>the problem i have is that most (not all) young people seem to base "the best person available" a lot more on personality, fame, and specifically - "coolness" - whatever that is - than on anything resembling an ability to lead, experience, or relevant issues.

I think you are selling young people short. Maybe it wasn't this way with you, but when I was younger (I think with that statement I am now officially old!) my peers and I took the voting process very seriously. And, with respect to George Carlin, I do mean the word process. Not just punching the hole... I mean we watched the debates, we read up on the hot topics, we questioned why other topics weren't even being discussed, we recognized that Dan Rather had his own agenda... we realized that many people felt as you do, and we were determined not to fulfill the stereotypical know-nothing, self-entitled, snot-nosed brat demographic.

Before re-entering the programming world, I had the opportunity to work with middle-school children (13-16 years old) and I can attest that they are more well-mannered, intelligent, willing, and able than we are led to believe. What they need is to be included, not excluded... taught not lectured. Include the younger generation and you will not be disappointed.

Keep this in mind... the problem we had is that most (not all) old people seemed to base "the best person available" a lot more on money, power, and specifically - "being Presidential" - whatever that is - than on anything resembling an ability to lead, experience, or relevant issues.