Weeding out self-promoting jerks like Trump who love to wield power through money would be a good start in vetting presidential election wannabees.
The Donald's gambling interests, history of bankruptcies and bad debts, extravagant life-style, extramarital affairs, messy divorces, hucksterism and lust for self-promoting show biz appears to put him in the same category you rail against....and he appears to be just the type of political aspirer we DO have the power to weed out.
Unless we are fascinated by him, that is......
Leni
The showboating is a particular weak point, as it is distracting and indicates rather shallow obsessions. I would much prefer a cold blooded, calculating, low profile executive in the Cardinal Richelieu tradition. Cheney is a good example of the type. Putin is is an interesting hybrid of the two styles of showboat and Machiavellian.
Given that our populace demands entertainment in exchange for votes, hybrids may be the best option until there is a cultural change. Economic blight may prove to be a sobering effect in the not too distant future, but we are not there yet.