The Presidential Skill Set

Many of us by now have seen multiple presidential debates. What took us there? Sure, we did want to hear what the candidates had to say about the issues, but I bet that wasn’t all. The Super Bowl was on a few weeks ago, and some of that mindset is still with us. We wanted to see who scored points and how each candidate responded to hits. The first questions among pundits after a debate is over are: who won and who lost? It takes gladiatorial skill to survive in this sport. Is that alone worth our vote in the upcoming election? 

Shouting matches are entertaining, but the feeling wears off quickly. Let’s face it: debates can bring out the worst in people. It’s almost as if participants are coached to interrupt and overreach for sound-bite conversion. I recognize that this is a survival tactic for some of them. In many cases, though, the moderators are no help. They lose control or maybe even deliberately give it up. Instead of answering questions, the candidates are allowed to use their time to pivot to other topics. The debate news anchors and panels of what we normally consider no-nonsense, hard-hitting journalists fold up like potato chips in the rain. I used to moderate debates myself, and my low-tech method of keeping control was a gavel that I borrowed from a local judge.

I enjoy these events up to a point, but being a skilled debater is only one of the qualities I look for in a candidate. Thinking quickly and responding coherently under a time limit is a necessary skill. But I’m increasingly attracted to the “town hall” format, where the candidate answers questions from audience members and is allowed to respond more casually. From this we can discern if the candidate has the ability to listen and answer with empathy to fellow citizens who aren’t in the “gotcha” business.

The bottom line is, we can’t really evaluate candidates until we know them from seeing them in a variety of situations and determining if they are not only smart and deep thinkers, but who know what they don’t know and can listen to informed advice. They must also be honest, authentic, and have an actual beating heart.

We do have to keep our expectations reasonable. These are other human beings with their own mixtures of qualities and flaws. And this year, whether we like it or not, we do have to consider that other thing: electability.