Six Values to Pick A President

We have to talk to each other about politics. Our goal need not be to convince but to converse. So here I go. I want to articulate some of  the values that guide my choices. If I were hiring a president or congressperson or other public official, what would I look for?

Some people are single-issue voters: the hot button makes the decision easy. This may be a specific issue or perhaps a religious or party affiliation. Some insist the candidate subscribe to an overarching philosophy. This is myopic and simplistic. It avoids difficult decision-making.

So how do I make my choice? Here are six values that guide my decisions:

1. Some call it waffling or inconsistency, I call it learning. Our political system is one built on consensus and compromise. I want representatives to be people who can listen and change, give and take. I worry about politicians who make it clear that it is their way or no way at all. That locks us down. It is arrogant; I am suspicious of people who are certain they own the truth with a capital T! I want candidates who believe there is a possibility they are wrong – and then admit it and change!

2. I look for professionalism and intelligence. I want a representative (or doctor or accountant or any other person who “works for me”) to be bright, articulate, and experienced. The idea that we should get rid of professional politicians confuses me. Unless we overhaul the entire system, that would only put our “newbie” at a disadvantage. I don’t want the person speaking for me to be clueless  – or a tool of the more experienced.  

3. I want a candidate who believes we are each other’s keepers. The strong should not be able to do whatever they want to the weak. It is our individual and communal responsibility to cultivate a just and fair society for all people, no matter what their demographics. I oppose the gang, bully, and mob. The majority should not have the ability to wipe out the rights of any minority.

4. I want a modern candidate. There is no turning back the clock. Time moves in one direction only and to wish it would stop or reverse is fantasy. I don’t want candidates who idealize the past. Evolution is just as much a theory as gravity. Any candidate who rejects this is living in the past.

5. My candidate needs to be more creative than combative. It is not enough to say that a policy or law is bad. I want someone who is actively and creatively exploring how to improve it. I don’t want someone who primarily says, “no.” Politicians must have constructive and realistic proposals.

6. It is not about taxes for me. While there may be a short dip down, in the long run, taxes only go one way: up. We have to pay for what we get. We may feel we are being overcharged or would like something that isn’t on the menu (or worry others are getting a better deal) but the money we pay in taxes is necessary. I am skeptical of candidates who promise to reduce my tax burden. To huff and puff about spending is to blow smoke at the real issues. It isn’t the taxes, it is what we do with them. I want candidates who talk about how to spend money rather than making promises about how they will reduce taxes.

Does this make clear for whom I am voting? Perhaps. Yet this is only a piece of my process. But it is a beginning to the dialogue. Let’s talk.