The thing that stands out from the list of old-time veteran presidents is how many were generals--and big name ones at that: Washington, Jackson, Taylor, Grant, and Roosevelt. Recent veteran candidates simply don't match that military fame and success. Colin Powell, had he run, is the only recent example I can think of who really matches names like Eisenhower.

Also, Truman and Kennedy are exceptions that prove the rule because they owed their political rise to, respectively, machine politics and nepotism more than their military record--and both barely won elections. Truman, in particular, did not seem to benefit from his military background when challenging MacArthur over Korea.

Truman became a hero by investigating war profiteering when he was a senator. that's why FDR picked him as veep. too bad we no longer have such stalwarts in congress to investigate the current war profiteers - halliburton et al, with their no-bid contacts, overcharging, etc. disgraceful. where is HST when we need him?

Truman also saw combat as an artilleryman in World War I and achieved the rank of colonel in the National Guard. When WWII broke out, he asked for leave of absence from his duties as a senator so that he could take a field command -- but the Pentagon refused to give him such a command. I agree, we could use a new Truman Commission to look in on war profiteering today.

Saru,

Since I worked on his campaign so long ago, I am familiar with a name you might not be.

Google Sen. Bob Kerry, former Gov of Nebraska (also former banger of Deb Winger...).

Hes kinda a hero of sorts, dontcha think?

Have a great day!

The bottom line reason so many of the 19th century presidents were ex generals lies in two areas -- one is the absence of a mass media. It was easier for a general to achieve name recognition than the head of the New York Port Authority. And then, from the end of the Civil War on, there were just a lot of ex military men around -- a third of the male population fought in the war.