When we think of our really great presidents of the United States through more than two centuries of our history, we usually think of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and a few others.
Then when we consider our mediocre — or even “bad” — presidents, we may think of a few other names, which we won’t mention now, just to be charitable.
In addition, there have been some presidents whose names we don’t readily recall at all.
Do you sometimes wonder why, in the greatest nation that the world has ever known, with the freest people able to choose our presidents, many of the presidents we have elected have not really been, shall we say, “top quality” in personal character, intellect, leadership and sound principles?
We hate to think that the shortcomings really belong to “us,” the voters, because we have not insisted on the best leaders.
In any case, in very short order, we will see the beginning of the 2012 presidential election campaign!
The hopeful challenging candidates will have to start pretty soon to have any realistic prospect of winning nomination, gaining national recognition and raising millions of dollars in campaign funds to have a chance of winning the election.
The Democrats do not have a problem concerning their selection of a 2012 presidential candidate. Incumbent President Barack Obama surely will be the Democrat nominee for president in 2012, unless there is some really major and unexpected turn of events between now and then.
The Republicans, however, apparently will have to pick from a field in which there is not yet any “leading” candidate for their presidential nomination.
He or she will have to become “well-known,” try to electrify voters in general, talk plainly and constructively about the big issues, and not count on just running “against” President Obama, although there surely will be some of that.
It will take a major Republican candidate to have a real chance to prevail against the Democrat incumbent. Who do you think he or she might be?
There surely are lots of people who would like to be nominated and elected. But who do you think might deserve to be nominated and elected — someone who is really principled, intelligent, able in leadership and has the other qualities our country needs?
Well, obviously, he or she hasn’t “emerged” yet with a commanding presence at the top of a heap of potential candidates. But many surely would like to see a highly qualified leader.
We may not expect someone of the stature of Washington, Jefferson or Lincoln. (Even they had their harsh critics in their times.) But wouldn’t you like to see both candidates for president in 2012 prove themselves to be of such quality that we could feel confident they are “the best”?
And shouldn’t we as prospective voters be informed, fair-minded, realistic and intelligent in choosing our next president? We certainly need to elect a “good” president in 2012. Time flies. Decision day will be here before we realize it.
Then, whoever is elected will show us over the next four years how well — or how badly — we have chosen.