[Linda Frances]

6 presidents never held public office before becoming president
1. George Washington
2. Herbert Hoover
3. Ulysus S. Grant
5. Dwight D. Eisenhower
6. Zachary Taylor
7. William Howard Taft

Some of these guys were pretty darn good presidents. So I don’t buy you need experience to be a good president. In fact, sometimes I think inexperience might be a good thing.

[PapaBear3625]

Three on your list (Washington, Grant, Eisenhower) had executive experience from being the top general in a major war. Taylor was also a wartime general (2-star)

Hoover was head of the U.S. Food Administration during WW 1, and was Commerce Secretary (and his administration was still not a success)

Taft was Governor-General of the Philippines and Secretary of War.

They ALL had executive experience in running major governmental entities.

Where is Ben Carson's experience in running a major government entity? Where is Ben Carson's experience in running a major entity of ANY kind?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

6 presidents never held public office before becoming president

1. George Washington

Irrelevant as he was the 1st President of new nation and has military experience.

2. Herbert Hoover

Hoover served in government as head of the Commerce Dept and Food Aid

3. Ulysus S. Grant, 5. Dwight D. Eisenhower, 6. Zachary Taylor

All three were military generals. It's U.S. tradition for generals to run for President. (Where the heck is your #4?)

7. William Howard Taft

Secretary of War, Solicitor General of the U.S.

[Corporate Democrat]

You need the ability and the experience needed to lead a nation. It can be disastrous when the President has to learn how to do this on the job, and Obama is the poster boy for this.

Of your 6 Presidents, 4 of them were distinguished generals who had proved their ability to effectively lead entire armies in the field.

The other two served in the Cabinet before becoming President, and interestingly those two both got thrown out after being seen as failures in their first term.

Carson may have the ability, but I don’t think he has the experience needed to lead decisively where it matters most. Not yet. Run for something like Detroit mayor or the Michigan governorship first.

[Hugin]

Washington, Grant, Eisenhower and Taylor were all commanders of victorious armies. Hoover was Secretary of Commerce under two presidents, which is a public office, if not an elected one. Taft served as the Provisional Governor of Cuba, also an unelected public office.

Ben Carson has run part of a hospital.

Sorry, no sale.

[St_Thomas_Aquinas]

-— So I don’t buy you need experience to be a good president -—

I don’t either.

[AustinBill]

The Constitutional requirements for being elected president are modest but the key issue isn't elective experience but executive experience. From your list, Washington, Grant, Eisenhower, and Taylor were all Army Generals who had years of leadership experience that amply qualified them for the office. Hoover was a mining engineer by training and a self-made businessman, and had significant prior executive experience both as the head of the U.S. Food Administration during WW I, and as Secretary of Commerce under two administrations (Harding and Coolidge). Taft was a judge and his executive experience was being Governor-general of the Philippines under McKinley.

The presidency is not an entry-level job and the current administration provides ample evidence of that truth. Dr. Carson may be a fine man but he should run for Congress, not the White House.