What Should We Expect From a President?
As I watch debate after debate, I realized that we, the people, have created an impossible vision for the Presidency. Of course we should hold whoever we elect to a higher standard.
Every single Presidential candidate has avoided admitting being wrong at all cost. Somehow, we expect the candidates to stand by everything they say, even if they were mistaken. When there is a negative (maybe even hostile) environment when you wrong, there's no wonder why people don't admit being wrong as often as they should; and in the Presidential election, it's taken to the extreme. Somehow we expect them to be perfect. But, we should understand they are human and it is actually a strong quality to being able to admit when you were wrong.
The two party system has created a division in this country. Once candidates make it out of the primaries, they have to hold to the stances that won them the parties nomination. In order to win their party's nomination, they usually have very extreme views to one side. In my experience, majority of Americans do not believe in either extreme sides of the political spectrum, so why are we electing them in the primary?
There are no simple solutions to any of the major issues of the country; if there were, they would have been solved. No, abolishing all of Obama's executive orders will not solve all America's problems. Making tuition free at all public universities and colleges will not be as easy as just raising taxes. No candidate should make it sound that it's going to be easy; and we, as voters, shouldn't expect it to be simple.
We should expect the President to have the qualities we expect from what we believe is a good person. That certainly includes compassion and empathy. I believe that the best people believe in strong opinions weakly held. We should expect the President to work with Congress to make the nation as best as possible.
Vote for the candidate that you believe will be the best President. Vote for who aligns with the issues you care about the most. I encourage you to have an open-mind about the other candidates because that will help you strengthen your choice and possibly understand where others are coming from.