What kind of person wants to be president?

Presidential candidates galore -- and we have barely gotten started. The prelude to 2020 is shaping up to mirror the 2016 campaign in which about 20 Republicans threw their hats in the ring to succeed Barack Obama. But what kind of person actually wants to be president?

I wouldn't want the presidency for anything -- and, for the most part, I don't trust anyone else who wants it, either. I could count on one finger the number of people I trust to seek the office for the right reasons, and hopefully, one day she will. (No, it's not me!)

My response to people seeking the presidency? I just sort of shake my head because ... well, why?! Yes, I know about the American dream, making a mark, leaving a legacy. I know about the land of opportunity, which America is. I get it. "In America, you can grow up and be anybody, do anything." It's what good parents and teachers tell children from the moment they can understand. "You can even be President of the United States!" we exult. And it's true. But what kind of person wants that kind of responsibility? The beauty of George Washington's story is that he was reluctant to lead. Now, that's the kind of leader I can trust -- one who has the skills and, ultimately, the willingness to do the job but isn't overanxious to take it on.

Where is that spirit today? Unlike Washington, folks nowadays are planning their lives around running for president one day. They have a road map to the presidency checkoff list as they journey toward the Oval Office. They grandstand. They lie about their heritage. They run for "lower" office to lay the groundwork for "more important" work -- you know, the highest office in the land.

How many of these people actually desire to serve? And by "serve," I don't mean "occupy"; I mean "serve" -- as in offering themselves up to we the people, making the country better, improving areas they care about. How many, on the other hand, see the office as the pinnacle of success, a feather in their cap, the key to notoriety, not to mention an address on Pennsylvania Avenue?

No doubt, it takes passion to run for president. The vetting is rigorous, the travel laborious and the scrutiny merciless. But what are they passionate about? Passion for position is not a virtue; it's a vice.

Right or wrong, I usually figure people who run for president are either opportunists or narcissists. Then there are those who feel called to run. Of course, some feel called because they're narcissists. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe many run for the right reasons. I'm just confessing I don't believe most presidential hopefuls do.

Again, I could probably count on one finger the people I trust to run for pure motives, and those who would possess pure motives are often hesitant to run. Instead, we get people saying they're hesitant and denying their plans for years as if we don't see their posturing and positioning. Then those same people roll out their own red -- or blue -- carpet with an event that serves as the culminating announcement of the plethora of their other announcements of their announcement to run!

With all the magic carpet laid out already, it should be an interesting ride. Not sure what it will look like by the time it lands, but I have no doubt that with egos bruised and skeletons loosed, folks will get burned and be worse for the wear. I won't feel too sorry for them, though, because they knew what they were getting themselves into, and that's the price they were willing to pay to satisfy their thirst for power. Of course, somebody has to do it, and so the drama has begun.

Adrienne Ross is owner of Adrienne Ross Communications and a former Southeast Missourian editorial board member. Contact her at aross@semissourian.com.