Who Should Be President? Activity

Review all of the following information.  After reviewing the information, answer the questions at the end on a separate sheet. All are real Americans from yesterday and today.

Candidate 1:

College Attended:  Harvard & Columbia Universities

Religion:  Protestant

Married:  27 years

Age:  50

Children:  6

Career:  Farmer, Lawyer, State Senator, Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Governor, Vice Presidential Candidate

Candidate 2:

College Attended:  None

Religion:  Protestant

Married:  First spouse, 5 years until her death; Second spouse, 1 year

Age:  38

Children:  3 by first marriage

Career:  Investor, Pharmacist, Brigadier General in the Army, Bookshop owner

Candidate 3:

College Attended:  Morehouse College, Crozer Theological Seminary, University of Pennsylvania, Boston University, Harvard University, Central State College, Morgan State College

Religion:  Protestant

Married:  15 years

Age:  37

Children:  4

Career:  Minister, Harvard Professor, Nobel Peace Prize winner, NAACP President, Time Man of the Year

Candidate 4:

College Attended:  None

Religion:  Unspecified

Married:  38 years

Age:  62

Children:  None

Career:  Farmer, Lawyer, Land Investor, US Representative to Congress, US Senator, Federal District Judge, US Army Veteran

Candidate 5:

College Attended:  Columbia University

Religion:  Unspecified

Married:  24 years

Age:  47

Children:  8

Career:  Author, Lawyer, Secretary of the Treasury, US Representative to Congress, Lieutenant Colonel in the Army

Candidate 6:

College Attended:  None

Religion:  Protestant

Married:  27 years

Age:  65

Children:  6

Career:  Teacher, Journalist, Labor Union member, US Delegate to the UN, Chairman of the UN Commission on Human Rights, Noted Public Speaker, Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize

Candidate 7:

College Attended:  University of Alabama

Religion:  Protestant

Married:  First spouse, 26 years until her death; Second spouse, 3 years

Age:  55

Children:  4

Career:  Lawyer, State legislator, Governor, Presidential Candidate, US Army veteran, Assistant State Attorney General, Federal District Judge, Noted Public Speaker

Candidate 8:

College Attended:  None

Religion:  Unspecified

Married:  19 years

Age:  51

Children:  4

Career:  Lawyer, State Legislator, Postmaster, US Representative to Congress, Captain in the Army, Businessman, Noted Public Speaker

Candidate 9:

College Attended:  Yale University

Religion:  Protestant

Married:  46 years

Age:  67

Children:  5

Career:  Vice President, Businessman, Head of the CIA, Ambassador to the UN, and World War II Naval Pilot, US Senator

Candidate 10:

College Attended:  Georgetown & Oxford Universities

Religion:  Protestant

Married:  16 years

Age:  46

Children:  1

Career:  Lawyer, Governor, Rhodes Scholar

Rank the candidates from best to least.

Who do you feel is most qualified to be President?  Explain your answer.

Who do you feel is the least qualified to be President?  Explain your answer.

Is this a good way to choose a president?  Why or why not?