Take Seriously Presidential Qualifications
Even though the 2024 election is nearly two years away, it’s no surprise that potential candidates for president of the United States are already launching trial balloons in an effort to jumpstart their dreams. Nor should anyone be perturbed by political pundits and other so-called electoral analysts blessing us with their assessments about the prospects for the alleged frontrunners.
I just wish aspiring nominees would be more realistic in their ambitions and that would-be soothsayers would be more thoughtful in their assessments of prospective candidates. The responsibilities of the president and the qualifications required to be effective in the job are too serious to be treated dismissively.
Take for example, the echo chamber that has arisen over Joe Biden’s age. The incumbent would be 81 years old at the beginning of a second term, making him the oldest of any previous president should he run and win
Naturally, Republicans will try to make Biden’s age an issue. It’s an issue that on the one hand, is straightforward---there is no debate about what his age is. Like term limits for officeholders, the issue can be posed in a black and white manner---the incumbent has been in office X number of years or terms.
The problem with both notions is that how old is too old for office, and how many years, or terms, should an individual be allowed to serve in office. No set of standards has been agreed upon on which to base such decisions. Having arbitrary limitations put forth by opponents with an obvious conflict of interest or by lazy political pundits, undermines, even corrupts, discussion of legitimate campaign issues.
For many years US presidents did not run for re-election after having served for two terms. Washington chose to retire after his second term without fanfare. His decision was a wise one given the fledgling status of the young United States government.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt rejected that precedent in 1940 and again in 1944, in the face of worldwide threat to democracy. His decisions prompted a Republican-controlled Congress after his death to successfully seek a constitutional limitation on that form of presidential ambition. The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution, however, was not based on any negative assessment of FDR’s performance in office after 1940.
A subsequent amendment to the US Constitution, the 25th, provides for removal of a president who “is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” But that amendment does not spell out any criteria for judging a president’s capacity to carry out his duties. It merely identifies a “process” for the action leaving the decision in the hands of “the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive department (not defined) or such other body as Congress may by law provide….”
So far, the removal clause of the 25th amendment---section 4---has not been invoked.
The unfortunate election of Donald Trump as president and the COVID pandemic have highlighted several critical problems facing the United States today:
· Our health care system is the most expensive in the world, yet it leaves millions of our citizens without access to quality medical services;
· Our pharmaceutical industry burdens Americans with the highest drug prices in the world, but has been incapable of responding to the COVID pandemic without extraordinary assistance from the Federal treasury;
· Our criminal justice system incarcerates a higher percentage of the population than any other developed country, but evidence of inequities in enforcement of laws continues to surface.
· Mental health care in the United States is threadbare; suicide is a leading cause of death in the US, nearly 46 thousand in 2020;
· Although gun violence in the US is responsible for approximately 45,000 deaths annually, including roughly half of suicides, there is no meaningful system of firearms management in the country;
· Our system for funding the necessary programs to address the issues above as well as other ongoing problems, such as national defense, is out of balance; corporate elites and the wealthy were already enjoying excessive increases in their riches prior to the pandemic, but since then their gains have been gargantuan while their tax contributions have been comparatively paltry; and finally;
· A number of states have imposed restrictions on voting and representation that violate the democratic protections provided in the US Constitution. The United States already has one of the lowest voter turnout rates among the world’s democracies, indicating a need for legislative action that enhances public involvement, rather than discourages participation.
Our focus in elections to major offices should be on the capacity of potential candidates to understand and recognize the need to shape government actions in such a manner as to address these problems. Betting on unknown or untried candidates to meet this requirement is unwise. Experience is essential. It provides a base for the candidate to function effectively, and just as importantly, it provides voters the opportunity to evaluate the candidate’s commitment to serve the public interest.
https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/1228/george-washington
https://www.mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/1228/george-washington
https://eurohealthobservatory.who.int/publications/i/united-states-health-system-review-2020
https://www.drugwatch.com/manufacturers/
https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR4242.html
https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/SFC%20Mental%20Health%20Report%20March%202022.pdf
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/02/03/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/
https://mint.intuit.com/blog/planning/budget-deficit/
https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/voting-laws-roundup-october-2021
PERSONAL NOTE:
Don’t forget my upcoming talk, “The Mysterious Electoral College: Is this any way to elect an American President,” at 6 pm, on Tuesday, March 7, at the Cyril-Westside Branch, Spartanburg County Public Libraries, 525 Oak Grove Road, Spartanburg, SC. Sponsored by Spartanburg County Libraries and SC Humanities Council. Public invited.
Also, registration has begun for the course I am hosting this spring in Wofford College’s Lifelong Learning Program. “The Evolution of the American News Media” will be offered in eight consecutive Wednesday sessions, 9:30am to 11:00am, beginning March 15 at Central Methodist Church on N. Church Street in Spartanburg, SC. For more information: call 864-274-2917.