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Presidents since WWII who won first election because they were more qualified than their opponent: (Original Post) geek tragedy Dec 2016 OP
George Senior zipplewrath Dec 2016 #1
Poppy Bush won because of structural reasons and because he had a weak opponent. geek tragedy Dec 2016 #4
Truman dsc Dec 2016 #2
they inherited the role of president, they weren't elected as President. geek tragedy Dec 2016 #5
Nixon was more qualified than McGovern? Reagan more than Carter? baldguy Dec 2016 #3
No, point is experience wasn't why they won. geek tragedy Dec 2016 #6

zipplewrath

(16,690 posts)
1. George Senior
Tue Dec 20, 2016, 12:25 PM
Dec 2016

He's probably the lone exception. Not many can claim his executive branch resume, much less his total political background.

Eisenhower is a tough one because he had a lot of applicable experience, but all of it was the "non-elected" type.

LBJ is another one, not many people get elected to the presidency for the first time, WHILE they are president.

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
4. Poppy Bush won because of structural reasons and because he had a weak opponent.
Tue Dec 20, 2016, 12:28 PM
Dec 2016

His election remains an outlier for a number of reasons, the rare third term for the party in power.

LBJ, see your point, but he was already President, like Truman, as you noted.

Ike had zero electoral experience--he was a general, so obviously he was a politician. On paper Adlai Stevenson had more conventional experience.

But in general, experience, qualifications and competence are not winning arguments.


 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
5. they inherited the role of president, they weren't elected as President.
Tue Dec 20, 2016, 12:29 PM
Dec 2016

LBJ lost his presidential run to JFK in 1960.

 

baldguy

(36,649 posts)
3. Nixon was more qualified than McGovern? Reagan more than Carter?
Tue Dec 20, 2016, 12:27 PM
Dec 2016

Of course W wasn't more qualified than Gore.

 

geek tragedy

(68,868 posts)
6. No, point is experience wasn't why they won.
Tue Dec 20, 2016, 12:31 PM
Dec 2016

Reagan didn't win because of experience/qualifications, and Nixon didn't beat Humphrey because of experience/qualification.

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