Governors & Senators

[Dr. Shane]

A little historical perspective on past Presidents and their qualifications.

List of Presidents that were governors before elected:

1. George W. Bush

2. Bill Clinton

3. Ronald Reagan

4. Jimmy Carter

5. Franklin Roosevelt

6. John Calvin Coolidge

7. Woodrow Wilson

8. William Taft

9. Teddy Roosevelt

10. William McKinley

11. Grover Cleveland

12. Rutherford Hayes

13. James Polk

14. Thomas Jefferson

List of Presidents that were senators before elected:

1. John F. Kennedy

2. Warren Harding

3. Benjamin Harrison

4. James Garfield

5. L.B. Johnson (was not a senator when elected)

6. Harry Trueman (was not a senator when elected)

7. James Buchanan (was not a senator when elected)

8. Franklin Pierce (was not a senator when elected)

9. John Quincy Adams (was not a senator when elected)

List of Presidents that were both before elected:

1. Andrew Johnson

2. John Tyler

3. William Harrison

4. Martin Van Buren

5. James Monroe

6. Andrew Jackson

[Woody]

Quote:

List of Presidents that were governors before elected:

1. George W. Bush

2. Bill Clinton

3. Ronald Reagan

4. Jimmy Carter

5. Franklin Roosevelt

6. John Calvin Coolidge

7. Woodrow Wilson

8. William Taft

9. Teddy Roosevelt

10. William McKinley

11. Grover Cleveland

12. Rutherford Hayes

13. James Polk

14. Thomas Jefferson

And next you can add ... SARAH PALIN. (eventually ... after doing a brief stint as V.P.)

[there buster]

Senators were mainly appointed by legislatures before the 20th century. So the path to the Senate was radically different after that. Since 1900, the lists look like this:

List of Presidents that were governors before elected:

1. George W. Bush

2. Bill Clinton

3. Ronald Reagan

4. Jimmy Carter

5. Franklin Roosevelt

6. John Calvin Coolidge

7. Woodrow Wilson

8. William Taft

9. Teddy Roosevelt

10. William McKinley

List of Presidents that were senators before elected:

1. John F. Kennedy

2. Warren Harding

3. L.B. Johnson (V.P. who had succeeded to Presidency on death of predecessor.)

4. Harry Truman (V.P. who had succeeded to Presidency on death of predecessor.)

[Woody]

So you mean that only two senators were "elected" to President?

Brings to question if a senator is really "qualified".

[John317]

History is very unkind to the only two Senators who went from the Senate directly to the Presidency. Kennedy is popular but historians today do not rate him too highly, and Harding was a miserable failure if ever there was one. (By the way, many of Harding's family were SDA, although he was definitely not.)

Both those Senators were more accomplished and experienced by everyone's estimation than Obama is.

Kennedy had been through war and showed grace under pressure, and he had also written a book that won a Pulitzer prize, aside from longer experience in government.

Kennedy was also conservative compared with the very liberal Obama. It was Kennedy who began the surge in Vietnam in defense of America (as he thought).

[Woody]

Since governors have been the best presidents and most ... why would Obama criticize Sarah for being the governor of the biggest state in the Union?

[John317]

And next you can add ... SARAH PALIN. (eventually ... after doing a brief stint as V.P.)

I really hope so. She looks great so far, but there's a very long hill to climb first. I hope she's another Ronald Reagan-- well, not exactly, but you know what I mean.

[John317]

Even his people don't think he ought to harp on that point too much. I think he best listen to them.

[there buster]

The more Obam (running for President) compares his experience to Palin's (running for VP0, the more it diminishes him.

Obama's problem--compounded by his choice of Bide-- is actual accomplishments. Of any kind.