It's funny how the expectations of the public about the show-biz aspects of electing the president have little to do with the actual qualifications of a president to govern. I think that maybe it's a boring job. It requires being an executive (a chief one at that) and filtering through and often throwing cold water on wild imaginative ideas.

I think in this that Clinton did quite well despite his scandals. He did something right for the country and with help from many others , he did lead. What he was able to do in the face of a hostile Congress was somewhat remarkable in my book. He wasn't afraid to approach unpopular issues, such as confronting the gun, tobacco and insurance lobbies, the prejudice against gays in the military and to take a strong and effective position in Bosnia and in the Middle East.

My point? These are probably on a day-to-day level pretty boring jobssucn as reading stats and numbers, talking about the same thing over and over to many people, following up on details that are never as interesting as the initial ideas themselves. But it seems to me that this is what a good executive does.

Bush has a record of being a poor businessman. ( One day the Silverado Savings and Loan debacle will make itself known.) Cheney seems to be better as a CEO.

Gore seems to have a clear foreign policy (not isolationist). He speaks like a school-marm.Do we need an orator or an efficient chief executive and statesman? I remember that Reagan spoke quite well (the Great Communicator) and look what happened during those years.

I found the Leiberman-Cheney debate more interesting because it brought out the issues clearly. It lacked the fiery substance of Lincoln-Douglas debate but at least it might have educated a few people.

Nader makes the most sense to me though he has the least chance of getting elected.

I think we should find the dullest speaking,un-showbiz-like person aith the ability to be the most effecient chief executive to run the country even if his shirt tail hangs out or he speaks through his nose or with a voice like Donald Duck or photographs like a member of the Podunk Board of Education.

Or maybe we should have a folk singer in the White House and the whole country could really go to hell.

Frank