In choosing a president, good character and competence are the two most important qualities. In the final analysis, a person can have the ability in the world, be brilliant and charismatic, but if he cannot be trusted to do the right thing for the common good, then he could be dangerous, all the more so because of his charisma.
At the same time, if he lacks judgment and the competence to lead a government and a nation, then he’s going to be incapable of fulfilling incredibly difficult and stressful task of being president.
Of course it is appropriate to know about the moral values of a candidate. Those are reflected in his character. And without a sense of right and wrong, he could hardly be expected to be an impartial judge and to do justice.
From my perspective, moral values flow from one’s deepest personal convictions, which is why a candidate’s religious beliefs are relevant. I don’t believe in voting for or against a person because of his religion; but the question of how his religion informs his stand on public issues is critically relevant. No candidate has to defend his religion or even explain it. But he has to be forthcoming about what he believes.
From a Christian perspective, we are governed by Jethro’s advice to Moses when Moses assumed great leadership: “Select ‘capable’ men from all the people; men who fear God; ‘trustworthy’ men who hate dishonest gain” (Exodus 18:21). A government’s responsibility is to preserve order, restrain evil, and do justice. To accomplish that, character and competence in its leader are essential qualities.
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