Election Day is nearly upon us and, despite the wild ride _ like none other we've seen before _ we must focus on a critical question: Which of the candidates has the best chance to be a great president for us, our nation and the world going forward?
The answer boils down to which candidate has the right combination of experience, nature and political momentum to succeed.
Considering the greatness question and these factors for each of the candidates leads me to believe that each has a ceiling and a floor for effectiveness.
On a scale from great on down to disaster, I believe that Donald Trump's ceiling, with him having no experience in public office and business experience of questionable applicability, tops out at average.
His combative temperament, trouble with facts, lack of appeal to his own party _ much less the opposing party _ and often passionate but limited public appeal make the chances of him achieving anything better than an average presidency nonexistent. He is redefining our concept of a floor, though, and seems much more likely to govern from there.
Hillary Clinton, however, has a floor that starts roughly where Trump's generously assumed ceiling tops out.
Many people have questions about her from both the left and right. Couple that with Republican leadership in Congress experienced in political gamesmanship, and a Hillary Clinton presidency may not rise above adequate. The upper end of her opportunity for greatness is quite expansive, however.
Secretary Clinton is, by a wide margin, the most qualified candidate in generations _ if not ever. Intellect, temperament, toughness, political savvy, opportunity for wider appeal, and a highly developed knowledge of policy and policymaking give her the opportunity to be truly great.
Her policy proposals are well thought out and hit at the heart of what our country needs to combat economic inequality, provide affordable education, protect our environment, continue moving toward health care for all, and strengthening vital programs such as Social Security.
The question will not be if she has the ability to be great but what the political environment will allow her to do with that ability.
I firmly believe that public desire for progress exists and is strong. But, we must press hard at home, with other elected officials, and be heard.
If a President Clinton has this push and is also provided with a reasonable Congress to work with rather than against her, decades from now, we'll have the opportunity to look back on a Clinton presidency as a truly great period in our nation's history.
While I voted for Bernie Sanders in the primary and have yet to vote for a Clinton in six opportunities so far, I will enthusiastically vote this seventh time for Hillary Clinton because I know that she has the ability to be a historically great president. It rests with us, however, to hold up our end and create an environment that not only allows but demands that she be great.
