Republican senators running for president have a distinct edge over the GOP governors and ex-governors who've entered the race or are still thinking about it, veteran political consultant Dick Morris says.
"People say a governor is better able to work as a president than a senator would, but a candidate is much better as a senator because a senator is used to dealing with all of the issues that exist," Morris said Tuesday on "The Steve Malzberg Show" on
Newsmax TV.
"[A senator is] taking it all in the round — 360 degrees — whereas a governor really only sets his own agenda."
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Morris said the nation is now focusing on such pivotal issues as immigration reform, potential changes in the power of the National Security Agency, and fixing healthcare.
"In those fights, Senators Marco Rubio, Rand Paul, and Ted Cruz have a tremendous advantage because they are sitting in the Senate and they can make news," Morris said.
Not as true with a candidate such as Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin.
"Walker can only make noise because he's not in the Senate and doesn't have any power over [these issues]," said Morris, a Newsmax contributor and former adviser to President Bill Clinton.
So far, Walker is the only sitting governor to have officially declared he is seeking the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee has thrown his hat in the ring. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Govs. Jeb Bush of Florida and Rick Perry of Texas are still considering a run for the Oval Office.
"There's a real question — does a governor who is running for president really take the time to understand national issues 360 degrees and understand all the permutations of each issue?" Morris said.
"That's a steep learning curve for a governor. For a senator, he has to do it every day, but for a governor, it's something you do in a briefing.
"Bill Clinton … was very good at that. He became quickly acclimated to all of the variants of national issues, but Rick Perry, for example, did not. He went right into the presidential race like he was running for governor. That doesn't work."
Morris said Walker's initial round of appearances left him "very unimpressed with the way he handled questions."
"It's just a question of will he do what Perry never did, and for that matter [John McCain running mate and former Alaska Gov.] Sarah Palin never did — which is to sit down with the national briefing book and learn this stuff."
Aside from the well-known Capitol Hill names who have declared or are still considering a run, political novices Dr. Ben Carson and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina have also announced their intentions to seek the the GOP nomination.
Morris is the author of
"Power Grab: Obama's Dangerous Plan for a One Party Nation,'' written with Eileen McGann and published by Humanix Books.
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