I know better than to look for a perfect candidate for U.S. president. Forget swallowing any candidate’s campaign rhetoric with worshipful awe.

Better that I coldly examine a candidate’s ability to lead (not coerce) a complex country in a complex world. They will be the leader not only of those who voted for them but also of those who voted against them.

Better that I ask how wisely they will react to unforeseen events, because the next few years will certainly bring them. Can they admit and learn from their mistakes? Because they will surely make them.

I should understand the limits on a president’s power. The president is bound not only by other branches of the U.S. government but by circumstances elsewhere in the world over which he or she has little control. Better a president who can react to sudden changes with creativity and the willingness to consider different opinions.

In addition, I judge them beyond domestic issues. Fairly or unfairly, the United States is expected to play a leading role on the world stage. How well do they understand that a reputation for decency and honesty and fair play is as important for the carrying out of our policies as the ability to shock and awe our enemies?