Presidents since WWII who won first election because they were more qualified than their opponent:

[geek tragedy]

Presidents since WWII who won first election because of any other reason:

All of them.

[zipplewrath]

1. George Senior

He's probably the lone exception. Not many can claim his executive branch resume, much less his total political background.

Eisenhower is a tough one because he had a lot of applicable experience, but all of it was the "non-elected" type.

LBJ is another one, not many people get elected to the presidency for the first time, WHILE they are president.

[geek tragedy]

4. Poppy Bush won because of structural reasons and because he had a weak opponent.

His election remains an outlier for a number of reasons, the rare third term for the party in power.

LBJ, see your point, but he was already President, like Truman, as you noted.

Ike had zero electoral experience--he was a general, so obviously he was a politician. On paper Adlai Stevenson had more conventional experience.

But in general, experience, qualifications and competence are not winning arguments.

[dsc]

2. Truman

Was way more qualified so was Johnson

[geek tragedy]

5. they inherited the role of president, they weren't elected as President.

LBJ lost his presidential run to JFK in 1960.

[baldguy]

3. Nixon was more qualified than McGovern? Reagan more than Carter?

Of course W wasn't more qualified than Gore.

[geek tragedy]

6. No, point is experience wasn't why they won.

Reagan didn't win because of experience/qualifications, and Nixon didn't beat Humphrey because of experience/qualification.