Most businessmen shouldn't be running anything, including their own business.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. That's true, but even more importantly --

The.Government.Is.Not.A.Business. Not at all. Not even slightly.

A business exists to produce a profit for its owners/shareholders. Period. A business owner who is able to do this successfully will have certain powers, skills and attributes that often are of no use in government. A CEO (or even a small business owner), for example, is accustomed to having almost dictatorial powers over his subordinates. He can hire and fire people and buy and sell assets as he pleases, possibly constrained only by the board of directors, which also cares only about profit and is not likely to argue with the CEO as long as the money keeps rolling in. He rarely has to negotiate with anybody.

A President, however, is limited by the powers given him by the Constitution. He can't tax or spend without the consent of Congress. He can't even hire people for important positions (Supreme Court justices, Cabinet secretaries) without the confirmation of the Senate. He has to negotiate for damn near everything. And his "job" is not to make money; it's to provide for the safety and welfare of the people. It's just not the same job. Even a competent, ethical businessman is not equipped to be a President just on the basis of his business experience.

I also note that the last President (before George Bush the Dumber) who made a BFD about his business expertise was Herbert Hoover. And we all know how that turned out.