POLL DANCING

BY: Michael Arkin

With less than six weeks to go before the Presidential election, life has become an endless barrage of politics and polls. You name ‘em — Gallup, Quinnipiac, NBC/Wall Street Journal, Fox News, ABC/Washington Post — the list, like the election itself, seems endless. 

While the majority of polling activity looks at factors like favorability, approval ratings and who would best handle the Coronavirus pandemic, we haven’t seen a lot of talk about what America really wants out of the next President. Sensing a vacuum, we decided to conduct our own poll among a sample of PROVOKR’s editorial staff and my own social media contacts. 

Every poll has a disclaimer, here’s ours: unlike the bona fide surveys listed above, the results of our grassroots poll are not projectionable, nor are they scientific. Our methodology was slipshod at best – we simply asked participants to list ten things they want from the next President. Taking those caveats into consideration, the poll took the pulse of a handful of educated, major metropolitan market types who, shall we say, have definite opinions. 

Putting policy aside, overwhelmingly and above all else, our participants long for a President who is thoughtful and demonstrates both humility and compassion. Their comments included words like empathy, dignity, integrity, decorum, decency, civility, grace, and a desire for the next Commander-in-Chief to show respect for every citizen regardless of party affiliation, their beliefs or choices.

 

Honesty is the second most desired trait in the next President. The group wants someone who possesses a code of ethics, who lives up to the oath of office to protect and defend the Constitution, which includes adhering to the emolument’s clause, putting the good of the country over their own ego and personal gain, and someone who won’t put unqualified cronies and relatives in positions of power.

Is it too much to ask for a leader with leadership skills? That’s the third most requested characteristic in our poll. Turns out, we’re starved for a unifier, someone who thinks before he speaks and/or tweets, someone who is not ashamed to admit what he doesn’t know, who is prepared to surround himself with qualified people and listen to their advice and counsel. As one participant put it, “Someone who will have a cabinet of experts, not clowns.”

 

The first mention of policy comes in at number four, and it’s actually a tie between Climate Change and Healthcare. Concerning the former, our sample desperately wants someone who will take immediate action to fight Climate Change including the United States’ reentry into the Paris Climate Accords. Per our study, that starts with having a President who doesn’t claim that climate change is a hoax. Regardless of the political capital involved, the ideal President will believe in science and not be afraid to cite culprits such as fossil fuels, animal agriculture, and deforestation, all of which contribute to and hasten climate change. 

 

Working to provide every American with affordable healthcare, regardless of pre-existing conditions is of grave concern to our sample. As such, they want a President who is committed to saving the Affordable Care Act, which currently provides reasonably priced health care to more than 20 million Americans.

You can scratch your head and wonder why having a President who will provide national leadership on the Coronavirus pandemic (which has already claimed more than 200,000 American lives), is not foremost on this list. Theorists might say that the systemic degradation of American institutions and ideals is a more immediate threat than the disease, which many believe science will ultimately eradicate. Regardless of the rationale for its surprisingly low prioritization, COVID19 comes in at number six on our list.

Electing an antiracist President who supports the Black Lives Matter movement and has humane immigration policies is next. We seek a leader who is committed to ending harmful detention programs that separate children from parents, who refrains from employing racial and ethnic stereotypes, and who does not demean nor diminish the importance of the contributions made by all ethnic groups.

 

Although nearly 70% of our sample size were women (I warned you that our methodology was not scientific), a woman’s right to choose comes in at number eight. Our poll was conducted prior to the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, whose presence on the bench would have provided a more centrist make up, something that will be needed if we are to protect Roe vs Wade. A number of respondents expressed concern about the overall make up of the Supreme Court and are looking for the next President to appoint moderate to liberal judges.

 

Coming in at number nine is an educated President who possesses intellectual curiosity. Along with a fundamental interest in letters, history and the arts, they want a leader who has a sense of humor. Commenting on the future President’s education, our participants wants POTUS to have “At least an eighth-grade vocabulary,” and “Reading comprehension at the college level.”

Rounding out the top ten is a President who does not idolize fascist dictators, and who has political courage and values the relationships we have built with our staunch allies. One of the basic characteristics the President should have is the ability to place trust in our intelligence community, our institutions and our military. 

 

There you have it. Our goal was not to take sides, not to mention any political party or any politician by name. We’d be curious to hear your thoughts on the qualities you’d like to see in our next President and urge you to leave your comments here. Most importantly, we urge you to become an active participant in building the future of our country. Your vote is the most powerful tool in your arsenal. Use it wisely.