For those who don’t like the candidates

Around this time of a presidential campaign, when the final choices are becoming apparent, there is a tradition of buyer’s remorse, in which people wonder why we’re stuck with these choices for president, instead of someone who seems like a much better choice?

To answer that, here are three perspectives:

1. Ann Coulter: “Three months ago, I was sitting with a half-dozen smart, successful conservatives whose names you know, all griping about this year’s cast of presidential candidates. I asked them, one by one: Why don't you run for office? Of course, none of them would. They are happy, well-adjusted individuals.”
2. David Broder of the Washington Post once suggested that anyone willing to do what it takes to run for the presidency is automatically unfit to be president.
3. Judges 9:8–15: “The trees were determined to go out and choose a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king!’ But the olive tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my oil, which is used to honor gods and men, just to sway above the other trees!’ So the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and be our king!’ But the fig tree said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my sweet figs, my excellent fruit, just to sway above the other trees!^’ So the trees said to the grapevine, ‘You come and be our king!’ But the grapevine said to them, ‘I am not going to stop producing my wine, which makes gods and men so happy, just to sway above the other trees!^’ So all the trees said to the thornbush, ‘You come and be our king!’ The thornbush said to the trees, ‘If you really want to choose me as your king, then come along, find safety under my branches! Otherwise may fire blaze from the thornbush and consume the cedars of Lebanon!’”