Characteristics of a candidate

Republican primary voters have lots of choices in this presidential election cycle—17 so far: nine governors, five senators, two business executives, and a surgeon. On the Democratic side, there are only five announced candidates: two governors, two senators, and one senator/secretary of state. It is tempting to favor the person who best voices one’s own disgruntlements or who has the best policy positions. But good government is more than charm or ideological purity.

Electing a president is an awesome responsibility. God raises up rulers and He brings them down (Daniel 2:21), but He uses natural and human means. In a republic, He uses the consent of the people expressed constitutionally through elections. In this case, it is not only the rulers who need political wisdom but voters too. In his philosophical classic, The Politics, Aristotle helps us with four characteristics of a good political leader.

The first is “affection for the regime.” Call it patriotism. A ruler must love the country he or she aspires to lead and its system of government. President Obama began his presidency apologizing for the country and has never stopped. So we must ask: Does the candidate have a record of serving community and country or of self-promotion?

The second is “capacity for the work.” An effective president must bring people together, build coalitions, and achieve compromise that doesn’t allow the perfect to be enemy of the good. This takes governing experience. To pass laws, senators have to work with each other, even across party lines. Governors have to manage an administration as well as legislators in their own party and in the opposition’s, and they are responsible for the results.

That capacity includes the gift of rhetoric or persuasion: well-chosen, well-spoken words that move people to agreement and action. A president’s best ideas are useless if he can’t make them understandable and compelling for the public and rally a majority to the best course of action.

The work also requires prudence—having not only true principles but also the ability to apply them wisely within the practical constraints of this fallen world. Prudence requires experience. Youthful candidates and sideline opinionators don’t have it.

The third characteristic is “virtue.”Contrary to what Gov. Bill Clinton’s supporters told us in 1992,the president’s job is inseparable from his moral character. Important traits include humility, trustworthiness, and self-control. Does the candidate have a strong marriage and family? How does he handle the truth? Is he cavalier about the legality of killing babies in abortion? Is he at all concerned about the poor and the weak? Does he fear God? In general, is there a record of principled disposition toward what is right?

The fourth is “justice.” Aristotlemeans a willingness to abide by the rule of law. The current president has demonstrated impatience with constitutional restraints on his power, used executive orders in place of legislation, and selectively ignored laws. As a habit, does the candidate do what he wants to do or what he ought to do?

God gives us government for our good, but securing the common good for a people is no easy task. Does your favorite in the field have the talent, character, and preparation it takes?