Will Al Gore Run for US President in 2008?

Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president, but they don't want them to become politicians in the process.

-- John Fitzgerald Kennedy

In America, any child can grow up to be elected President.

- American Proverb

The office of President of the United States (POTUS) of America requires outstanding skills in business, research, communications, diplomacy, direction and management, forecasting, and several others. The campaign towards this office requires millions of dollars and the skills to use that money to one's best advantage. It also requires that the Candidate be very visible and effective in producing positive changes toward increasing the quality of life for the most people in America.

Among potential Candidates for the next POTUS that can handle all of the responsibilities and requirements for gaining and maintaining that office, several appear to have positive potential and the highest visibility. These are, in my own opinion and from what I am seeing most in the media I enjoy, are Al Gore, Rudy Guliani, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and Fred Thompson. However, I am still of an open mind and not aligned with any single party or Candidate at this time.

Many films have been produced about the office of the President and they all have provided some material for consideration, whether they were dramas or comedies. I am going to be re-watching them as the campaigning for the next POTUS proceeds. The Party National Conventions should be most interesting as well.

From a workforce development point of reference, let's look at the qualifications and additional requirements for Al Gore, or other potential contenders to attain and maintain the office of President of the United States of America. I think any of the 4 I have mentioned can fulfill them all. My question is, "Do they want to do so? At what cost?""

Al Gore at this time has stated that he feels that he does not want to run for the Presidency, but with his visibility and skills, he could make a successful run, in my opinion. The price one pays out of one's sheer life force might be a deterrent to doing so.

I recall a Nigerian judge that played a major role in writing the 1989 Constitution of the nation became discouraged with politics as usual and some events and circumstances that he could not tolerate personally in his integrity and honor. Saddened, he retired and went home to his own community. Where things made sense, as opposed to a state of affairs that bring to mind a title: "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. (Judge Aniagolu once said that the moment a court ceases to do justice in accordance with law and procedures laid down for it, it ceases to be a regular court to become a kangaroo court.)

Mr. Gore may feel that he can better serve on the Presidential Cabinet as Secretary of Energy or as a US Ambassador to one of several nations. He would be successful in that as well.

Required Qualifications for Candidates for POTUS

The Candidate for President must be at least 35 years old.

The Candidate for President must be a natural-born citizen.

The Candidate for President must have lived in the United States for at least 14 years.

Process of election to the office of POTUS

In order to be elected to the office of President of the United States, a Candidate must win the majority of votes in the Electoral College. First, legally registered US voters must vote in the Presidential Election, which occurs every 4 years. These legally registered Americans vote in what is known as the "popular vote", or a vote of the general US population, for US President every four years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Future election years will be 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, etc.

The November election's "popular vote" in reality elects Representative Delegates to the Electoral College. The popular vote does not directly elect the US President. The Electoral College then meets and officially elects the US President in December of the same election year. Therefore, The US President is chosen by the Delegates to the Electoral College, which should reflect the popular vote. Rarely, there is a difference. IN recent years, there have also been re-counts of votes in certain states.

Official Term of Office of The POTUS

Four years. The US President may serve no more than two terms, or 8 years. The only way in which to serve longer is for someone in line for the US Presidency, say the Vice President, to take over the office during the US President's term (because of death, illness, or termination from the office), and then to be re-elected twice.

Official POTUS Compensation Package:

Annual salary of $400,000 (subject to income tax)

Annual expense account:

$100,000 for travel (nontaxable),

$19,000 for official entertainment (nontaxable),

$50,000 for other costs arising from official duties (nontaxable),

Free living and office space in Washington, D.C.,

Retinue of administrative assistants,

Large kitchen staff,

Secret Service bodyguards,

Free getaway outside the DC Beltway (Camp David).

Private jet,

Helicopter,

Motorcades,

Retirement Pension of approximately $300,000 a year after leaving the White House. This can be supplemented by book deals and personal appearances.

Official Job Description

In the US Constitution, the President of the United State is delegated two major functions:

1) Chief Executive of the US Federal Government.

The POTUS enforces laws, and court decisions, and treaties; develops federal policies; prepares the National Budget; and appoints federal officials, and fulfills other duties listed below.

2) Commander in Chief of the US Armed Forces.

The POTUS may assign troops to combat, and is the only person who can decide to use nuclear weapons. The US Armed Services include:

US Army (USA)

US Air Force (USAF)

US Marine Corps (USMC)

US Navy (USN)

US Coast Guard (USCG)

US Merchant Marine (USMM)

The US National Guard and Reserves of all branches

The Joint Chiefs of Staff report to the POTUS on the status and activities of each branch of the US Armed Services and advise him, especially during times of defense crises, along with the Secretary of Defense.

Additional Job Assignments for The POTUS:

3) Chief Legislator

4) Chief Diplomat

5) Head of the Party

6) Manager of Prosperity

This title "Manager of Prosperity" was established by the political scientist Clinton Rossiter. He wrote The American Presidency The President must maintain a solvent economy and an overall good standard of living in a secure, affordable environment for the people of America. Management of the economy was deliberately focused in Congress by the Constitution. The only way that the President has gained power in this area is through the need for faster, unified responses to economic problems.

OTHER DUTIES:

• Choose cabinet members, Supreme Court Judges, Ambassadors, members of the Presidential Cabinet, Senior Officials in the federal bureaucracy, and Federal Judges.
• Fill vacancies in the Senate if they occur during a recess.
• Can convene and adjourn both Houses of Congress.
• Command the armed forces of the country
• Meet with leaders of foreign countries
• Make treaties with foreign countries
• Propose new laws
• Sign bills into law and veto bills
• Protect and defend the laws of the United States
• Pardon criminals
• Report to Congress once a year
• Can assume emergency powers if Congress consents, by the National Emergencies Act 1976. This means that The POTUS can, in such an emergency:
  • Impose martial law
  • Suspend Habeas Corpus
  • Stockpile strategic supplies like food, water, oil, etc.
  • Fix wages/prices
  • Apply censorship
  • Restrict travel

Less formal duties:

• Influence foreign affairs, because of the importance of the American role globally.
• Control of the executive branch of government.
• Media presence. Can focus the media on political and public issues.
• Act as Head of the Party, but not in as strong an influence as in communist and other countries.

The POTUS must have a good work ethic.

Most US Presidents have worked in one of four career fields, much like a take on old nursery rhyme:

Lawyer, Soldier, Farmer, Chief (government official)

There have been 23 Lawyers (e.g. Abraham Lincoln, Bill Clinton), 6 Farmers, 5 Soldiers (e.g. George Washington, U.S. Grant. D.D. Eisenhower, J.F.K.), 3 Authors or journalists, 2 Business owners, 2 Educators, 1 Civil Engineer, 1 Tailor (Andrew Johnson), 1 Actor (Ronald Reagan); and 1 Store Clerk. (Lincoln). Some had more than one career. Most have served in some other governmental capacity before beinging POTUS.

Succession to the Office of the US Presidency

If a president dies, resigns, is disabled, or is impeached and removed from office, the Vice President assumes the office. This has occurred nine times in US history. After the Vice President, the succession proceeds according to the following chain of command:

Speaker of the House of Representatives

President of the Senate pro tempore

Secretary of State

Secretary of the Treasury

Secretary of Defense

Attorney General

Secretary of the Interior

Secretary of Agriculture

Secretary of Commerce

Secretary of Labor

Secretary of Health and Human Services

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Secretary of Transportation

Secretary of Energy

Secretary of Education

Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Secretary of Homeland Security

It is interesting that Secretary of Homeland Security is last on the last on the list.