What job in government or out is the best training for a President?
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It COULD BE being an active Vice President. I thought Al Gore was quite well trained. Dick Cheney, on the other hand, was a hateful sadist when he entered and even more hateful when he left.
I would personally favor Hillary Clinton running as the Democratic candidate at this point. Not because Obama has done so poorly, but because Hillary would serve to quash all the animosity that has occurred during the present administration. I doubt that McConnell would again state that his goal was to see to it that she was also a one-term president.
I think it would cause the greatest possible surge in the Wall Street, and that would restore optimism to this country. Costa Rica has two very useful laws (1) a president cannot directly succeed himself, and (2) a president cannot campaign while in office. This has resulted in frequent exchanges of power and by an large, everyone agrees that Costa Rica is among the most democratic and best governed countries on Earth.
As I have said before, as a rule, a second term is usually worse than a first term. This was certainly true of Juniorbush.
However, none of the possible Republican prospects are worth a damn. Romney is marginally better than Gingrich. Bachmann, each for different reasons. Perry and Santorum are probably less likely but just as awful as the Newtster. Paul would be a total disaster.
Of course, there is zero chance that the Democrats will change candidates. It violates two centuries of tradition.