It seems to this scribe, who primarily writes about the world of perspiring arts, that there are some problems with anyone who runs for president of this great country these days.

A. Too much ego.

B. Too political.

C. Too concerned, this time, about re-election.

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Before getting to my candidate and why I think he would be a great president, let me say it has not been an easy decision.

It came down to two people for me, a man and a woman, and neither are running for office at this time.

I really like Oprah and Charles Barkley.

Oprah, the TV megastar, because she seems to have remained grounded in her beliefs and background despite becoming one of the wealthiest women in the world.

She reads and recommends good books, and she has folks on her show who can help others with their problems.

She is kind, compassionate and understanding, while remaining strong and firm.

The problem with Oprah at this time was there are too many countries we must deal with right now that would never accept any woman as a leader and spokesman.

So my choice for president of the United States of America is Charles Wade Barkley, 45 years old and still “Sir Charles” and “The Round Mound of Rebound,” for those of us who remember his days at Auburn University and 13 years in the NBA.

Barkley wasn’t a prisoner of war, but he is very patriotic, having played on not one but two Olympic basketball teams and securing two gold medals for the USA.

He is not a quitter. As a 5-10 junior at Leeds High in Alabama, he did not make the basketball team, but he applied himself, grew 6 inches and averaged 19. 1 points and 17. 9 rebounds per game as a senior and earned a college scholarship.

As a Tiger, despite being only 6-4 and battling his weight, he played center and was good enough to have his jersey, No. 34, retired.

Barkley is an author, having penned his autobiography I May Be Wrong but I Doubt It, and later said he was misquoted. He is not afraid to admit mistakes.

He learns from his mistakes. In March 1991 in a game against New Jersey, he tired of a heckler’s racial remarks and tried to spit on the guy. He missed and hit a little girl, to which he not only apologized, he bought her and her family tickets to future games and when his career ended he said that was the only regret he had from his career.

Barkley has vision, and when he said athletes should not be considered role models, it was because he knew parents and teachers need to be raising their children, not him.

He can be tenacious in his desires. He is the shortest player in NBA history (he’s somewhere between 6-4 and 6-5 ) to lead the league in rebounding, averaging 14. 6 rebounds during the 1986-1987 season.

Barkley is not afraid of confrontation. He once threw a guy through a plate glass window of a watering hole for harassing him.

Can you think of anything that would get the attention of some executives of oil companies faster than being thrown through a window ?

Sir Charles would have gas prices under $ 3 a gallon within a year.

He also knows a great deal about high finance, and there is no doubt Washington needs some help in balancing the budget.

A few weeks ago when a casino in Las Vegas said Barkley owed them $ 400, 000, he immediately paid the debt off and swore off gambling for a year or two.

It is highly doubtful he would loan any money to a country that hates our guts.

He’s insightful, and anyone who has caught him on TNT realizes that some of his most outrageous statements come true in very short order.

So there you have it, my candidate for president of the United States is Sir Charles Wade Barkley.

All we need now is for him to declare himself a write-in candidate.