The 2008 presidential field at-a-glance

[DaemonSeid]

pulled from another page...something to consider:

When January 2009 comes around, if Barack Obama is elected to the White House, he will have had four years in the US Senate, (he started serving in 2005) prior to that he's had 7 years in the Illinois State Senate. That's 11 years total, 4 Federal, let's see how other Presidents have stacked up to that:

John Adams-4 years as Vice President, no prior elected office.

Zachary Taylor-0 years elected office, although he was a General in the Army.

Abraham Lincoln-4 years as a US Congressman and unless you count his postmaster general in Illinois stint, NO other experience.

U.S. Grant-0 years elected office, but again spent 2 years as head of the US Army during the last days of the Civil War.

James Garfield-3 years as an Ohio State Senator, 16 years as a US Congressman.

Chester A. Aurthur-7 years as the APPOINTED Tarriff Collector for the port of NYC, LESS THAN ONE YEAR as Vice President of the US.

Grover Cleveland-One Year as mayor of Buffalo and Two years as Governor of New York--3 years elected office, not including his gig as Buffalo's Sheriff.

Woodrow Wilson-Two years as Governor of New Jersey.

Warren Harding-4 years in the Ohio State Senate, 2 years as Ohio's Lt. Governor and 6 years as a US Senator.

Herbert Hoover-Two Years APPOINTED to run food relief for Europe after WW I and eight years APPOINTED as secretary of commerce.

Dwight Eisenhower-0 years elected experience, although he was the supreme allied commander during WW II.

John F Kennedy-4 years as a US Congressman, Seven as a US Senator.

Ronald Reagan-8 years as Governor of California

George W. Bush-6 years as Governor of Texas.

Also, Bush, Wilson, Ike, Kennedy and Lincoln were "war" Presidents, although Kennedy's Vietnam was just beginning and Ike's Korean war was winding down.