Why isnt their a minimum set of knowledge, skills, or abilities? .. In the cronyistic world of politics today this would absolutely get abused. Imagine the redistricting fight brought to resumes for office.

My ramble on this topic:

Politicians should be of the people elected by the people to serve in the people's best interest. Being a constitutional republic / representative democracy, in the U.S. politicians can act without full consensus while remaining accountable to the electorate. That's the ideal anyway

The real question here is about who gets elevated within each party to be on the ballot. Which occurs through systems that are outside of the electoral process -- and often beyond the reach of people who only participate by voting

So then how do normal, centric folks have a chance to get on the ballot, then have any chance of being effective without having to immediately give into the extreme partisan culture? That's the question I see here.

We need centric leaders with diversity of opinion.

US Constitution citations:

House of Representatives: (Article I, Section 2, Clause 2): Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.

Senate (Article I, Section 3, Clause 3): No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.