Friday Fun Facts About Becoming President

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So you think you’d make a good president. Other than getting the majority of voters to turn out for you there’s probably more requirements to work at McDonald’s than there are to be the most powerful man or woman in the world.

Here are a few presidential facts you might have missed along the way.

Qualifications To Be President

Actually they are pretty basic:

You have to be at least 35 years of age. Here are the ages of the three youngest presidents:
You must be a natural born citizen or born to two naturally born parents if born outside the US.
Last but not least you have to have lived in the US for 14 years. They don’t have to be consecutive or even before your election. Just any 14 years will do.

Theodore Roosevelt - 42 years, 322 days (Took office after McKinley assassination)
John F. Kennedy - 43 years, 426 days (youngest elected president)
Bill Clinton - 46 years, 154 days

Other than that you’re in. Just raise $1 billion and be loved by the people.

What Do You Look For In A President?

The general election for the 45^th president is still over a year away but people are thinking about the election sooner than in past years.

Donald Trump has certainly generated a lot of controversy and interest and Bernie Sanders is drawing big crowds at most of his campaign events.

So What Are You Looking For In A President?

Should the president be a lawyer? Many in government are. Shouldn’t you know if the law you are being asked to sign is legal? Should a college degree be added?

Eleven presidents governed without the benefit of a sheepskin.

George Washington (1)
James Monroe (5) William & Mary did not graduate
Andrew Jackson (7) No College
Martin Van Buren (8) No College
William Henry Harrison (9) Hampden-Sydney College and Univ. of Pennsylvania School of Medicine did not graduate from either
Zachary Taylor (12) No College
Millard Fillmore (13) No College
Abraham Lincoln (16) No College
Andrew Johnson (17) No College
Grover Cleveland (22) No College
William McKinley (25) Took courses at both Allegheny College and Albany Law School but did not graduate from either.
Harry S. Truman (33) Spalding's Commercial College, and the University of Kansas City School of Law, but didn't earn degrees from either.

Harry Truman was the last president without some sort of college degree.

Five Presidents Never Won A Presidential Election

The most recent was Gerald Ford who became president when Nixon resigned. Other presidents who never won a presidential election were John Tyler, Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson and Chester A. Arthur. All were Vice Presidents who followed presidents that died in office.

Ford is also among fewer than a dozen one-term presidents who ran for second terms but were denied by voters.

Some Final Thoughts

The third in line for the presidency if the president and vice president are unable to serve would be the Speaker of the House. The speaker does not move into a vacant vice president’s spot if the vice president moves to president.

Truman served the rest of FDR’s term with no vice president. I guess no one seemed to notice there was not one.

If you are thinking about becoming president it’s not too late to throw you hat in the ring and rise to the top. You got my vote.

Whose got yours? Who do you favor as our next presidential leader?

Comments below