With fall just around the corner, the International Coaching Federation issued guidelines today for schools and other organizations to follow when hiring a coach. I thought it would be interesting to adapt the group’s guidelines — they call them “the Five Cs” — to the political process in advance of the 2008 presidential election.

1. CODE OF ETHICS. Does the presidential candidate adhere to a code of ethics? Is he accountable to any standards?

• Republican John McCain lived up to the military code of conduct as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese at the infamous Hanoi Hilton. Despite being given the opportunity to gain his freedom, he refused, knowing that his acceptance of the offer would be used by his captors for propaganda purposes. More recently, he’s adamantly opposed the out-of-control spending of his colleagues in Congress and is one of the few leaders who has the guts to challenge abusive Congressional earmarks and the pork-barrel politics that grip Washington.

• Democrat Barack Hussein Obama accepted a sweetheart real estate deal from convicted felon Tony Rezko and a “brother-in-law-discount” mortgage financing package from Northern Trust bank. In addition, he agreed to wear an American flag pin on his lapel and salute the American flag only after much public criticism of his prior refusal to do either.

2. COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF TRAINING. Has the presidential candidate had training adequate to prepare him to serve as Commander-in-Chief of the nation’s armed forces.

• Republican John McCain served honorably in the U.S. Navy before retiring after 22 years of service.

• Democrat Barack Obama has no military experience and doesn’t even list “defense” or “military” as an topic of discussion in the Issues Section of his web site.

3. CREDENTIALS. Does the presidential candidate have enough experience to serve as leader of the free world?

• Republican John McCain brings hands-on military experience as well as nearly three decades of wide-ranging experience, including foreign policy experience, in the United States Senate.

• Democrat Barack Obama brings, according to a USA TODAY article: Two years in the U.S. Senate. Seven years in the Illinois Senate. One loss in a primary election for the U.S. House of Representatives. One stirring keynote address at a Democratic National Convention. Two best-selling books. Hardly the makings of a president.

4. CONTEXT. What other specialized skills does the presidential candidate have? How important is experience in specific/relevant areas to you in a presidential candidate?

• Republican John McCain offers a better understanding of world leaders as evidenced in a December 2007 statement he made about then-Russian President Vladimir Putin: “I looked into his eyes and saw three letters: a K, a G and a B.”

• Democrat Barack Obama and his advisers stress the Democratic candidate’s readiness to sit down with Iranian leaders, including President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, without ­conditions.

5. CHEMISTRY. Do you feel a connection with the presidential candidate? The president-citizen relationship is very important; a connection between you and the presidential candidate is vital. If it does not “feel” right to you, heavily consider choosing another presidential candidate to whom you feel more connected and whom you trust.

• Republican John McCain adds credence to the long-held belief that with age comes wisdom and understanding a la Ronald Reagan.

• Democrat Barack Obama and his minions seem to be waging a non-stop effort aimed at casting his opponent’s age in a negative light. One newspaper editorial yesterday cited the fact that Ted Kennedy was born in 1932 and is four years older than McCain before asking a pertinent question: “Do Democrats want to turn him out to pasture?” Good question.

Obviously, “hiring” a president is more important to the nation than hiring a coach for a sports team. So vote wisely as you consider the information above.