What should we look for in selecting a President of the United States?

Maj John Bell - Not really "snarky", just true. However, we should exercise some degree of care, at least as much as we do in hiring a domestic servant, an employee for our business, or a gardener to tend our yards, shouldn't we?

CPT Jack Durish - Seems fine to me. It's worked for 237 years.

Capt Adam Saxe - Really? You're satisfied with the results? Not many are. Not me. One of the major differences between then (237 years ago) and now is that we no longer have an effective/honest Fourth Estate. Aren't you tempted to ask if we would be in the predicament we now find ourselves - choosing between a petulant narcissist and a sociopathic narcissist - if we had a well-informed citizenry?

Jack, I was suggesting "qualification" is a much stronger term than "quality," "attribute," etc. When I hear people (not you--I know where you were going with this) talk about "qualifications for President" I always worry it will lead into conspiracy theories and the rest. But you bring up the Fourth Estate--I couldn't agree w/ you more! I think part of the problem--at least if we're talking defense/security/foreign policy issues--is that so few in the media (as opposed to just 50 years ago) have any personal experience in the military. They don't what to say when a General w/ a bunch of "fruit salad" on his left breast gives them a line of BS. Or even if the SECDEF gives them such.

As for this election, I am beyond mortified. I suppose I will find myself voting for Hillary for the simple fact that she won't lead us into WWIII. But she is hardly the candidate I could get passionate over.

I would add courage to your list. Courage is important. Look at those who have been President. Courage seems to rank high in their qualifications

Agreed CPT Jack Durish, to me if you are patriotic courage is part of the formula but thank you for pointing it out. To even consider a run for office is courageous. Knowing that every decision you have ever made, everything you have ever done will now be put under a microscope means you absolutely must have courage.

SFC Wade W. - Unless, like Obama, you duck responsibility at every turn

Character is just about everything, isn't it. As a writer I've always preferred to create characters and let the story happen around them (and I've preferred the stories by other authors who do the same). And you've identified some good character traits to look for in a President. I suspect many look for the same things but may not recognize them when they see them. The fact the really good candidates either refuse to throw their hats in the ring or are quickly eliminated says a lot about our perceptions.

CPT Jack Durish - indeed!

Well written Sir: Unfortunately, part politics often supersede the needs and interns of the country and the people. This can be traced back to the midnight Judges that Adams tried to rush in before Jefferson took office. Or, Wilsons apology for US intervention into the Columbian civil war (so we could put a canal there), then sent troops to 13 different countries masked under "self determination, but really to impose US friendly dictatorships. The list goes on...... History shows us that our politicians have not always put the needs of the country first. Bill Clinton was another great example of that.