The Pendragon's Hall

A troubling pattern is becoming discernible in the already-extant 2008 Presidential election. All the front-runners, regardless of party, are senators (and some congressmen). Don't get me wrong: I love Congress. If nothing else, they give us a good laugh and they certainly perform, at least sometimes, a necessary governmental function. The problem is, that Congress is, by design, a deliberative body, meant to debate and discuss various problems until a satisfactory solution is arrived at. But this is not what a President is meant to do. A President, according to the Framers of the Constitution, must possess energy and drive--not really a deliberative function. By definition, senators and congressmen are really not equipped to be president. Congress is supposed to legislate, that is, make laws. The President is supposed to govern, see that these laws are executed. There are other functions that do this in American politics: a governor or a mayor. Senators and congressmen (or women) will be more inclined to debate and discuss and consider all points of view, yes. But in the end that is the function of Congress, not the President. A governor or a mayor or a Cabinet member (and not First Lady!), one used to taking action, is the choice candidate for the National Executive. It's been awhile since a Senator has been elected president and, personally, I am hoping it will be a long time again. Does this mean I will never vote for a senator to become President? Of course not. Sometimes one is compelled by necessity. But ability to do the job should still be somewhat important and a cursory look at the candidates shows that the ones in the running now really don't have it.