Executive envy

Daily Kos has a post today that debunks another sloppy bit of insider babble from Washington Post columnist David Broder. Broder makes the claim that voters prefer executive experience in their presidents to those without — even though there is no evidence that this is the case.

It’s true that few Senators have been elected President, but it’s more likely that Senators—especially prior to the advent of national fundraising for Senate candidates in recent decades—just have too much baggage to win elections. There are so many things “they actually did vote for” before they voted against it that there’s plenty to pull out of their record. Plus, being an “outsider” free of the “taint” of politics as usual in Washington, DC often explains the success of governors in national elections at least as much as executive experience.

There is something else worth pointing out: Few, if any of those elected (aside from George W. Bush, and we know how that worked out) ran as competent managers. In fact, the only one to do so that I can remember was Michael Dukakis — who drove his tank off a cliff during the general election.

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Author: hankkalet

Hank Kalet is a poet and freelance journalist. He is the economic needs reporter for NJ Spotlight, teaches journalism at Rutgers University and writing at Middlesex County College and Brookdale Community College. He writes a semi-monthly column for the Progressive Populist. He is a lifelong fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks, drinks too much coffee and attends as many Bruce Springsteen concerts as his meager finances will allow. He lives in South Brunswick with his wife Annie. View all posts by hankkalet