Who would be best to lead America in a time of global crisis?

At PJ Media Richard Fernandez asks what kind of leader will the United States need in February 2017. He presumes that it will be a time of global crisis in terms of security and probably also economic.

The requirements of a crisis leader turn out to be surprisingly different from those best suited to times of peace.

...For the sake of discussion, let me suggest that only four things matter in selecting a man to face a challenge whose present dimensions cannot be predicted. For purposes of debate, let these four qualities in descending order of importance be:

An ability to face the facts, however unpleasant they may be. The most important quality of the next president should be a lack of self-deception and a willingness to see things as they truly are, even if he or his ideology wish them to be otherwise. This is so important that it trumps the next item.

...An unswerving patriotism. This is not the same as a sincere feeling of love or empathy for America, though that is good. In this context it means the willingness to share the fate of the principals of which he is an agent.

...Nerve. This is the quality of grace under pressure who no one, unless he has the misfortune to be tested, can be sure he possesses.

...Intelligence. This is important, because it determines basic competence. But it surprisingly the least important attribute in this list. Intelligence, though rare, is not nearly as hard to find as the 3 characteristics above. You can find staffers who can give you intelligent advice. You cannot find staff to give you a character that you do not possess.

Once the presidential hopefuls are examined through the prism of who can be "chief of men, through a cloud" they will look surprisingly different. Try to imagine Bernie, Hillary, Donald, Ted, Marco, Ben or Carly facing what might likely have to be faced. The criteria may or may not change your original choice of the best candidate.

It is perhaps symptomatic of the problem that the campaign highlights other desirable, but in this context inessential, qualities. We are shown personability, physical attractiveness, sharpness of wit, familiarity with policy, even entertainment skills of the various contestants. These are important, and perhaps all-important in selecting the leader of a boring, crisis-less world. They would be vital in another time; the question is whether they are vital for 2017.

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