On Tuesday, July 2 we made some history with the first presidential candidate forum from "How To Be President." This is an initiative to add something that is missing to the presidential primary process. We hear all about issues and resumes, but rarely if ever about leadership reflections. No one forces candidates to talk about how they are preparing for this unique and un-preparable-for job. No one asks about holding the power of life and death, or maintaining one's self-confidence and ego in the face of constant failure and frustrations of one's power, or the role of humility when you are the leader of the free world.
We need the candidates to hear these questions constantly, so they know it's important to us that they answer them and that we won't trust them to be good leaders if they don't. We need to hear each other ask these questions, so we don't let each other settle for bad preparation and bad vetting.
Someone has to ask these questions. It should be journalists — but they don't. So we have to model it and ask them to! You can ask questions yourself, like the ones listed here. You can attend our forums or watch them on YouTube.
Former U.S. Representative John Delaney was the first to accept our invitation. The video is here, with notes that point you toward the time in the video where he addresses each question.
My partners so far are Rev. Allison Palm of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Nashua, Rev. Sally Newhall of the Nashua Presbyterian Church, and Michael Reinke, Executive Director of the Nashua Soup Kitchen and Shelter.
Okay — here are all the things you can and should do:
- Read about the whole project
- Bookmark this page of questions — have it open on your phone when you talk to a candidate
- Video them or record them or write something when you ask, and post it with #howtobepresident
- Like our Facebook page and share it on your own feed
- Subscribe to the YouTube channel
- Watch the videos and send them to others
- E-mail us so we can tell you about what is coming soon
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