Earlier this week, Mitt Romney applauded a store owner's idea: The Constitution should be amended to require presidents to have three years of business experience. The idea—little discussed amid Trump-centric headlines—speaks to a fantasy that's demonstrably inaccurate, writes Timothy Egan in the New York Times. Businessmen don't necessarily make great presidents; in fact, some of history's worst presidents have been businessmen, while the best have no experience in the field.
Such an amendment would rule out both Roosevelts, John F. Kennedy, and Dwight Eisenhower—not to mention Ronald Reagan. In fact, six out of 10 of the best presidents, according to a survey of scholars, wouldn't be eligible for the job. Meanwhile, two of the worst presidents in the same survey, Herbert Hoover and George W. Bush, were businessmen. As for Romney himself, his Bain experience didn't equate to job creation as governor: Massachusetts was 47th in the union in job creation under Mitt. On the other hand, Bill Clinton—not a business guy—was "the biggest job creator of modern times." Click through for Egan's full piece. Or click here to read about Clinton's praise of Romney's Bain days. (More Mitt Romney stories.)
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