It's my personal belief that the person who would best serve the nation's interest does not exist. Such an ideal figure, public or private, is subject to our personal beliefs and desires, and the fickleness and other hypocrisies (sp?) upon which we blame human nature.
The 'best man for the job' is a mythical Mr. Smith who does not exist, never has and never will. Yet our constant expectation as a nation that any single individual can hope to live up to his ever-growing repertoire of paradoxical qualities, ranging from the innocence of being "outside the political game" to his need to still somehow be an expert in policy and the game of politics, will only continue to set us up for disappointment and outrage. And I'm not saying we should take any old guy (or gal) who puts his (or her) name on the ticket. Just saying that we shouldn't keep waiting for Mr. Smith to go to Washington. The best man to serve the nation's interest will be someone who is skilled enough and honest enough, and that's about the best we can realistically ask for.
Whew, sorry. Rant over. It was actually meant for something completely different, entirely different forum actually, but Cup's comment got me thinking about it again.