For one, I have grown fully tired of the "is America ready..." meme. The implication seems to be that if a such-and-such president makes some people jittery, that means that "the country is not ready." I don't think that "the country is ready" is a qualification for a solid president. Few of us are "ready" for puberty but it's probably good that we get out of the 5th grade anyway, which is about where I would the emotional age of much of our politics. I note the narcissism behind the idea that, for example, if a politician does not make a childish show of how much he "loves Amurrikka" by wearing a lapel pin the U.S. flag on it, he must not be a solid executive.

Frankly, I would prefer a President who is not "in love" with America but can see America the way that long-time married couples see each other: as a teeming colony of flaws. I would not want a lawyer or a CEO who saw only roses either.

HAT TIP to Jack and Jill Politics.