The biggest issue is finding someone with bipartisan ears. I think great work and ideas come from both sides of the aisle and when they work together. We need a president who will encourage that, one who is not a veto whore. I think finding a president based on issues is important, but even more important is finding a president who will manage washington so that the senate, the house, and the supreme court can do their job productively and progressively.

Excellent point. One of the things I have done this year is go to thomas.gov and look at current and past senators and congressmen. Look at their introduced legislation (that gives an idea of their prime issues) and how many cosponsors they have. That tells how persuasive they are - though it's less telling on high-profile issues.

Then look to see how many cosponsors from the other party!