon further reflection...

a good candidate has to add value to their statements by taking a position.
A good candidate has a point of view.
A good candidate translates situations into positions.
They present evidence to back up their position, then propose a course of action.
They speak simply.
They answer our objections before we can raise them.
They press their case with conviction.
They believe in their own ability and it shows.