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Joe Biden's candidacy gives us an opportunity to measure, once again, what it means to have the skills to be president. Effective leaders need to have political skills (charisma's not a bad thing) but ultimately need to have a clear set of high values and the courage to stand by them. In addition it's necessary to have clearly defined goals as well. The reason: in times of dissent and opposing opinions, it is deeply held values and goals that will provide the inner strength to make sound and mature decisions. This is character, and it is character which is so sorely lacking in the current administration. Which of the candidates has it? This is the central question. I saw Sen. Biden totally cave in during the Thomas hearings. To me , he doesn't have it. Who does? None of the candidates seems to have real character outside of Ron Paul(R) and Dennis De Concini(D). Do either of them have a chance? Probably not. Character and experience seem to be the two ingredients we need more than ever, and which seem to be in very short supply.
