During my three decades working at a community college, I’ve had the honor of serving on two dozen search committees and chairing half a dozen. Seeing the many people who I helped hire doing great things for our college over the years has been deeply rewarding.

Voting is like being on a search committee. Candidates are asking us for a job, after all. What would happen if the two major presidential candidates, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, were applying for a job where you work? This isn’t a trick question.

First, let’s look at overall qualifications. Biden has decades of meaningful work in increasingly important offices of the federal government. And he has grown with the times, building on fundamental American values to pursue a progressive vision for the future. He can point to major accomplishments throughout his career, especially as president.

Biden got the American Rescue Plan through a deeply divided Congress to address the pandemic’s impact. He got the Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan and the CHIPs Act passed to revitalize American industry. And he got the Inflation Reduction Act passed to address prescription drug costs, environmental issues, and the federal budget deficit. He even did the impossible: getting the first significant, national gun-safety legislation passed in 30 years. And he led the world in the fight against Russian dictatorial aggression by leading an international coalition to support Ukraine.

The news media focuses more on Trump’s social media bombast than Biden’s tangible accomplishments, so it’s a good thing that we can all check Biden’s resume to see reality. My college’s search committee would consider someone with that breadth and depth of accomplishments to be an excellent prospect.

Trump, on the other hand, had no experience in government at any level before becoming president thanks to losing the popular vote but winning the Electoral College. That’s a lot like being hired by an outside personnel company over the objections of the members of a search committee. It’s a red flag for being rehired, to say the least.

Trump’s previous time in the job was marked by him stoking divisiveness at home, as well as building tensions with allies while coddling adversaries abroad. He showed little to no interest or aptitude for policy. His signature “accomplishments” included failing to build his misguided border wall, badly mismanaging the pandemic’s first stages, and cutting taxes to disproportionately help himself and his wealthy friends while ballooning the federal deficit. He surrendered to the Taliban in Afghanistan and saddled the next administration with no realistic withdrawal plan.

He led his party to a midterm congressional defeat. And he was impeached for illegally soliciting foreign political help. After dishonestly sewing distrust in our electoral process, he clearly lost the 2020 election. Then he spent his final months in office desperately trying to stay in power by inciting an insurrection against the United States. He lost that impeachment conviction vote 57-43 in the Senate but was spared by the technical necessity of a two-thirds vote.

Then, when he finally left the job, he stole and hid classified documents. He was indicted for that, as well as for his illegal attempt to stay in office, and for breaking financial laws related to covering up hush money payments to a porn star. Oh, yes, and a court found him liable for sexual abuse fitting the basic definition of rape. How should a search committee react to an applicant identified by the justice system as a rapist? This isn’t a trick question.

Our search committee would certainly see Trump’s term and its aftermath as a disaster. Of course, experience isn’t everything. Personal qualities and leadership are as essential for important jobs. Biden may be unspectacular on the surface, but he inspires reasonable people to work together and is an example of someone overcoming significant obstacles yet remaining humble. While his political opponents mount evidence-free attacks against Biden and his family, he has almost universal respect among everyone who has worked directly with him, including the previous former president he served for eight years as vice president.

By contrast, Trump operates through deceit and insults more than honesty and praise. He demands unflinching loyalty yet has betrayed countless confidants. He even sent a mob of delusional thugs after his own vice president when that obsequious supplicant finally arose and rejected Trump’s plot to steal the election.

So, who would our search committee recommend between these two finalists? This isn’t a trick question.

Sure, sometimes coworkers advocate for an “out-of-the-box” job candidate. But I’ve never found anyone foolish enough to suggest hiring someone as unqualified and inappropriate as Trump. No one would be confused enough to hire him for the lowest entry-level position, let alone the CEO.

Ultimately, we’d hire Biden for our top job because we love our college and want to see it served by someone qualified, competent, and appropriate. We’d hire someone who would foster and protect our college, not abuse and regress it. And we love America more than we love our place of employment, so why would we do anything less for our country? In fact, why would anyone who loves America think that Trump should be president?

This. Is. Not. A. Trick. Question.

John Sheirer is an author and teacher from Florence. His latest book is, “Stumbling Through Adulthood: Linked Stories.” Find him at JohnSheirer.com.

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