The Commander-in-Chief is the leader of the free world, militarily, economically, and socially. The office of the American head of state is, arguably, the most important position in the entire world.

Qualifications should matter.

If a person applies for a job in engineering without an engineering degree, that person doesn’t become an engineer, the same goes for teachers, chemists, accountants, and physicists. It would be easy to assume that same logic would apply for an individual with executive control of a nation. That is not, however, the case. The only criteria for becoming president are:

1. Be a native born U.S. citizen.
2. Be at least 35 years of age. There is no maximum age limit.
3. Be a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.

There are more thorough employment standards at Wal-Mart and McDonalds.

It would stand to reason that the Commander-in-Chief (named so because of their de facto civilian military command) would have some form of military experience as well as spent significant time in a leadership role. This is absolutely not true though, considering that the leader of the current administration does not have any military training and each of the current nominees also lack Army, Navy, or Air Force experience.

Military, and leadership experience isn’t just important because of the relevance to the name Commander-in-Chief but it serves as a vital tool that can assist with identifying, and empathizing with everyday people.

The lack of connection with the common person rings especially true in cases like Donald Trump’s. There was never a time when The Donald wasn’t wealthy – his father was a successful real estate mogul, like himself, and so, despite his claims that he is an “everyday American”, he isn’t even close.

In fact, regarding minorities, the company that Trump shared with his father faced civil rights lawsuits for refusing to rent to African-Americans., and his father was arrested with a group of Klan members for assaulting members of the Queens Police Force. He is a business god-figure who scan be infantile in his vitriol, a grown man who throws public tantrums at the slightest provocation.

Has Trump ever eaten ramen for supper, felt the hate of discrimination, or been crushed by student debt?

You bet he hasn’t.

Ted Cruz is another candidate who would have benefited from some military training. The role of government is to maintain and, minimally, regulate the country. When a government fails, chaos and ruin are all that remain (see. Iraq), and Ted simply doesn’t have the leadership skills that any reasonable head of state should possess. The narcissistic and pedantic senator was directly responsible for a nationwide government shutdown in 2013 and has attended rallies supporting the murder of homosexuals.

And these people are your leading candidates for the presidency. Enter the Republican Party.

The fact that the two leading candidates for the presidency are sociopathic nutballs is demonstrative of a deeply rooted, systemic problem.

When I was in Vietnam, in the capacity of systems analyst, I spent my time following orders and independently solving problems, both in Saigon and in various other regions of the country. I later applied those leadership (and interpersonal) skills to my success in manufacturing, and other problematic areas like aviation and transportation.

I do know what it is like to be an everyday human being. I do know what it’s like to be a spectator of unassailable household names, helpless to exact the changes that become mired in a politician’s desire to remain in favor. I do know what it is like to have to earn the food that adorns my table.

The candidates remaining on both sides, Republican and Democratic, are weak, selfish, and unable to work with one another. I promise to use my abilities as a leader, and team player to make our country the way it once was – the best country in the world.

A vote for Art Drew is a vote for the U.S.A.