Posted by
ROWELG on Tuesday, September 02, 2008 12:15:54 PM
It is now being implied that only a Senator who resides in the Foreign Relations Committee is foreign relation qualified, commander-in-chief qualified. Senate experience (Biden) is the only yardstick. History says otherwise.
James Carter with only 8 years State government experiences became the 34th ranked President. Carter’s experience/background (Plains Georgia, population of 637) was never questioned by media or Democrats. His three years as State Senator and four years as Governor went unquestioned. Likewise for Clinton (Hot Springs Arkansas) who went direct from Governor to President.
On Presidential experience and qualification just look to history of the 42 Presidents. Statistically speaking, there is no correlation between time in State and Federal government experiences and Presidential achievement rankings. Government experiences run from zero years, to 39 years. Rankings run from 1 to 42. (Grover Cleveland 22nd & 24th counts one)
Twenty Presidents went from State governments, bypassing the Federal Legislature, into the Presidency. What were their foreign relations experiences qualifying them as Commander in Chief readiness? During WWII, what was 7th ranked Harry Truman’s Commander in Chief and foreign relations pre-experience after 12 years as local judge, 10 years in Federal Legislature, and only a year as VP before Roosevelt died?
The average time in elected government before becoming President was 15 years, zero years to 39 years. 24% of Presidents had no State and local experiences. 40% had no Federal legislative experiences. 50% had no Federal Executive experiences, no exposure to commander in chief or foreign relations. 6th ranked Reagan had 8 years State experience, and no Federal experience. 8th ranked Eisenhower had no elected government experiences. 2nd ranked Lincoln had 8 years State experience, and 2 years federal legislative experience. Eleven of the top 15 had no Federal executive experience
Woodrow Wilson, with only two years of State government experience, went on to become the 11th ranked President. Grover Cleveland with only 6 years of State government experience went on to become the 12th ranked President. Bill Clinton with only 14 years State government experience became the 22nd ranked President. So, history says Senate experience does not equal leadership experience.