We often hear that running a state is more important than being a Senator when it comes to being the President.

 

True?

It is not so much to do with which makes a person better for the job, but Senator's have a particularly tough time as they have a large voting record and are on the record quite a bit. Those are easily, and almost always are, distorted for attacks during campaigns.

It is not so much to do with which makes a person better for the job, but Senator's have a particularly tough time as they have a large voting record and are on the record quite a bit. Those are easily, and almost always are, distorted for attacks during campaigns.

 

It seems many would disagree with your first sentence.

 

Sarah Palin is credited with having more executive experience than Obama does who has more combined years in the Statehouse and the US Senate.

It seems many would disagree with your first sentence.

 

Sarah Palin is credited with having more executive experience than Obama does who has more combined years in the Statehouse and the US Senate.

 

I'm sure that would be different if the shoe were on the other foot.

I'm sure that would be different if the shoe were on the other foot.

 

Lets keep party out of this.

 

Does the Statehouse experience plus the Senate experience not equate to running a state for less time?

Lets keep party out of this.

 

Does the Statehouse experience plus the Senate experience not equate to running a state for less time?

 

They are entirely different. Neither makes a person more qualified or more likely to be a better President. There is no "Presidential boot camp."

I do believe that being a governor best suits a person for being a president. Much closer in responsibilities than senator. BTW, it's a plain fact that Palin has more executive experience than Obama, who has zero. For that matter, any small town mayor also has more executive experience than Obama. Doesn't mean they're better prepared to be president though.

Governor.

I had always assumed senator was a natural stepping stone to the presidency. It wasn't until I saw the little blurb at the bottom of the CNN screen yesterday that it occurred to me....governor. Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagon, and Carter. Five in a row. What was Nixon?

I had always assumed senator was a natural stepping stone to the presidency. It wasn't until I saw the little blurb at the bottom of the CNN screen yesterday that it occurred to me....governor. Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagon, and Carter. Five in a row. What was Nixon?

Senator and VP for Eisenhower.

Habib is right, that becoming president from the Senate is more difficult because the voting record becomes both a big pro and a big con. I do think though that running a government does give you a little more experience than participating in one. Equate it to a corporation. There is a difference in being the boss and working for the boss.

Voting records are not the only reason Senators generally make bad candidates. They often have no executive experience and lack the leadership of governors, who make executive decisions every day. Negotiating a deal as a Senator is very different than wielding the power of the presidency effectively. I agree with Gunner's comparison of a governor or president to a CEO. I would have no problem supporting the right CEO for president even if the CEO had no experience in government.

I had always assumed senator was a natural stepping stone to the presidency. It wasn't until I saw the little blurb at the bottom of the CNN screen yesterday that it occurred to me....governor. Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagon, and Carter. Five in a row. What was Nixon?

 

I don't think G H W Bush was ever a governor.

 

 

Nixon was a Congressman and Senator representing California prior to serving as Vice President.

Given some of the recent governors we've had that later became president (Carter and Dubya come to mind), is it any wonder that some of us have our doubts that governorships somehow are automatically considered to be the best possible POTUS training ground?

I had always assumed senator was a natural stepping stone to the presidency. It wasn't until I saw the little blurb at the bottom of the CNN screen yesterday that it occurred to me....governor. Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagon, and Carter. Five in a row. What was Nixon?

 

Psychotic.