Prescott Valley, AZ Correspondent– Congress should not pass a law requiring all presidential candidates to have held at least one political office before running for President of the United States. Just because a candidate has not held a political office really has limited bearing on whether a person can perform the duties of the office.

It is really better that a candidate be connected to the people rather than to politics. A presidential candidate should know constitutional law and how the Congress works, particularly in regard to budgeting, initiating legislation, passing legislation and putting legislation into effect as those aspects can present a learning curve for almost any candidate outside of the political realm.

Non-political presidential candidates should have experience in domestic policy development as well as an understanding of foreign policy. Even when a presidential candidate sets out a sound and workable platform, there should be schooling in how that platform will be affected by the legislative maneuverings of politicians in the House and Senate and by special interests.

Any potential presidential candidate should be required to understand the constitutional requirements and duties of all branches of government. How those governing bodies work in conjunction with one another is of critical importance to any candidate. Candidates must also understand the laws that bind each of these bodies and how some of those already in the political arena manipulate those laws to their advantage.

Even if a presidential candidate has not held a political office, he or she should have had sufficient company or corporate level experience in managing the day to day activities, on all levels, of a large organization. He or she should have highly developed critical thinking skills to deal with the intricacies that surround the office.

A candidate must also assemble a team that is ready to meet the needs of a president’s platform, and those at his side need to be able to effectively communicate to others what needs to be accomplished. Whether it is a press secretary, a cabinet member or a lower level aide, there must be cohesive interaction among all those who serve the candidate and potential president.

Far too many that hold office today are more concerned about their careers in politics versus the needs of the people they represent. Candidates that are simply vying for a position in government to make money, serve special interests, participate in corrupt dealings, destroy other officials, or downgrade the country should not be allowed to seek higher level positions, whether it’s the presidency or some other office.

Having held a political office is no guarantee that a candidate is worthy of running for the highest office in the land. In fact, maybe it is preferable that a candidate who has held a leadership position in a business or corporation should be looked upon more favorably than someone who has held office. He or she will likely not have been indoctrinated into the insane world of political maneuvering that has become more of a standard rather than an exception to the way government is run.

Fresh candidates need to come from the real world that has involved genuine interactions with real people and real problems. Entrenched political figures seem to have forgotten that alternative world outside of politics.

Gastonia, NC Correspondent-I firmly believe that the requirements set forth in the Constitution are sufficient when it comes to who can and cannot become president of the United States. To add any sort of “experience” requirement is to acknowledge that the system is working well as it is, and that anyone wanting to run the show needs to be indoctrinated in its ways and wiles. This could not be further from the truth! The more outsiders, outliers, outragers and outlaws we can get into the federal system, the better.

Our current two-party system is monolithic, hidebound, choking on its own size and nearly impossible to stir to action in any constructive way. It’s like Jabba the Hutt, perched on a platform, stuffing itself with treats and barking out unintelligible orders to an army of scurrying minions. (Yes, I just compared our government to a Star Wars character. So be it.)

An experience requirement is usually tacked on out of fear that a new hire will not know the system of the job into which he’s hired, and might inadvertently do something to upset the applecart and force changes in the way things are done. Can you think of a single system MORE in need of a seismic shakeup than the Washington bureaucracy? Here’s a tip: When there’s a whole subset of humor solely directed at how many forms have to be filled out to get the simplest thing done, it might be time to change the game.

Experience? I’d rather hire a street mime to be president than some hoary old head who’s spent the last 20 years plugging away under the Capitol dome trying to shovel pork for back home while signing on to as many committees as possible to make sure no actual work gets done. Better the jester run the court than the king continue to dodder on the throne.

Owatonna, MN Correspondent-President Trump’s first four months in office have been unique to say the least. His style defies description, and he doesn’t behave or talk like a typical politician. Whether that’s good or bad is debatable because he was elected primarily because he wasn’t a traditional politician.

But his latest political woes concerning his firing of FBI Director James Comey highlight the problems an inexperienced President faces when he must deal with matters of national security, partisan backlash, and understanding the reasons why certain government secrets are necessarily secret. Comey’s firing appears to be politically motivated but for the wrong reasons and at the wrong time. Trump seems to have acted more like a business CEO than a political leader when he fired Comey. He acts as if he can make unilateral decisions without worrying if those decisions are proper or even legal.

Could these problems and other problems Trump has encountered so far be due to his lack of political experience? Knowing the rules of the game goes a long way toward being able to achieve one’s goals and Trump either doesn’t know the rules or has decided he’s entitled to make up his own rules to suit his whims. If he had at least had some political experience, even something low-level like a city councilman or county commissioner, he would at least be aware how the game works. The government can’t be run like a business, with only the owner making the decisions. Any president must abide by the consensus of his own political party and consider the power of the opposing parties when he makes decisions. A president must also know that the decisions he makes must be in the best interest of the entire country, not just what is in his own best interest.

Trump’s apparent political naivete is dangerous when national security and international policies come into play. Mandating a law that forces presidential candidates to have previous elected office experience may be too strong of a solution to what may be a one-time occurrence. But the American electorate would be wise to make sure future candidates can function successfully in the world of politics before even nominating them for POTUS.