An Iowa Caucus Pre-Test

1. The job of a President is to execute the law, not to make it up. If you're voting for a legislator-in-chief, you're bound to be disappointed.

2. Presidents face more of the unexpected than the expected. Look for someone with the intelligence, curiosity, and humility to handle situations that don't fit neatly with their plans.

3. There's no such thing as an Oval Office simulator. The closest thing is to be a governor, especially if you can prove you work well enough with people to get re-elected. Governors are better-prepared for the White House than Senators.

4. The next President will have their finger on the button to launch nuclear weapons. Don't ever forget that.

5. The person selling you empty promises on September 10th isn't the person suitable to be making decisions on 9/11. Talk is cheap. What matters is how people actually respond when the chips are down in an emergency.

6. The most dangerous President is the know-it-all who overestimates his or her own intelligence and looks down on everyone else. The best is one who is smart and who knows how to hire people who are smarter. The President nominates 22 people to the Cabinet level alone, plus thousands of others. The President needs a deep, deep roster of trustworthy people to call upon.

7. If you're worried about either of the parties falling into the hands of crazy people, you need to show up and stop it. You don't prove your independence by not showing up -- you surrender it instead.