reasonmclucus

Republicans have done a better job of selecting presidential candidates during the last 60 years than Democrats. Why have Democrats done so poorly in presidential elections during the last 60 years unless Republicans are smarter?

Franklin Roosevelt won four presidential elections with at least 53% of the popular vote. Since FDR only one Democrat ( Lyndon Johnson in 1964) has won 53% or more of the popular vote. Only one other Democrat (Jimmy Carter in 1976) has even gotten 50% of the vote.

During the same period, Republicans won at least 53% of the popular vote in 5 elections and at least 50% in two others. Winning Republicans got less than 50% in only two elections (1968 and 2000).

Four Republicans have been elected to two terms as President, but only one Democrat and that Democrat (Bill Clinton) didn't get a majority of the popular vote either time he ran.

The poor showing of Democratic presidential candidates is particularly surprising considering that during the last 60 years more Americans have identified themselves as Democrats than as Republicans.

The Democrats seem unable to select strong presidential candidates. Do they prefer weak candidates? Why do those who might be strong candidates decline to seek the party's nomination?

Former Texas Governor John Connally (who had been shot in the attack on John Kennedy) might have been a strong Democratic candidate, but when he decided to run for president he chose to switch to the Republican Party.

Two of the 20th Century's most popular presidents (Theodore Roosevelt and Frankling Roosevelt ) had been New York governors, but New York Governor Mario Cuomo never sought his party's presidential nomination. Sen. Danial Patrick Moynihan had held a cabinet office and was one of the most intelligent members of his generation, but he never sought the Democratic Party presidential nomination. Professor David Boren who served as both governor and U.S. Senator from Oklahoma never ran for president. Many analysts believe former Virginia Governor Mark Warner could have been a strong presidential candidate this year, but he decided not to run.

Instead they have run weak candidates like Sen. George McGovern who made the Vietnam War (which was nearly over for the U.S.) the issue in 1972 instead of the economy which was in trouble. In 2004, Democrats ran John Kerry who claimed he should be elected because he very briefly served as a swift boat skipper in Vietnam.

Perhaps the problem is too much of an influence by the northeast Camelot crowd whose members seem oblivious to the fact that most Americans don't agree with their view of the world.

The two leading candidates for the party's nomination this year lack any real qualifications for the job. Hillary Clinton believes she should be nominated because her husband was president. Being president requires more than can be learned by being married to one, or for that matter playing one on television.

Barack Obama believes his oratorical ability qualifies him for the office. The White House might provide a "bully pulpit", but oratorical ability isn't an essential qualification for president as should be obvious considering President George W. Bush's lack of ability in this area. Democrats tried running a great orator a century ago and Williams Jenning Bryan ended up a three time loser.

Neither Clinton nor Obama has demonstrated they know how to run an organization or make decisions which are relevant to the duties of a president.

Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico has a better resume than any candidate from either party, but he has already dropped out of the race. Richardson has been a governor, member of Congress, U.N. ambassador and Secretary of Energy.

Democrats this year are ignoring the fact that since 1884 all but one of the Democrats who was elected without first inheriting the office because of the death of a president was a governor before running for president. All but one of them was subsequently reelected. Since 1960 every elected president (from either party) has come from the southern half of the country.

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There must be no barriers for freedom of inquiry. R. Oppenheimer