One of the most important elections in recent years is taking shape right before our eyes. The next president whoever he or she will be will mold this country for many generations to come. With the plethora of options on the table, how do you know who will be the right choice? Do you pick the one who “should win”, or the one who “could beat the one who should win”? Better yet, do you vote for the one who reminds you the most of Kennedy or Reagan? So many questions to ask, but where do you begin to look for the answers? To find the true answers to these questions you need to look at U.S. leaders from the past.

One of the most admirable leaders of the twentieth century had to be General Dwight Eisenhower. Regardless of his political affiliation, he had earned the respect of all Americans for his courageous efforts during World War II. After some research I was not disappointed to find an old article in Time Magazine from June 1963. In this article General Eisenhower offered six qualities he would look for in a candidate. Listed below are the qualities in their original text:

1. Self-restraint: a characteristic that exists only through “moral judgment -the difference between telling the truth and lying” and an ability to make decisions on positive grounds without reaching for extreme solutions.

2. Understanding: of the “qualities which have made this country great -a respect for the freedom of people to work for themselves, their families, their communities; and this with a minimum of interference from government.”

3. Inner calmness: It lets him cut through crisis and make his decisions from a base of mature reflection

4. Strength of Decision: so that he will surround himself with “strong men holding strong opinions, not just satraps.”

5. Experience: in the sense that he is fully prepared for the crises of the presidency-and no one should confuse “experience” with “endurance.” To make his point, Ike recalls the words of Frederick the Great, who once answered a request to promote an officer simply because of his long service by pointing at a pack mule and saying, “That mule has carried that pack loyally and effectively for twelve years. But he’s still a mule.”

6. Strength of Character: that makes his leadership one of “principle, not expediency-a man who doesn’t run away when the going gets tough.”

Now that you are fully equipped with the knowledge you need to make an informed decision on whom to vote for. Who will it be? I find it hard to find that person in the pack of candidates who “could” or “should” win. How about you?

-Tom

The Ron and Tom Show

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