Qualifications for Elective Office

We do better electing Presidents who come from the private sector, especially if they had to contend with government bureaucracies. Often, we elect people who don’t know economics or any of the things they need to know in order to develop good judgment.

President Dwight Eisenhower was a career US soldier, whose diplomatic skills and good judgment qualified him to lead the Allied forces in Europe during World War II. He knew all foreign leaders and was elected as a hero. His administration delivered 8 years of peace and prosperity in the US. His Presidency didn’t require direct private sector experience. The US was the only industrial power coming out of WW II.

Ronald Reagan was an actor who became Governor of California and got a good look at the California Legislature and the Federal Government. He also learned economics from his association with Conservatives like Barry Goldwater and Milton Friedman. Reagan won the Cold War and set the US economy on a course to prosperity.

Donald Trump was a real-estate developer and builder who dealt with labor unions, building permits, ordinances and land use laws. He did work in the US and overseas and was a seasoned international business owner and a tough but fair negotiator. He was a billionaire and was not beholden to campaign contributors or special interest groups. His work as a builder gave him a unique appreciation for skilled labor.

There is a need for Job Descriptions and Qualifications for all elective offices that reflect their authorized responsibilities. There is also a need for the current metrics on these authorized responsibilities. These should be required postings on candidate websites.

To get politicians to work for the voters, there is a need to reform campaign finance to emphasize individual voter contributions and use these to limit the amounts of all other special interest contributions. Polls on issues can be rigged, but total dollar amounts of individual voter contributions are auditable.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader