Why Are So Many People Running For President?
WORDS FROM W.W. June 17, 2015
Currently, there are 16 people who have announced that they are candidates in the running for the 2016 Presidential race. Why so many?
Let me step back for a moment. Why would anyone want to be President? On most of the decisions half the country isn’t with you, and the half that are with you are at risk of jumping ship any moment…depending on how your decision affects them. Why would anyone want to be in that position?
Don’t get me wrong. There have been many good presidents in the history of our country, but most of the time they aren’t recognized for effective they were until years after they left office. Rarely has a president been recognized for right decisions while in office! that would mean that the rival party would have to give credit, and how would that look when the next election came around?
It still begs the question that is on my mind…why are there so many people running? The answers to that question range from practical to an inflated level of self-confidence. Some are running because they are getting their name out there for 2020. They don’t expect to win in 2016, but perhaps people will take notice of them for four years on down the road. My guess is that most of those reading this post will find it difficult to remember even half of the candidates who have declared, let alone the two others who have formed “exploratory committees.”
Some of the candidates will fall by the wayside in a few months when they realize that their is no steam in the engine. But others will stay the course too long because they either feel called to run, have never started something they didn’t finish, are being urged by their constituents to stay the course, or they are simply full of themselves.
Self-confidence needs to be a quality of the president, but not so self-assured to the point that the person doesn’t think their bodily discharges don’t stink…if you get my drift!
If I start believing I can personally fly, and keep telling myself that, at some point the reality of my earthboundness is going to come into play in a crashing sort of way.
What should we look for in a president? Some may crucify me for this, but I’m looking for just a few things. The wisdom of Solomon…the patience of Job…the strength of Joshua…the prayerfulness of Daniel…the ability to listen like David…the grace of Paul…the faith of Abraham…and the willingness to say “I’m wrong” like the prodigal son.
I know that I just listed eight men in those qualities, but gender if not an issue for me. the candidate I vote for will not be on the basis of a gender, although I know a lot of people would make their decision on that basis.
I simply go back to the question again: why would anyone want to be president?
“Somebody has to be” may be the best reason!
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Words from WW Blog 
June 17, 2015 at 11:32 pm
You are so much nicer than I am! I think some of them run for the attention (Donald Trump? PLZ.). Others run to be sure their perspective is raised to the one who eventually is the party choice (Benie Sanders). Some of these people don’t have a pulpit otherwise and want to spread their cultural and pseudo-scientific opinions and agenda (There are a bunch who don’t believe our environment is changing due to manmade impact. Jeb Bush, a RC, actually said the Pope and his study group of scientists should “stay out of it”.).
I like your biblical qualifications. I also like HIllary Clinton who I met in 1979 at a Children’s Defense Fund (http://www.childrensdefense.org/?referrer=https://www.google.com/) event in DC. (It was when Pres. Regan wanted to call ketsup a vegetable seving on school lunches to justify cuts to the federal school lunch program- that fed a LOT of kids where you and I went to high school.) She isn’t new to carrying about poor people. She is smart. Let’s face it- candidates need to have money. I think her heart is with the people Jesus told us were our responsibility as Christians and that she fits your qualifications better than others. I’ll need to be unconvinced.
June 17, 2015 at 11:33 pm
*caring
June 18, 2015 at 12:25 am
Thanks for your excellent reply, Clara! Hope you are doing well! I suppose you heard that Ruth Kennedy passed away a couple of weeks ago. My sister told me that it was like a reunion of FBC youth…Hugo, Cindy, Teresa Ball, Mary Frances…Hugo moved down to Bradenton a couple of months ago!