The presidents, for the most part, got to high office by not playing the game everyone else plays. They acquire leadership experience in disparate fields, then use Frank Sinatra–style credibility to switch ladders to politics. There’s one remaining question, however. We’ve seen how dues and experience are bad proxies for ability or merit. But does bypassing dues and experience leave us without the necessary skill to do the job? The Sinatra Principle helps presidents get the job, but does it qualify them for it? Why don’t we ask the ten top-rated presidents in history:*
