Building the Perfect Beast

DH and I got into an interesting conversation on our way home from work yesterday. If you could build the perfect president by choosing one quality held by each of the presidents who have been in office since you've been alive, which qualities would you pick? I like the question because it takes real thought and discernment to answer. No vilifying of any of the presidents because you don't like them, even if they deserve it. Here's my list, starting with Eisenhower since DH was born in 1960.

Eisenhower: Military knowledge. Key info to have, given the state of things in Iraq and Afghanistan these days.

Kennedy: Charisma. Americans are a squirrelly bunch. The "it" factor goes a long way toward getting us moving in the same direction.

Johnson: Pragmatism. A good president has to make the decisions that need to made, even if the country balks at the idea in question. See: civil rights legislation.

Nixon: Willingness to be unpopular. We're not voting for Homecoming Queen, folks.

Ford: Integrity. We'll all feel better if we have a President we think is honest and forthright.

Carter: Diplomacy. Carter, more than any of the others, was good at and committed to bringing opposing sides together. We could use a bit more diplomacy and a tad less sabre-rattling.

Reagan: Communication skills. Reagan had a brilliant speechwriter in Peggy Noonan, but his ability to connect with everyone made her words sing and kept us all listening.

Bush I: Foreign policy knowledge. The man was the director of the CIA. Our new president will need to know how to gather and apply information if we're going to emerge from our current quagmire with our national dignity intact.

Clinton: The common touch. The race for the presidency has devolved into a contest where very wealthy people vie against other very wealthy people for the job, which leaves 98% of us out. Clinton grew up poor and remembered what it was like to buy socks at Wal-Mart. Given the state of the economy lately, that kind of budgetary knowledge would come in handy.

Bush II: Strength of will. Love him or hate him, you have to admit that W knows how to stick to his guns. Spineless weenies need not apply at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

So, military knowledge, charisma, pragmatism, willingness to be unpopular, integrity, diplomacy, communication skills, foreign policy knowledge, the common touch, and strength of will. Pretty tall order, and that's not including the historical seasoning of Washington's boldness, Jefferson's intelligence, Lincoln's compassion, TR's environmentalism, and FDR's economic savvy.

Are you listening, front-runners? Good. Let the best (wo)man win!