Do you think we'll ever elect a president with no political or military experience?

[Bicoastal]

It seems pretty unlikely to me. People always claim to want someone "outside the system," but the best Presidents have changed or beaten the system by knowing something of how the machinery works. And despite the fact that ragging on politicians is something of an American tradition, we're also vaguely aware that the job of President is almost impossibly difficult and fatiguing and not for the uninitiated.

Anyway, we've had 38 elected officials in the White House, as well 3 high-ranking Generals (Taylor, Grant, and Eisenhower) and 2 Cabinet Secretaries (Taft and Hoover). To me, it seems pretty unlikely that the likes of Donald Trump or Herman Cain (or Ross Perot or Ralph Nader or Rev. Al Sharpton, for that matter) could ever become part of that list, simply because Americans don't want to see their President learning how to play the game as they go along.

But what do you guys think?

[cali]

1. I think you're correct.

[Shagbark Hickory]

2. Who knows.

Did you ever think we'd have a Muslim Kenyan as a president?

( :sarcasm: )

[AnOhioan]

3. Given how the politicians have performed.....

I would vote for a non-politician every day and twice on Sunday.

[Bicoastal]

4. Yeah, yeah, yeah...

That's what they all say. Now--HAVE you ever voted for a non-politician for President? It's not like there aren't plenty running every 4 years.

[Scuba]

5. We had Reagan and Bush. Their pre-presidential experience was...

...being asleep as Governor or AWOL from the National Guard. Oh, yeah, Reagan was a union man.

[louis-t]

6. Plenty of "bizness-men" out there.

They are getting elected at the state level all the time. Repugs seem to think they can run things better.

[ThatPoetGuy]

7. Yes, I do.

Unfortunately.

With Supreme Court decisions giving money more and more influence over our elections.

With media getting more propagandistic.

Yes.

I think buying the presidency is becoming more and more possible.

[SheilaT]

8. The essential problem is that

running a business bears almost no resemblence to running a city, or a state, or a country.

Here in New Mexico the voters chose for Governor last November a woman who'd been the District Attorney in Las Cruces, a relatively small city in the southern part of the state. Aside from my visceral distaste for all Republicans at this point, her background as DA is not serving her well since she took office. At least twice the state supreme court has slapped her down about things she's done. Here's a link if you're interested in the details:
http://www.democracyfornewmexico.com/democracy_for_new_mexico/2011/04/nm-supreme-court-rules-susana-martinez-illegally-dismantled-labor-board.html

I've also heard it said that she just does not get it that being Governer is really, really, a whole lot different from being a DA in southern New Mexico. And this is someone who successfully ran for that post several times. As flawed as our political process can be, the kinds of people who are running businesses -- like Donald Trump -- truly have no clue about governing.

Plus, of course, Mr. Trump has been in bankruptcy how many times? If he were to bring into the Presidency a notion that whenever the finances get a bit sketchy, all you have to do is seek bankruptcy protection, well there are not adequate words to describe how terrible things would get here. Just imagine whatever is the very worst third-world country out there, and throw in even less concern for the citizens, and that's what this country will be like a couple of years into a Trump Presidency.

[FLAprogressive]

9. We elected Rick Scott (who had no political/military experience) and he is trashing the state.

[William769]

10. What do you consider political experience?

[Art_from_Ark]

11. Don't forget that the first President of the United States

is now the only man to be ranked as a 6-star general.
And William Henry Harrison, Rutherford B. Hayes and James A. Garfield had all been major generals.

[Bicoastal]

13. Actually, all of those men...

...had held elected government positions earlier in their careers.

[Art_from_Ark]

14. Maybe so, but

they had also all been high-ranking generals before becoming President, had they not?

[TexasProgresive]

12. GWB- well he wasn't really elected was he?

No military or political experience, at all.

[morningglory]

15. Let's see, Raygun, Clinton, $h[thead, Obama...nt