What are you looking for in a President?

The Republican convention kicks off this week and I will be watching, just as I watched much of the Democratic convention last week. 

It is critically important to see and listen to all points of view despite, as many of you know or suspect, that I have fairly well decided on how I will be voting in November. 

So what are you looking for in a President? 

Some people are looking for programs and policies. I heard discussions from the Democratic Convention last week that they were very light on policy and on the details of how they were going to implement their plans. I find that conventions and politicians are usually that way and, frankly, in the overall picture the policy plans usually ignore the biggest part of the policy process--the Congress. Without bipartisanship and working with the Congress little of lasting value gets passed. 

We could go through all of the non-implemented campaign policy promises of past presidents--and there are many. Being the President is very different for campaigning for president. 

So what am I looking for in a President? 

Well here goes, and this is not an exhaustive list although it may seem like it by the time you get to the end.

- Humility
- Recognizing and understanding their place in time and history
- Servant-oriented mindset 
- Compassion
- Leadership
- Respect for the Office of The President
- Respect for and understanding of The Constitution
- Respect for and understanding the role of The Congress
- Respect for and understanding the role of The Supreme Court
- Ability to take advice
- Belief that they will select good people for cabinet positions and then let them do their jobs
- Respect for all Americans
- Proper focus on both foreign and domestic policy
- Vision for the Country and the future
- Ability to communicate
- Manage and lead in a crisis
- Mobilize Americans to work towards a common goal
- Ability to unify rather than divide
- Bipartisanship (work across the aisle)

A person will lead based upon their character and what they believe. I, frankly, am tired of hearing the personal pronoun "I" so much when it should be "we." 

The Constitution begins "We the people . . . " and a President must never forget that they are the leader of the "we."

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD