Qualities a US president should have

As we examine candidates seeking party nominations for the US president, it’s interesting to note the personality traits and belief systems of each person.
First of all, it’s likely we all agree that every person running already possesses a lot of inner strength. Most of us would hate to deal with the mudslinging and the dodging it would take to deal with it.
Anyone in the running has to have a good measure of self-confidence, the ability to stay cool under pressure, and the intelligence to provide answers quickly, even if those answers are far from perfect.
This column is about relationships, and we all tend to develop a “virtual relationship” with our favourite candidates. Then, we start to narrow down our picks to our favourite one.
While the news media and the public like to jump on weaknesses in these candidates, we should get a list of strengths together. This way, we can figure out who we want to champion.
“As I watched the debates, both for Democrats and Republicans, I was amazed that they could stay composed and hang in there,” says a politician who is a good friend of ours. We’ll call him Dave.
“National political campaigns would have to put you through the wringer,” laughs Dave. “I barely survived my local campaign!”
Running for leader of the free world, meaning US president, calls for some personality and character traits that elicit respect from around the globe, not just here at home.
Qualities we really need to see from the winner include the following:
lThe ability to speak and act in a dignified manner under pressure. We need a president who can speak intelligently when the heat is on. Words have the power to start or end a war, so we need a leader who can use them carefully.
lThe acumen to know what the future looks like. This means electing someone who is well-versed about world issues and knowledgeable about “people problems”. We need a president who is not running to catch up. Judging someone’s past record is about the only way we can know this.
lThe ability to devise a detailed plan from A-Z. Whether someone is making a plan to sell a house or bring peace to the Middle East, nothing can happen without a detailed plan. Too many of us, presidential candidates included, speak of goals but we have no real plans.
lA positive attitude and upbeat speech patterns. If our eventual president tries to sell an idea to Congress or unify the masses in some way, it would help if this person exudes a positive nature. Think about it: It’s almost impossible to sell a negative-sounding idea to anyone.
“I once ran for student body president,” says a friend of ours we’ll call Janie. “I got elected, but soon thereafter I got impeached!”
Janie is joking, but she explains that she was too negative when she assumed office. “I made a long list of everything that was wrong with our school,” she laughs. “It ticked people off.”
Having a US president that can put a positive spin on problems is essential. Otherwise, we will feel a loss of power.
Also, we need to make sure that the candidate elected will actually deliver on promises. We need to vote for someone who is likely to achieve the goals he or she designates. In the end, the promises have to play out, not just sound good for the news media.

- Judi Light Hopson is the executive director of the stress management website USA Wellness Cafe at www.usawellnesscafe.com. Emma Hopson is an author and a nurse educator. Ted Hagen is a family psychologist.