Like a lot of liberals,
I’m skeptical of the idea that successful businessmen are likely to
become successful presidents by virtue of their business experience
alone.
But there is one way in which business success seems very likely to
benefit a future president: fundraising. It’s not just that the
businessman knows a lot of affluent people whom he can tap for money,
though that helps. And it’s not just that the former businessman is
steeped in the social mores of businesspeople, making him deft at
rubbing elbows with those he doesn’t know. It’s that he’s likely to be
very skilled in the mechanics of convincing people—even perfect
strangers—to give him money, since that’s a huge part of the
entrepreneurial game.
