Who is the most Republican candidate

[jbg]

I make a CORRECT point. Less that half of the presidents in modern times were former governors, making your claim that there were "few exceptions" totally incorrect. Furthermore, you forgot:

#10 John F. Kennedy

You want to smear him now too in an attempt to save face?

JFK gave hope to America with his young, dashing style. It would have helped had he:

1. Gone to meetings, i.e. the one with Kruschev (sp) prepared;
   
2. Matched words with deeds in civil rights, and protecting freedom (Bay of Pigs, Berlin, Cuban Missile Crisis are but two examples).
   

[jbg]

Two.

John Thompson 1892-94.

http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/primemini.../pmthompson.htm

Charles Tupper 1896.

http://canadaonline.about.com/cs/primemini.../p/pmtupper.htm

Many Prime Ministers got their start in provincial politics.

Interesting, though, that there were none in modern times. AW makes a valid point that less than half of our Presidents in modern times are former governors. However, that certainly bulks large on a successful Presidential resume.

[bush_cheney2004]

Interesting, though, that there were none in modern times. AW makes a valid point that less than half of our Presidents in modern times are former governors. However, that certainly bulks large on a successful Presidential resume.

My understanding of your still valid point was that governors form the largest group of presidents subject to general election (first term), compared to all other single political occupations (e.g. Senators). Pareto analysis applies.

[jbg]

My understanding of your still valid point was that governors form the largest group of presidents subject to general election (first term), compared to all other single political occupations (e.g. Senators). Pareto analysis applies.

What does "pareto" mean?

My analysis applies even more strongly to Presidents elected to second terms after serving all or part of a first term. The "governor" crew of those are:

1. Theodore Roosevelt (of New York) (President 1901-1909)
   
2. Woodrow Wilson (of New Jersey) (President 1913-1921)
   
3. Calvin Coolidge (of Massachusetts) (President 1923-1929)
   
4. Franklin Roosevelt (of New York) (President 1933-1945)
   
5. Ronald Reagan, (of California) (President 1981-1989)
   
6. William J. Clinton (of Arkansas) (President 1993-2001)
   
7. George W. Bush (of Texas) (President 2001- )
   

The "non-governor" crew of those are:

1. Harry S. Truman - 1945-1953;
   
2. Dwight David Eisenhower - 1953-1961;
   
3. Lyndon Baines Johnson - 1963-1969;
   
4. Richard Milhous Nixon - 1969-1974;
   

Of those, Johnson was re-elected on a wave of sympathy after the brutal assassination of JFK, and Nixon ignominiously resigned as a result of the corruption of his re-election campaign.

Thus, my analysis stands. While Giuliani was not a governor, New York City is larger in population than 38 out of the 50 states (link), and is in many respects more like a state than a city. The success ratio of sitting Senators elected President (JFK and Harding) is not impressive.

[jbg]

An addenda. If you go back to 1885, the period between 1885 and 1901 includes the following "Governor" Presidents:

1. Grover Cleveland - 1885-1889 and 1893-1897 (only "skip-term" Presidents ever and thus I include in "re-elected Presidents");
   
2. William McKinley - 1897-1901 (re-elected and murdered shortly after second inauguration)
   

Only Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893) was a "non-Governor" and was also a "non-reelected".