American presidential campaign
Wednesday, September 17th, 2008
QUESTION: Masters, the American presidential election is news all over the world. Is it the best policy for so much power to be given to one man or woman? As things are at present, what personal qualities are most needed by candidates for this office?
ANSWER: Americans have a way of entertaining the world with a lot of the things in which they engage, not the least of which is their entire election process. They appear to give power to each of their citizens but then have checks and balances placed to ensure that the will of the powerful is exercised. The political parties determine who will be their candidate supposedly after giving the little people a voice, and it might seem as if that is what happened this year. In one party, even amid threats of not seating delegates at the nominating convention, and super delegates not being responsive to the popular vote, the candidate with the majority of votes in the primaries won the nominations.
The first exercise of power by the presidential candidates is the selection of their running mates, the vice presidential nominees. This is basically a do-nothing position, unless the President transitions (dies) while in office. This year it is being used as a smoke screen to create further diversion away from what might be thought of as the more important policy positions of the parties. By the date of the election the public will know far more about the personal lives of the four candidates than they will ever learn about what they each claim they will do if sworn into office.
After the public votes, the “popular vote” as they call it, the representatives then determine the President by the number of electoral votes garnered, even at the expense of the individual votes. Are you beginning to see a pattern? So busy are you watching the right hand that the left hand may be controlled by someone else or may do anything that it pleases.
As the power that is perceived to be solely in the hands of one man or woman is also an illusion, what personal qualities are best? Any typical human strength will do. There is no unique mould for the job—it varies with the time. The thing that makes this process entertaining is an interesting personal story, a pleasant facial appearance, and a voice of good timbre.
Spiritually they, you, and everyone are just fulfilling life’s journey.
