Trump

[Vrede too]

... highly educated lightly experienced ... Carter ...

Carter was a naval officer, business exec and Governor. That's pretty good experience for POTUS. Senators and Reps don't necessarily have any executive chops, and federal agency heads don't necessarily have any political chops.

[O Really]

... highly educated lightly experienced ... Carter ...

Carter was a naval officer, business exec and Governor. That's pretty good experience for POTUS. Senators and Reps don't necessarily have any executive chops, and federal agency heads don't necessarily have any political chops.

Seriously? I didn't intend to bash Carter, although I wasn't that fond of him as a President, I think he's been a great ex-President. But USNA grad nothwithstanding, lots of people put in their four and move on. Business execs are in many cases exactly what you don't want in political office because they think government can be run like a business. In Carter's case, he tried to cut people out in Georgia and had "zero budget" but nothing much to show for it. And governor? Georgia? Seriously? Mayor of Atlanta would be better prep. Bush the original (who I liked, as Republicans go) was in Congress, an Ambassador, an agency head, and VP. Reagan was an actor (always a necessary skill for a politician), but also President of SAG - a highly political group - and two-term governor of Cali, which is not like governor of Georgia, Texas, or Arkansas.

Point being, one could argue that personal skills and abilities may make a bigger difference in being President than specific experience, but whatever the experience is, it should include the type of skills and abilities needed - not the ones that won't help.

[Vrede too]

Agreed, few if any have ever matched Daddy Shrub's paper credentials.

I meant in general terms. Graduating 60th out of 820 midshipmen, 7 years in the Navy, supposedly on an admiral track, business leadership and 8 years in politics, 4 as Governor of the state with the 8th largest population, is pretty well-rounded and relevant and just can't be described as "lightly experienced".

[O Really]

Agreed, few if any have ever matched Daddy Shrub's paper credentials.

I meant in general terms. Graduating 60th out of 820 midshipmen, 7 years in the Navy, supposedly on an admiral track, business leadership and 8 years in politics, 4 as Governor of the state with the 8th largest population, is pretty well-rounded and relevant and just can't be described as "lightly experienced".

OKfine. "lightly experienced" on a national scale. No question he was bright and likely would have made Admiral. Come back and tell me how that adds to his qualifications after he actually makes Admiral. I mean, Eisenhower wasn't a "probably would have made" General, was he? And it doesn't matter what the population of a state is - it matters what the governor's power is. And in Georgia, it wasn't much, although Carter tried with some success to extend it. It's not much in Texas, either, which is one of the reasons Shrub went from pretty decent governor to piss-poor-Pres. Cali, NY, Ohio - those are places where being governor counts. Alaska, not so much.

[Vrede too]

OKfine. "lightly experienced" on a national scale.

True.

No question he was bright and likely would have made Admiral. Come back and tell me how that adds to his qualifications after he actually makes Admiral. I mean, Eisenhower wasn't a "probably would have made" General, was he?

I mentioned that just to indicate that he was doing quite well, and that it wasn't "four and move on".

And it doesn't matter what the population of a state is - it matters what the governor's power is. And in Georgia, it wasn't much, although Carter tried with some success to extend it....

I didn't know that, thanks.

[O Really]

Carter had potential in the Navy, and it wasn't a frivolous choice to "move on." He inherited (I think) the family farm, which was an extensive business. But still, one is measured on what is done, not on what might have been done. I do remember in '76 asking, along with everybody else, "Jimmy who?" But he pulled it off, got elected at a really unfortunate time, but did a pretty decent job with what he had to work with until the Iran hostage problem. Blew that one and thanks a lot Jimmy, we got Ronnie.

[Bungalow Bill]

Carter can't be all bad. I've got his signature on an old driver's license.
Heck, that emoticon even looks a little like Jimmy.

[O Really]

I didn't care for Carter at the time, although up 'til the Iran deal it was more style than substance. I think he did pretty well considering what he had to deal with, but the aw shucks show didn't sit well. I don't much like the US President carrying his own garment bag and sitting around in a snuggle-sweater telling me to turn down the thermostat.

[billy.pilgrim]

Carter got blamed for the hostage crisis. Ike and the CIA created the hostage crisis when Ike's CIA used false diplomatic cover at our embassy to overthrow democracy and install and prop up for 25 years a brutal dictator.
Chances are that most of the so called hostages were CIA.

It was inevitable -

Add to it that the runnie admin was illegally working with the hostage takers to hold the hostages until after the inauguration - that's death penalty stuff

[O Really]

Yeah, I didn't say Carter caused the problem, but he was at the desk having to deal with it. Maybe he handled it right in a vacuum, but not for getting re-elected. So yeah, even if he didn't cause the problem, he got us Ronnie.

[billy.pilgrim]

Yeah, I didn't say Carter caused the problem, but he was at the desk having to deal with it. Maybe he handled it right in a vacuum, but not for getting re-elected. So yeah, even if he didn't cause the problem, he got us Ronnie.

true that
but I'm not so sure that anyone could have beat the acter

he and the rest should have died in prison

[O Really]

Who woulda ever thought in 1980ish that sometime in the future Reagan would, if he were running for Republican president, be seen - or at least portrayed - as a center-left moderate?

[GoCubsGo]

The emperors clothes are starting to wear thin:

On Sunday, Donald Trump Showed Why His Campaign Is Doomed


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sunday-do ... c_src=copy

[O Really]

The emperors clothes are starting to wear thin:

On Sunday, Donald Trump Showed Why His Campaign Is Doomed


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sunday-do ... c_src=copy

I saw that, but I don't know that I agree that his campaign is doomed because he has no specificity. The same people that like him now are going to think "we're going to keep the bad ones out" is a solid strategy. It wouldn't be the first time slogans without substance have won an election. Besides, who else in the clown car has real answers?

[GoCubsGo]

If I'm not busy watching paint dry or grass grow, I'll watch the debate in two weeks to find none of the answers.

[O Really]

The debates aren't intended to provide answers. They're intended to provide memories, like, "I knew John Kennedy. John Kennedy was my friend. And you're not John Kennedy." or "...there you go again..." or, negatively, "I'll cut out gummint departments... they'll be.... oops." But as entertainment, the "debates" should be top notch.

[Vrede too]

Carter got blamed for the hostage crisis. Ike and the CIA created the hostage crisis when Ike's CIA used false diplomatic cover at our embassy to overthrow democracy and install and prop up for 25 years a brutal dictator....

It was inevitable - ...

Could be, but Carter's allowing the Shah into the US 3 weeks before the Iran hostage crisis began sure didn't help.

If I could ask Carter one question it would be why did he resume military aid to the death squad state of El Salvador after having suspended it in the wake of the assassination of Archbishop Romero and the rapes and murders of the US Maryknoll nuns and lay worker. Unforgivable, to me.

Otoh, the families of millions of men slightly older than me are eternally grateful that he pardoned all evaders of the Vietnam War drafts on his second day in office.

[Vrede too]

The emperors clothes are starting to wear thin:

On Sunday, Donald Trump Showed Why His Campaign Is Doomed


http://finance.yahoo.com/news/sunday-do ... c_src=copy

Rob Garver has higher regard for the thoughtfulness and sophistication of GOP primary voters than I do.

[JTA]

The debates aren't intended to provide answers. They're intended to provide memories, like, "I knew John Kennedy. John Kennedy was my friend. And you're not John Kennedy." or "...there you go again..." or, negatively, "I'll cut out gummint departments... they'll be.... oops." But as entertainment, the "debates" should be top notch.

"What is your stance on Bruce Jenner's transition into Caitlyn Jenner?"

[O Really]

The debates aren't intended to provide answers. They're intended to provide memories, like, "I knew John Kennedy. John Kennedy was my friend. And you're not John Kennedy." or "...there you go again..." or, negatively, "I'll cut out gummint departments... they'll be.... oops." But as entertainment, the "debates" should be top notch.

"What is your stance on Bruce Jenner's transition into Caitlyn Jenner?"

I think she did as well as she could, given the former he was part of the Kardashian circus. Too bad she had to spend so much of her life in the wrong skin and clothing.