You have to have leadership skills and the ability to build a team. It's silly to think someone is "trained" to run the economy, education, defense, etc.

 

Governor gives you a taste on a very small scale.

 

A great leader would put people in place that were experts to advise and run those areas, you think any President since Teddy Roosevelt knew anything about the Interior...Smart people pick Smarter people to advise them and aren't afraid.

 

So if Governor only gives a small taste, where would think the Leaders of our country should come from if not from our business communities or Governors?

The author's angst is off base.

 

As a country we have shown that the homeless, hungry, elderly, and students are not a priority. It's us.

 

I don't think because people don't want government hands in all these pots means they aren't a priority. Government intervention in a majority of situations is an inefficient solution.

Because running the country isn't a private for-profit enterprise.

 

Plenty of non-profits don't lose money.

I think running a successful large international business would be as good as most for preparing you for being president. You answer to the board and stockholders to keep your job, you should have leadership skills and be a visionary. You need to be able to analyze what your advisors are telling you concerning a wide range of subjects. You have to understand how the world economy is interconnected. You have to have the confidence in your own decisions.

 

That said, I don't know that the only decent preparation is governor of a large state and even that can readily be argued.

IMO it's not like running a for-profit business because of all of the geopolitical factors that come into play plus the real-world idea that you're also trying to get re-elected. You don't have those factors in private business. Of course we should spend all of our money on our own IF we didn't have to worry about countries taking over other countries. Where do you learn that in B-school?

 

It's hard for any person to run the federal government in a efficient manner with how bloated and over reaching it has become. One thing a business mind brings is ROI and an ability to cut pork and run layers of management in an efficient cost effective manner.

You do more compromising and coalition building in a year at a fortune 500 than most politicians do in their career. You can't run Walmart, GM, Apple without being able to relate to people and bring people together...the exact things you would want in a President.

 

Problem is that if someone is a success in business their is always someone that they competed with that they beat and then hear come the tears and soundbites for TV about how horrible "Big Business" is.

 

All decisions in business are economically-based.

 

Not true in running the country.

All decisions in business are economically-based.

 

Not true in running the country.

 

I would argue a lot more decisions need to be economically based than have been in our current climate. I think that is a huge part of the problem is the printing money philosophy.

All decisions in business are economically-based.

 

Not true in running the country.

 

Never thought of you as a "Status Quo" guy until today...I guess inefficiency and multiple levels of unneeded bureaucracy in our government is a good thing.

 

You still haven't said what experience you think would be ideal for a President, I'm guessing Law School since that's all we ever get.

You have to have leadership skills and the ability to build a team. It's silly to think someone is "trained" to run the economy, education, defense, etc.

 

Governor gives you a taste on a very small scale.

 

As does mayor of a major city...NY, Chi-town, LA, etc. Gov and mayor scenarios, the person in charge is the Executive and makes executive decisions...just like, or at least very similar to what the President does. This is why many senators and congressman have no clue what they are getting in to when the run for and sometimes get (Obama comes to mind) to sit in the Presidents seat. They have never made an executive decision in their life.

 

Large business owners also make huge executive decisions (though not necessarily always similar to what the President does) that can affect thousands of people and millions to billions of dollars. However, running a company and running a city/state/country isn't always comparing apples to apples...as a matter of fact it can be far from the same.

I would argue a lot more decisions need to be economically based than have been in our current climate. I think that is a huge part of the problem is the printing money philosophy.

 

Ex: Country A needs help in order to keep the citizens of the country from rebelling. Let's say they need money for food. The fear is that should the people not get food they'll start listening to the home-grown terrorist organization who is saying the right things. The US responds so that their ally is still an ally and not an enemy. That's not an economic decision.

Never thought of you as a "Status Quo" guy until today...I guess inefficiency and multiple levels of unneeded bureaucracy in our government is a good thing.

 

You still haven't said what experience you think would be ideal for a President, I'm guessing Law School since that's all we ever get.

 

I have no idea what you mean by a "status quo" guy.

 

Already answered the "what prepares" question. IMO not much from a professions standpoint. It's more intangibles.

Ex: Country A needs help in order to keep the citizens of the country from rebelling. Let's say they need money for food. The fear is that should the people not get food they'll start listening to the home-grown terrorist organization who is saying the right things. The US responds so that their ally is still an ally and not an enemy. That's not an economic decision.

 

You are acting like a former CEO could not make that same decision.

I have no idea what you mean by a "status quo" guy.

 

Already answered the "what prepares" question. IMO not much from a professions standpoint. It's more intangibles.

 

1) you seem to be happy with continuing to have our government ran by the same types of decision makers

2) which post did you answer "What Prepares"...are you talking about the "Small Taste" post?

Ex: Country A needs help in order to keep the citizens of the country from rebelling. Let's say they need money for food. The fear is that should the people not get food they'll start listening to the home-grown terrorist organization who is saying the right things. The US responds so that their ally is still an ally and not an enemy. That's not an economic decision.

 

Sure it is all decsions in the end have some form of ROI. Risk vs reward basic economic principle another concept that should play in every decision. To many decisions are made based on politics , bureaucracy and buying support .

You are acting like a former CEO could not make that same decision.

 

Incorrect. I am saying that all decisions made by the POTUS are not based on the right financial move as it's main motive.