This President had a LOT of experience before he was finally elected. Who was he?

[zulchzulu]

People want to talk about how experience in Washington DC is needed to become President. Legislative experience is something to look at with a candidate. With Obama having 12 years of legislative experience to Hillary Clinton's 8 years, that certainly is a good measure.

But when people think that the sheer number of years and positions that someone took in Washington DC is somehow the ultimate way to convince anyone that "experience" should be the main factor in being "qualified" to be President, there are many examples that show it to not necessarily be the case.

Here is an example of someone with a wide and long breadth of experience before becoming President of the United States. Here are some of the examples of experience:

• He started his political career in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1814–1820.
  
  
• He was elected to the Seventeenth and to the four succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1821 – March 4, 1831).
  
  
• He was chairman of the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary (Twenty-first Congress).
  
  
• He was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill a vacancy and served from December 1834; he was reelected in 1837 and 1843, and resigned in 1845.
  
  
• He was chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations (Twenty-fourth through Twenty-sixth Congresses).
  
  
• He served as Secretary of State in the Cabinet of President James K. Polk from 1845 to 1849.
  
  
• In 1856, he was elected President of the United States.

Who was he?



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James Buchanan


He is considered to be the worst President of the United States ever. This of course is before George W. Bush.

[againes654]

1. EXACTLY!!!!! K&R

If we really want true change, we wouldn't get hung up on bullshit issues like experience.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. And then there was his successor, Abe Lincoln...

A few terms in the Illinois legislature, followed by a single term as a U.S. Congressman. Generally considered to be our greatest President.

In contrast there's the impressive resume of George H.W. Bush: Congressman, Ambassador to the United Nations, chairman of the Republican National Committee, Chief of the United States Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China, Director of the CIA, and eight years as Vice President. He sucked.

And this guy: former White House Chief of Staff; five-term Congressman; House Minority Whip; Secretary of Defense; and Vice President. A great resume. That's Dick Cheney. He sucks a lot.

So what's all this brouhaha about "experience"? How about common sense and judgment?

[againes654]

4. Common sense and judgment

what is that???

BTW...brouhaha....love it.:rofl:

[Labors of Hercules]

9. There's just something about Illinois...

must be the water. :patriot:

[WDIM]

10. And Obama following right in his Illinois footsteps! nt

[MidwestTransplant]

3. Also Margaret Thatcher's only gov't experience prior to PM was 2 years as Education Secretary

[zulchzulu]

7. I wasn't sure what her experience was... thanks n/t

[GoldieAZ49]

5. Governors are 'usually' better POTUS

then senators

wish there had been one running that could have stayed in

Why Richardson wasn't given more consideration...he had all the right experience, foreign and domestic

[grace0418]

6. K&R

Excellent!

[salbi]

11. I'm a newbie, what does K&R mean?

[anigbrowl]

12. kicked and recommended

If you look at the top posting, there is a link on the lower left that allows you to recommend it. Kicking a post means replying to it, and this keeping the reply #s up, which lets it stay on page 1.

[salbi]

13. thank you...I felt stupid asking, but wanted to know

[zulchzulu]

8. Just heard a Hillary supporter talking about the value of experience...

...on Randi Rhodes.

I wish she had this in front of her. She didn't even ask a lot of other questions regarding "experience" either...