The Right Person for the Job, Pt. 1 of 10

Much has been written on these pages about the two remaining Democratic candidates for President, and which has more experience, judgement, winability, or inevitability.

I imagine, in spite of what some might write, that most of us will be lining up in November to cast our vote for the Democratic nominee, regardless of who he or she is.  Nonetheless, it is time for us as Democrats to take our responsibility seriously and nominate the right applicant for the job that is "The President of the United States of America".  So what exactly is that job, and which of the two candidates is best qualified?  Over the next few days, I will attempt to match up the job description with the resumés of the two candidates.

In the beginning...

Our founding fathers, due to their recent experiences with the colonial governors, the betrayal of George III, and because they considered a strong executive incompatible with the republicanism embraced in the Declaration of Independence, distrusted executive authority and originally intended the presidency to be a narrowly restricted institution. It was only in the wake of wartime and post-war difficulties that the delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were convinced that an energetic executive was necessary in the new union.

After much debate on term length and the process of elections, and knowing that George Washington would be the first to hold the office, delegates were finally willing to entrust the executive with significant, but limited authority, leaving the resulting language ambiguous. Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution of the United States begins with a simple declarative statement: "The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America."

This ambiguity, however, is clarified in two important ways. First, Article II itemizes, in sections 2 and 3, certain presidential powers, including those of commander in chief of the armed forces, appointment making, treaty making, receiving ambassadors, and calling Congress into special session.  Second, several powers traditionally vested in the executive, including the power to declare war, issue letters of marque and reprisal, and coin and borrow money, were given to Congress, not the president, and the power to make appointments and treaties was shared between the president and the Senate.

After establishing the boundaries on power, the founding fathers left the blanks to be filled in by George Washington and his predecessors.  Inherently, the presidency, as created by our founding fathers, is dual in character. The president serves as both head of government (the nation's chief administrator) and head of state (the symbolic embodiment of the nation).  Our history is one of tension between the two roles we as a nation expect our President to fill, and since George Washington, only a few presidents, notably Thomas Jefferson and Franklin D. Roosevelt , proved able to perform both roles. More common were the examples of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.  Although Kennedy was superb as the symbol of hope — the image of his presidency as Camelot — he was not overly effective in getting legislation passed. Johnson, by contrast, pushed through Congress a legislative program of major proportions, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but he was such a failure as a king surrogate that he chose not to run for a second term.

Two hundred and twenty one years later, we continue to debate the need for an effective head of government ("ready on day one") and an inspirational head of state ("yes, we can").  What we should be looking for is the one who can best fill both roles... so which one will it be?

For the purposes of our discussion, I offer the following Job Description for your consideration.

THE JOB: President of the United States of America

    Role: Head of State
         Duties: National Leader
                 Ceremonial Head of State
                 Chief Ambassodor
                 Party Leader
         Qualifications:  Integrity, Inspirational Figure, Vision, Passion

    Role: Head of Government
         Duties: Chief Executive
                 Chief Administrator
                 Commander in Chief
                 Chief Legislator
         Qualifications:   Judgement, Bridge Builder, Communicator, Competence

(I know, my job description is starting to look like a particular narrative we are all being fed - but bear with me through the next two days - I'll back it up!  And yes, in full disclosure, I've already done the calculations and have made my choice - I voted for Obama in the Democrats Abroad primary on Tuesday!)

(Tomorrow: The duties of the President as National Leader)