Difference between revisions of "Essay:Politicians Who Had a Real Career"
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*[[Barry Goldwater]] - manager of family department store and an air force general before winning a stunning upset victory for the Republican nomination for president in 1964, moving the entire Party to the right. | *[[Barry Goldwater]] - manager of family department store and an air force general before winning a stunning upset victory for the Republican nomination for president in 1964, moving the entire Party to the right. | ||
*[[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] - military general, who was the leader of Allied European forces in the Second World War and Supreme Commander of Nato. | *[[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] - military general, who was the leader of Allied European forces in the Second World War and Supreme Commander of Nato. | ||
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*[[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]] - Decorated army officer and political writer. First president of the Republic of [[Turkey]] and founder of the modern democratic Turkish state. | *[[Mustafa Kemal Atatürk]] - Decorated army officer and political writer. First president of the Republic of [[Turkey]] and founder of the modern democratic Turkish state. | ||
*[[Jack Kemp]] - star professional football player (quarterback) and architect of the Kemp-Roth tax cuts in the 1980s | *[[Jack Kemp]] - star professional football player (quarterback) and architect of the Kemp-Roth tax cuts in the 1980s | ||
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*[[Ronald Reagan]] - actor, president of the [[Screen Actors Guild]], and spokesman for [[General Electric]]; architect of the defeat of [[communism]] | *[[Ronald Reagan]] - actor, president of the [[Screen Actors Guild]], and spokesman for [[General Electric]]; architect of the defeat of [[communism]] | ||
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*[[Lech Walesa]] - President of Poland 1990-95, Electrician and [[Labor union|Trade Union]] activist who became President of [[Poland]]. Solidarity strikes in 1980 led eventually to collapse of Warsaw Pact and end of communism in eastern Europe. | *[[Lech Walesa]] - President of Poland 1990-95, Electrician and [[Labor union|Trade Union]] activist who became President of [[Poland]]. Solidarity strikes in 1980 led eventually to collapse of Warsaw Pact and end of communism in eastern Europe. | ||
*[[George Washington]] - successful military general, land surveyor <ref>[http://www.landsurveyor.us/learn_washington.htm George Washington as a Land Surveyor]</ref> and real estate investor | *[[George Washington]] - successful military general, land surveyor <ref>[http://www.landsurveyor.us/learn_washington.htm George Washington as a Land Surveyor]</ref> and real estate investor | ||
Revision as of 02:57, August 13, 2011
Significant politicians with a real former career
This is a list of significant politicians who had a real career (outside of politics):
- Jim Bunning - Hall of Fame Major League Baseball pitcher and visionary who stood against government spending
- Winston Churchill - accomplished writer, then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom before it became atheistic
- Jimmie Davis - accomplished singer ("You Are My Sunshine") who served two non-consecutive terms as governor of Louisiana
- Benjamin Franklin - printer, author, postmaster, inventor, and Founding Father
- Barry Goldwater - manager of family department store and an air force general before winning a stunning upset victory for the Republican nomination for president in 1964, moving the entire Party to the right.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower - military general, who was the leader of Allied European forces in the Second World War and Supreme Commander of Nato.
- Mustafa Kemal Atatürk - Decorated army officer and political writer. First president of the Republic of Turkey and founder of the modern democratic Turkish state.
- Jack Kemp - star professional football player (quarterback) and architect of the Kemp-Roth tax cuts in the 1980s
- Ronald Reagan - actor, president of the Screen Actors Guild, and spokesman for General Electric; architect of the defeat of communism
- Lech Walesa - President of Poland 1990-95, Electrician and Trade Union activist who became President of Poland. Solidarity strikes in 1980 led eventually to collapse of Warsaw Pact and end of communism in eastern Europe.
- George Washington - successful military general, land surveyor [1] and real estate investor
- Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington - General who defeated Napoleon. Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leading conservative politician of second quarter of 19th century. Legislated for emancipation of Roman Catholics in Britain and Ireland.
No clear influence in politics
- Michele Bachmann - homeschooled her 5 children and also helped raise 23 foster children; now is a conservative candidate in the presidential race. Was a practicing lawyer at the IRS for four years with two law degrees before leaving the workforce to raise her children.
- Michael Bloomberg - two term Mayor of New York, controls the market for stock quote machines used primarily in Wall Street institutions
- Bill Bradley - National basketball star
- George W. Bush - 43rd President of the US, oil businessman, co-owner and managing general partner of the Texas Rangers. Cut taxes and placed two strong conservatives on the U.S. Supreme Court.
- Maria Cantwell - software company executive (Real Networks, who make RealPlayer)
- Neville Chamberlain - Prime Minister of the UK, formerly accountant and businessman (metal trade). Major positive influence on UK domestic policy, especially strengthening economy, but lacked experience in foreign policy at a crucial time.
- Stephane Dion Professor of Political Science at Université de Moncton and Université de Montreal.
- Clint Eastwood - actor, film director
- Mike Enzi - accountant
- Bill Foster - physicist at the government-subsidized Fermilab
- Al Franken - US Senator for the State of Minnesota, formerly a comedian (Saturday Night Live)
- John Glenn - former US Senator for Ohio, chief author 1978 Nonproliferation Act, Chairman of Committee on Governmental Affairs 1987-1995, Marine Corps pilot, NASA astronaut
- Stephen Harper - Economist, head of National Citizens Coalition (Canada's main conservative think tank)
- Herbert Hoover - 31st President of the USA, former geologist, mining engineer
- Rush Holt - assistant director of the government-subsidized Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory
- Chris Huhne - journalist, including roles as business editor of The Independent and The Independent on Sunday
- Michael Ignatieff Professor at the Kennedy School of Government, author, television host.
- Glenda Jackson - Member of UK Parliament since 1992, double Oscar-winning actress who helped force out Tony Blair
- Ron Johnson - was CEO of PACUS, a plastics Mfg, before becoming U.S. Senator for Wisconsin; rejected Obama judicial nominees for his area soon after taking office
- John Key - before becoming New Zealander Prime Minister, Key was a succesful businessman and broker for Merril Lynch.
- Steve Largent - National football star for the Seattle Seahawks
- René Lévesque - Journalist.
- John Major - Prime Minister of the UK, bank executive. Major contribution to peace in Northern Ireland and took UK out of disastrous European Exchange Rate Mechanism.
- Brian Mulroney Prime Minister of Canada, Truck driver, lawyer, head of Iron Ore Corporation.
- Barack Obama, President of the USA. (See also below)
- Jacques Parizeau Economist.
- Rand Paul - physician (non-ABO-certified ophthalmologist), now a major influence in the U.S. Senate for cutting spending
- Ron Paul - physician (obstetrician), perhaps the single most influential presidential candidate in the past decade
- Mitt Romney - former Governor of Massachussets, GOP Presidential candidate in 2008, frontrunner in 2012 GOP Presidential nominees, CEO of Bain & Company, an investment company
- Alex Salmond - First Minister of Scotland, economist and banker
- Arnold Schwarzenegger - Governor of California, professional bodybuilder based on steroid use, actor
- Rick Scott - former CEO of a major hospital network, now the innovative Governor of Florida
- Heath Shuler - former businessman and former National Football League quarterback
- Rick Snyder - President and COO of Gateway during the 1990s, later elected Governor of Michigan in 2010
- Pat Toomey - worked for ChemicalBank, opened Rookie's Restaurant & the former president for The Club for Growth; now a Senator for Pennsylvania.
- Scott Walker - worked for IBM and the American Red Cross before politics; now conservative Governor of Wisconsin.
Careers outside of government that need further discussion
- Jimmy Carter - 39th President of the US, peanut farmer ... or was it mostly administrative work and local government positions?
- Dick Cheney - most of his life was government but he had a Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer position at Halliburton prior to VP.
- Reinhard Heydrich - previously a naval officer, arguably the very worst of the senior Nazis.
- Vladimir Ilyich Lenin - first dictator of the Soviet Union: came from a minor affluent Russian family and became a lawyer specializing in labor rights, though he never saw a case.
- Barack Obama - President of the US, claimed to organize church community groups, while not attending church himself; was a non-tenure-track part-time instructor in law at the University of Chicago.
- Rick Santorum - former US Senator of Pennsylvania, Chairman of Senate Republican Conference, GOP Presidential primary candidate 2012, attorney
- John Jay-lawyer
- Nelson Mandela - President of South Africa, 1994-99, lawyer
Others
- Vladimir Putin - former KGB operative who rose to be President of Russia, and then Prime Minister
- Michael Heseltine - UK Deputy Prime Minister, publisher
- Stanley Baldwin - Prime Minister, businessman (metal trade), industrialist.
(please add examples)