Can We Really Have It All?

Written by: Katherine Wahl on Sep 7, 2008 11:58 PM EDT

What’s more important to you in a candidate, content or character? Is it really all about the experience or is it about inspiration. Is it about whose VP appeals to more people or about who would be a stronger leader. Is it about the presentation or about the message? Are we just expecting too much out of one candidate or can we really have it all?

There has certainly been a lot of talk in the media lately about gender, personal wealth, education, and the candidate’s wives outfits. I can't speak for the Democratic Party but I can say that I persnally don't expect my President to be a boy scout... or for that matter a girl scout. I don't care if they come from wealth or poverty. I could care less who designed their suit and if their spouses diamond earrings or Rolex watch are real. As for their marital or extramarital relations, well, those are none of my business and I would really prefer that they remain private.

Historically, Democrats have been equal opportunity campaigners. We supported the likes of Kennedy and Kerry, with their millions of dollars and multiple homes. We also backed Bill Clinton from Hope, Arkansas and Joe Biden from Delaware, a man who had to take loans to finance his son's college education. None of those things should matter. They make good sound bites and punch lines but Cindy McCain's Manolo’s don't have any real affect on my life. Women’s reproductive rights, education initiatives, banning drilling in wildlife preserves, ending an unjust war and passing universal healthcare so ALL Americans can be covered, those are the things that do matter to me.

As for a good politician vs. a good leader, I like to believe that you can have both. I wouldn't hire someone to work for me who was "good on paper" but presented badly in person. When you're looking for someone to represent your company you want them to be both educated and able look and act the part. In the competitive job market, you better damn well be able to sell yourself. And that’s what politics is. Selling yourself to voters. Selling your legislation on Capital Hill. Selling the idea of weekend at Camp David to Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin. People will never follow you because of the diploma on your wall or just because you have extensive experience. But if you can make them believe in you and your vision, like the pied piper they will follow you to the ends of the earth.

So yes, I expect my President to smart, savvy, charismatic, eloquent and polished. I want to be inspired. I want to be wowed. I expect my leader to be... for lack of a better word… Presidential! And you can ponder whether content or character is more important but let us remember the Nixon/Kennedy debate. If you were listing on the radio you might have called it a draw or maybe even given Nixon the edge, yet for anyone who saw the debate on TV it was a clear victory for JFK. He looked the part. He was what people envisioned their President to be. He inspired them. Whether you were educated at Harvard or dropped out of high school, inspiration is something that all Americans can understand.

So my question is simple. This generation has become one that doesn’t settle. We don’t get married just to get married, we wait for the right one. We don’t stay in our dead end jobs, instead we quit that job, move across the country and start a whole new career. We work, raise a family and save money not just for one home but for a vacation home too. We want it all. So why do we have to pick between a good leader and a good politician. I'm raising my hand and asking why can’t I have both? Don’t I and America deserve both? The reason I’ll be voting for Obama/Biden is because they have answered my question with a resounding Yes We Can!

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Location: MD