# The Best Presidents Who Never Were? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 15, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-presidents-who-never-were/786687 "2017-05-15T21:04:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-presidents-who-never-were/786687/41 "2017-05-24T13:38:59Z")
Fair questions. Dukakis was smart and a quick study, but had zero foreign policy experience. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-presidents-who-never-were/786687/42 "2017-05-24T23:16:21Z")
Kerby winning in 2004 would have given us the loathsome Edwards as VP. Not sure when all of his scandals would have leaked out but it would have been bad times. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-presidents-who-never-were/786687/43 "2017-05-24T23:25:49Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Fair questions. Dukakis was smart and a quick study, but had zero foreign policy experience. Typically, governors bring a high level of administrative and political experience, while senators bring a high level of legislative and (often) foreign and domestic policy experience. If we can’t get a full spectrum of experience, I’d say being a capable (government) administrator and effective working politician trumps other experience. ---
**Author:** ![Beren\_Erchamion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/90ced4/32.png) [@Beren\_Erchamion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beren_Erchamion)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-presidents-who-never-were/786687/44 "2017-05-25T02:09:31Z")
Clinton, McGovern, Mondale, Bobby Kennedy ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-presidents-who-never-were/786687/45 "2017-05-25T02:44:43Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Franklin would have died in his first year in office. I’m reading **Alexander Hamilton** right now, and man was he a strong central government advocate. Things would have been \*really \*different. ---
**Author:** ![E-DUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/e-dub/32/403_2.png) [@E-DUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-DUB)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-presidents-who-never-were/786687/46 "2017-08-10T23:51:29Z")
Lemur866 wrote: “Kerby winning in 2004 would have given us the loathsome Edwards as VP. Not sure when all of his scandals would have leaked out but it would have been bad times.” The only scandal I’m aware of was his knocking up his videographer. This happened during the '08 campaign. Had he been VP, he might not have even met this gal. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2017, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-presidents-who-never-were/786687/47 "2017-08-11T08:32:55Z")
People prone to affairs and knocking up their lovers aren’t usually victims of circumstance, but people who inevitably have affairs and knock up their lovers. It wouldn’t have been Rielle Hunter, but it might have been a White House page or something. The real catalyst for Edwards’ affair wasn’t the campaign, it was his deteriorating relationship with his wife. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-best-presidents-who-never-were/786687.md?page=2)