Help Wanted!

At the mature age of 61, I have read a great deal of job postings in my time.  With the announcement of TEN Democratic candidates throwing their hats into the ring for the Presidential election of 2020, I began to wonder what exactly is the criteria for running for president of the United States.

Brace yourselves:

Legal requirements for presidential candidates have remained the same since the year Washington accepted the presidency. As directed by the Constitution, a presidential candidate must be a natural born citizen of the United States, a resident for 14 years, and 35 years of age or older. (Library of the Congress, 2019)

THAT IS IT!!!

Can you believe it?  I looked at a job posting just this morning for a logistics planner.  It was almost two pages in length with many bullet items for what they “wanted” vs what they must have.  Two pages of a description to ship the manufactured product from a local facility.  President of the United States?  You have to be 35, have to be born here and have to have lived here for 14 years.  Not even one paragraph!  Do you think we might be setting the bar just a trifle low? 

I have long been a believer that the reason we do not get what we want is because we are not making very clear what we want.  We the People are hiring a president to run our country and perform as we see fit.  It is our position we are filling with a suitable candidate.  Why then are we allowing the candidates to tell us what they will do when they get in office.  Our job – our job description.

I would also like inserted into the ballot during a presidential election year five blank lines to be populated with what each voter believes are the most important issues that need to be addressed by the winner upon entering office.  To help voters do this in a timely fashion, a list will be provided to prompt selections:  Examples of this are:

• Budget
• Immigration
• Unemployment
• Economy
• Public Safety
• Commerce

My version of a job posting for President of the United States is as follows:

HELP WANTED:

We the People of the United States are seeking a qualified candidate to fulfill the role of President of the United States for a minimum term of four years – maximum term of eight years. 

Job Specific Criteria:

• Must possess an in-depth familiarity of world affairs up to and including knowledge of each and every country in the world; its geographic location and relation to the United States in terms of Commerce, Relations, Historical background, Allies/Enemies
• Basic knowledge of all four branches of law; civil, criminal, common and statute.  Law degree is a plus but not mandatory.
• Intermediate knowledge of the Constitution obtained via studying the Constitution for two classes with credits from an accredited university.
• Must have served in both local and state government positions for a minimum of one term in each.
• Must have served a minimum of four years in the armed forces with a minimum of 18 months served overseas
• Must be willing to forego all party affiliation upon entering office for the duration of term of office

Requirements to Run for Nomination:

You must submit to a drug screen, background check and psychiatric evaluation (and pass them all) within 30 days of announcing your candidacy.

Your immediate and extended family must submit to background checks, drug screens and psychiatric evaluations within 30 days of announcing your candidacy.  Failure to do so will limit their security clearance for the duration of your tenure.

You must be financially sound (not necessarily wealthy). You must be free of any bankruptcy or ill credit reporting or a minimum of five years.

You must provide five personal references who are not party affiliates each of whom will provide the people with one story describing why they believe you are not only of good character but also that you possess the qualities we need to represent us as the face of our nation. 

Additional Requirements:

Upon assuming office, you will spend 30 days with a former President of the United States of your own choosing for a mentoring period.

Upon assuming office, you must renounce any and all party affiliations.  Your role requires that you work, interact and listen to all members of government.  As such, party affiliation segregates you from others and is forbidden.  In addition, your focus should not be to position the next potential candidate.  Your job is YOUR JOB.

During your tenure in office, you will not function in any capacity in any other work organization be it gainfully or voluntarily.

What are your thoughts?  Let me hear the R-O-A-R-S!!!

The Roaring Ellie

References:  Library of the Congress, retrieved from the world wide web on March 26, 2019 from https://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/elections/requirements-for-president.html