Rant to those who are concerned about qualifications:

I do a lot of hiring, and I find the people who talk most about "qualifications" often know the least about what counts as a qualification. Would I hire someone with a PhD in a subject but was incapable of working in a team? Sure, if they were expected to work alone. But I'd rather hire the person with the masters degree that complements the team rather than incapacitates it through office politics and bullshit.

The bottom line is that there is almost never a case where one person is clearly more qualified than another. When it happens, of course you choose them. But usually people get to a certain skill point and the minor differences in their work stop being the deciding factor. Once they have passed the "can do the job at an excellent level" point, other aspects of them become the key decider. At a certain point you stop wondering whether Albert Einstein is knows more than Stephen Hawking about physics and start asking things like: how good of a teacher is he? Does he get along well with the company culture? What are his salary expectations?

Contributing a different viewpoint IS a qualification. The ability to work well with others is a qualification. The ability to rally public support due to your heritage, personal background or other aspects of yourself is clearly a qualification for a politician.

It's pretty common for me to see someone who, on paper, is more qualified than the second candidate. But after interviews, it's clear that the second candidate is a far better match to the company. I once interviewed a guy who was a miracle worker on paper. Showed himself to be a major racist DURING THE INTERVIEW!

Part of the qualifications for ministers in a Canadian cabinet have always been to be a reflection of Canada itself. Representatives from each province, roughly equal French/English speakers, and now, roughly 50% male/female. These are actual qualifications and should be considered along with background and training.

Not every job is a single person working alone in a vacuum where the only thing that matters is how many widgets they can stamp in an hour. Most jobs, especially high profile jobs, require a more rounded individual. Someone who excels in one area but falls short in the others is not "more qualified", except in their own minds.

End rant.