President with No Military Experience

[MiaBeastley]

I dont think it should be needed but it gives a better understanding when your deciding what to do during war time. You have been in the same situation as the soldiers you are in command of, and they will also respect you more. Notice how the soldiers like McCain a ton more then Obama, its not a coincidence because Obama never served.

These are the only past Presidents with no military experience

John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
John Quincy Adams
Martin Van Buren
Grover Cleveland
William Taft
Woodrow Wilson
Warren Harding
Calvin Coolidge
Herbert Hoover
Franklin Roosevelt
Bill Clinton

Some good ones, but a couple who were just horrible

[ari1013]

And yet the ones with the most military experience have also been a mixed bag (Grant, Jackson, Polk, etc.).

What's your point?

[CubsGirl]

I thought this was going to be a pointless bashing thread like 90% of the other threads being made in the EC2008 forum.

It's refreshing to see that it's not.

[MiaBeastley]

You have been in the same situation as the soldiers you are in command of, and they will also respect you more.

My point

[gcoll]

Notice how the soldiers like McCain a ton more then Obama, its not a coincidence because Obama never served.

I'm not convinced that the soldiers like Mccain "a ton more"

I saw a clip of Obama meeting some soldiers, and they seemed really excited to meet him.

[ari1013]

I still don't see how that proves you'll be a better president.

The goal of a president shouldn't be to enter office to wage war. It should be to enter office to better the country. And that involves a whole lot more than just raw belligerancy.

[ari1013]

I'm not convinced that the soldiers like Mccain "a ton more"

I saw a clip of Obama meeting some soldiers, and they seemed really excited to meet him.

Either way, does that make him a better potential president? I can't imagine a scenario in which Obama (or McCain) tries to pass an economic stimulus but since the soldiers don't like him as much as McCain (or Obama), Congress refuses to work with him.

[gcoll]

I still don't see how that proves you'll be a better president.

It doesn't.

Either way, does that make him a better potential president?

No.

[SmthBluCitrus]

I may be wrong here (I don't think I am, otherwise I wouldn't post) ... but Lincoln didn't have any military experience, either, did he?

Correct me if I'm wrong.

[gcoll]

I'm pretty sure Lincoln didn't serve in the military.

eta: I investi-googled this, and apparently he was captain of an illinois militia at some point.

[Doc Fluty]

i am a military vet and while i think it is a helpful attribute, i dont think it a MUST have when running for president

[MiaBeastley]

Like I said its not a must but it helps because if your boss had the same job you have now he can give better insight

[ink]

Of course a president has a few other responsibilities to say the least. And if he's intelligent enough to select the best advisors and listen to them, he can benefit from all of their years of experience.

[sboyajian]

Let's be fair.. the President doesn't blindly make calls on war issues.. It's why he surrounds himself with tons of military personel. It's why the VP is so connected through the Pentagon. It's why Generals go in and out of the white house like it's a 7-11.

I could create a list of presidents that did serve and the ones who did poorly would probably be the same ratio as in the list you provided.

Former military experience does not offer any helpful use in being President. Bush's experience was that of the Air National Guard in which he did absolutely nothing.


Some of the best presidents in our history are in the list of Non-Military that you provided..

John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
John Quincy Adams
Woodrow Wilson
Warren Harding (he had a high rating, but considered to be a bad president, even tho he ended WW1, also created the Dept. of Veteran Affairs -- not bad for a non-military man)
Franklin Roosevelt