I have been giving this some thought lately. There are four Democrats running for Mark Dayton's Senate seat in 2006, according to DFL.org. Ford Bell. Kelly Doran. Amy Klobuchar. Patty Wetterling.
In the interest of honesty, I gotta confess that I would really like a female Senator. Assuming all the other qualities of the candidates were equal, I would vote for the female Democrat.
However, people being individuals and all, their qualities cannot be equal so I want the most qualified Democrat to represent the people from the state of Minnesota.
But what the hell does most qualified mean? This is what I have been wondering. I am not referring to the legal definition but more of a concept of what would make that person the best Senator.
First I want someone who is most in line with my values but since my values are often in line with the Democratic Party platform, it seems like can easily support any Democratic candidate. And over a Republican candidate, I certainly would vote for the Democratic Party candidate.
But since all four are Democrats, where do I go from there in determining whether or not they are qualified.
I decided I like fighters. Diplomatic fighters, if this isn't too much of an oxymoron. A qualified candidate will have a passion for fighting for what they believe in. Because there will certainly be a lot of battles ahead in the U.S. Senate and a passive person isn't going to get very far.
In addition to a fighter driven by values, the person has to be articulate and persuasive. It isn't just about winning the next election. A Senator needs to be able to confidently articulate those values and then persuade people to join in his or her fight.
What qualifications do you look for in a U.S. Senator? I would love to hear what your opinions and ideas are. It would greatly help me as I research candidates.