(10-15-2025 10:10 PM)bullet Wrote: (10-15-2025 04:16 PM)CliftonAve Wrote: By what metric does one become the most qualified? I mean, there were several others who were more intelligent and better diplomats than George Washington, but it was decided he was the best choice to become president because he was a great leader. Ronald Reagan was selected by the Republican Party because he was a great orator and good sway public sentiment. George H.W. Bush had been among other things decorated officer during WWII, a member of the House of Representatives, Ambassador to the UN, Chairman to the RNC, Head Liason to China, Director of the CIA and Vice President, not to mention he ran an oil company earlier in life before he entered politics.
So no Kamala, you were not the most qualified.
I don't know how anyone could think she was anywhere near the top. In my lifetime, she is at the bottom with George McGovern and DJT 2016. Everybody else had lots of relevant government and usually private experience. edit-everybody but Barry. I had already forgotten about Obama.
I'll give Kamala credit, she did have some executive experience. She ran a department of 5,000 employees. That's a lot more than Gore, Kerry, McCain, Obama, or Biden. But it's still a lot less than the numerous candidates who were governors, or especially Eisenhower.
More crucially though, she had very little foreign policy experience; she was mostly assigned to domestic policy roles during her Vice Presidency. Even Dukakis, W Bush, and Clinton were about equal to her in that category; only Trump and Carter are below her among modern candidates.
IMO, George H.W. Bush was easily the most qualified President of all time. The next best were probably Eisenhower and Jefferson.
Bush's career:
1943-1945: US Navy pilot, flew 58 combat missions and awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. At one point he was shot down and floated in the ocean until he was rescued by a submarine.
1945-1948: attended Yale, graduated in 3 years.
48-63: 15 year business career in oil industry, starting as an equipment salesman, then founding his own firm, then rising up to President of a mid-sized firm with several hundred employees
64-66: ran for US Senate, lost, then ran for US House
67-71: House member for 2 terms
71-73: Ambassador to the UN
73-74: Chair of Republican National Committee
74-75: chief of US Liaison Office to China (effectively the Ambassador)
76-77: Director of CIA
78-79: built up a Presidential campaign, winning 9 states in the primaries
80-88: Vice President