Usually when looking at presidential prospects, we look at what they have done in the past, especially in terms of occupation. Things like business owners, lawyers, journalists or former military personal are common and historically safe choices. With this previous election and year of presidential term, a portion the American people seemed to shift their view on what jobs qualify people to be president. For a decent amount of people, all you need to be is a likable celebrity and you’re more than fit for the job.

This is not a criticism on our current president, Donald Trump, but more a criticism on the American people and their reaction to having, what most consider, an unconventional president.

Before taking the White House, Trump was a businessman of debatable degrees of success as well as a high profile celebrity and T.V. executive. Since his election, a fair amount of people turned to other individuals who share equally or even more prolific names to fun for election in 2020. The most notable of these being Oprah Winfrey.

Now, being completely honest, I love Oprah. I grew up with her show being common place in my household. It is undeniable that she is a very charismatic and charming individual, but past that she does not really hold any of the other characteristics of a good president. Much like our current president, she can present speeches that incite strong emotions but offer no real solutions to problems. On top of that, we, as a people, do not really know her stances on issues or if she has any real plan to deal with a post-Trump america.

This extends to most celebrities that say they want to run for office. Kanye West, for example, should be disqualified on his ego alone. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would probably be the most muscle-bound president in American history, but again, we don’t know where he lies on policy.

Now some might think that there’s a simple fix to us not knowing the possible political agenda of these celebrities: simply ask them where they stand. If you were someone who thought that, you’re simply missing the point. It’s not that we don’t know what they stand for, it’s the fact that a large portion of people are willing to support them despite this lack of knowledge. Politics are not here for our entertainment. It is the creation of real life legislation that affect real life people. We need to be diligent and careful about who we even consider to head this very complex system we have governing us. So when the next popular name comes out and says they might want a shot at 2020, just think about what they would do if they got the position. If that answer is not clear, do not follow them blindly.