All of the putative top tier Democratic presidential candidates except Bernie Sanders have a legal background, which caused me to do some research on past nominees. Do you know who the last Democratic nominee without a legal education was? It was . . . Jimmy Carter. I thought it would be Mondale, but my guess was wrong. Gore attended law school, but didn’t graduate.
With the Republicans, it is a totally different story. Bob Dole was the last GOP nominee with a legal background. The last GOP president who attended law school was Gerald Ford. Republicans prefer businessmen, military men, and over-the-hill actors, it seems.
What does this mean? It makes perfect sense. Democrats like intellectual types, and put a high priority on communications and legislative skills, probably because they believe in an activist government. Republicans see the world more in terms of money and power; they want tough, practical guys who kick butt and make business deals. Trump is only the most obvious example of that.
All lawyers are not the same. Most of the Democrats who are currently running look and sound more like professional politicians than lawyers. Harris is the exception; with her, you’re always aware of her legal background.
How will this play out on stage during the debates? I don’t know, but it will make for interesting viewing. In any event, at a time when the rule of law is under threat, the notion of an attorney president is somewhat comforting.