Do you think there should be a minimum education requirement to be President of the US?

Question

Logically an ordinary citizen isn't qualified to run this country, like I am not qualified to run Microsoft. Despite how you feel about GW, he is a Yale and Harvard graduate, and he's not stupid as most people say. VP Cheney has a Masters in Political Science. Senators Obama and Clinton are Harvard graduates. Sen. Biden received his J.D. from Syracuse. Though Sen. McCain graduated from the Naval Academy, he was 6th from the BOTTOM of his class. Also, his VP has a journalism undergrad degree from the Univ. of Idaho.

The previous two I mentioned seemed to be undereducated for the job. Yes Lincoln and Reagan are examples you could bring up but Lincoln became a Lawyer and Reagan had been a Governor for 10 years. Don't take me as a Whiny Democrat, as I voted for Bush in the past. What do you think?

Answer 1

Well, ideally I would like a candidate that has a good formal education record. But, I wouldn't make it a requirement. A pres. need to be a good decision maker. As you said, Bush has a really good education but still a low approval rating. I wouldn't necessarily hold it against a candidate....a case by case basis.

Answer 2

i see what you mean. i think it comes down to experience.  i'd say it depends on the person.  lots of kids make it through school but struggle in the real world when they're done.  personally, i think we're screwed either way.  yes, it would be nice to have a semiblack charismatic president, but is that what matters most?  romney is what we need now....a hardcore finance/economy genius.  

Answer 3

For who I would vote for, I think a master's degree would be the minimum along with some courses in Economics and International Studies. I'm not sure McCain has ever balanced a checkbook.

The Palin thing is almost sad, but I hope it locks it for Obama.  It's embarassing enough to travel abroad with W in the house.  A gun-toting snow-mobiling hockey-mom who thinks creationism should be taught in schools would be awkward as a VP.  

My guess is she'll be a regular guest on FOX by the end of the year and get a nice fat book deal out of it.  Ann Coulter fans are probably already spending some "alone time" with her photos...

Answer 4

The sad thing about higher education is that you know more and more about less and less. I know lots of people who can describe how a watch works in microscopic detail but they can't tell you what time it is.  

Answer 5

Yes, they should exclude all lawyers.

Answer 6

yes

Answer 7

Its ironic that every professional level job has an education requirement except that to become a politician. All they have to do his convince ordinary people that they care about their interests. If I went out and campaigned to be a scientist or a doctor how far would I make it without the degree?

Answer 8

You make a good point. McCain has a lot of experience, but I don't think his VP choice has enough education or experience. It would make sense to have education requirements for government positions. With the President being the highest.

Answer 9

I think Reagan was only Governor for 8 years.  Other than that, education is important but just because someone has a degree doesn't mean they know how to poor water out of a cup with the directions on the bottom or it.

Answer 10

Yes, perhaps several degrees. A president should have knowledge about advanced technology and the economy, then he could battle the federal reserve and possibly take them down provided he had enough knowledge about how money truly works.

Answer 11

are you suggesting an entrance exam? would one of the questions be, How many states compose the "United States of America"?

No, I don't IF they have a proven track record, that is part of the American Dream, to accomplish.

An education can be self taught, if one reads

Answer 12

Yes, I think in this information age, presidential candidates and their VP picks should have to pass a battery of tests and background checks, the results of which should be open to the public.

When a person is considered for a job handling money, they get a criminal background check, credit history check, psychological testing, drug testing and job history review.  At the very least, someone who wants the job as leader of the free world should have this scrutiny.  Highly educated with critical thinking skills would be  one of the requirements.