Guest Submission by Gene Brown

Currently, there are almost 30 Americans running for the office of President of the United States, and we have approximately 14 months to winnow that list and choose the one we want to serve us.

One of the easiest criterions for weeding out candidates is party affiliation. If you are a card carrying, died-in-the-wool member of the Constitution Party, the Green Party, the Socialist Party, The Prohibition Party, or the Libertarian Party, then your choice has already been made. Those parties have had their conventions, and they have settled on their candidates; piece of cake. Indeed, third parties abound!

If you continue to eschew the two major parties, then there are several Independent Candidates. The one with the coolest name is Naked Cowboy Bob (Robert Burck). None of them has any legislative or governing experience, but one has run for President for the last four consecutive elections.

The Democrat Party has two declared candidates; one is a sitting president, and the other is a single-issue community organizer. However, there is speculation that Matt Damon (Jason Bourne) may be coerced into throwing his hat into the ring, to pull the president to the left of the political center. That would definitely make for an intense nominating season!

Now in my opinion, if you think that today our nation is more respected around the world, that your dollar buys more than it did 3 years ago, that the government owes you a livelihood, or that you are happily working longer than you intended, then anyone of the above choices will suffice. Casting a vote for any of these candidates will ensure you get more of the same.

Realistically, reasonably, and logically the only party that can alter the direction our nation is heading is a revamped, restored, and reenergized Republican Party. To select the leader of that party and the eventual President of the United States brings us to the final 15 candidates.

My next criterion for choosing a president is Executive Experience. My personal preference is a former governor. Sometimes, like Washington, Grant, or Eisenhower, I can be persuaded to include comparable military experience. In a pinch, I can also accept a significant business leader like Donald Trump or Herman Cain.

For the last three years we have seen firsthand why America rarely elects a politician from the House of Representatives or the Senate; they don’t have the appropriate skill set.

Being a good executive means taking responsibility, not blaming anyone and everyone else. It means providing a visionary, directional, and written plan, not merely carping and complaining about opposing ideas that you don’t like. A governor has had to command a State Militia or National Guard in a time of emergency. A governor has exercised the power of clemency and pardon.

Most importantly, a governor has a record of being the gatekeeper for her state, not a member of a group or committee that spreads responsibility. That record can give us a hint as to what that candidate will do in the future.

That cuts my list from 15 to 5, with 1 potential undeclared candidate that deserves consideration. Next time!

That’s my nickle.