Why is this even being asked? I've yet to meet someone looking for a perfect candidate. I surely am not.
Because the way a large number of people post on here, they imply that there IS a perfect candidate. The bashing that goes on is so...... Left. So juvenile. I can't stand it.
I'm not saying you do it -- I haven't looked at your posting history -- but there are certain people who definitely spend half their day going to threads for candidates that they "hate" and bashing them with such venom. Do they think that builds up their preferred candidate? Hardly. And it certainly lowers my respect for that poster.
At any rate, I'm not looking for the perfect candidate. I wish it were possible, but we are all human, and none of us makes it to the age that we can run for President without having done or said things in our lifetime that are regretful. I know I have plenty of regrets and skeletons. I don't expect a candidate to be any different. I only expect that they learn from their life experiences and do better next time. They will all make mistakes, even in the White House. We just have to vote for the one who is likely to make the best choices, based on values and (as you said) intelligence.