What Do I Want?

This page was born out of a blog about what I feel is the lackluster crop of Democratic candidates.  I realized, after an email from Ken Morefield, that I wasn't clear about what I was looking for...so how would I know if I'd found it.

Here's a partial list of what I'm looking for...subject to modification and in no particular order...in a President.

1.  I am looking for someone with the guts to say, "I made a mistake when I supported the Iraq invasion.  I relied, as did the American people, on information that was either erroneous or outright false.  However, we are there now and the solution is more complex than simply withdrawing.  We are, or we should be, more humane than to leave chaos in our wake from a situation that we created."

2.  I am looking for someone who doesn't care which gender a person chooses to marry.

3.  I am looking for someone who is committed to rebuilding the infrastructure of our political system.

4.  I am looking for someone who is committed to rebuilding the infrastructure of our physical nation.

5.  I am looking for someone with the experience necessary to lead a nation during a time of unprecedented, and to some extent, self-created crisis.  For the most part, I believe that type of experience comes from leading a state government, but I am still examining this particular prejudice.

6.  I am looking for someone who proposes solutions to issues rather than being content to blame others for the existence of the issue.

7.  I am looking for someone who takes a meaningful stand against genocide in Darfur.

8.  I am looking for someone who takes a meaningful stand on global warming and sensible ways to reduce our impact on the environment, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and move into new energy sources with the same spirit of exploration that drove our nation during the industrial era.

9.  I am looking for someone who grows, changes and adapts rather than remaining stubbornly "steadfast."  That said, I'm also looking for someone who has a center of gravity.

10.  I am looking for someone who has a comprehensive vision for the future of our country rather than a piecemeal, issues based approach.