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There hasn't been a Senator who was a President since President Kennedy. A Representative hasn't been President ever, if I recall correctly. Since the 20th century, a large majority of the Presidents have been governors - largely because of their administrative experience.

LBJ, a senator, defeated Goldwater, a senator, after Kennedy was assassinated. Nixon's prior experience included a couple of years as a rep. and a couple of years as a senator. Carter was a governor, enough said. Ford was a lifelong rep before being appointed Pres. My guess is very few voters base their decision on perceived administrative experience. They probably assume without thinking about it that administration is done by cabinet officers. Of all the declared candidates and Thompson, I think only T. Thompson and Richardson have gubernatorial experience, and one has no chin and the other's a Clinton buttboy.

Awwwwww . . . Tommy Thompson had the intestinal fortitude to take on welfare when no one else was. Wisconsin’s welfare rolls have been cut 92% since I read somewhere. He shouldn’t be slammed at all. He’s a good man. I like Hunter, I like both Thompsons . . .

Nixon's prior experience included a couple of years as a rep. and a couple of years as a senator.

Richard Nixon was governor of California. That's an executive position.

Of all the declared candidates and Thompson, I think only T. Thompson and Richardson have gubernatorial experience, and one has no chin and the other's a Clinton buttboy.

On the Republican side, you're forgetting Governor Gilmore, Governor Romney, and Governor Huckabee. Even Rudy Giuliani's experience as mayor of NYC is more relevant as executive experience than time spent in Congress.

Informed voters know that the presidency is an executive office. The skills needed to be an effective legislator are different from the skills needed to be an effective executive. Some people have both sets of skills, but executive experience is the best measure of whether someone has those skills. Maybe our country doesn't have enough informed voters for the issue to matter any longer, but having a good executive is important.

Gerald Ford's being appointed to the vice-presidency is irrelevant. That situation was unusual, and Gerald Ford wasn't a particularly effective president.

Bill