Failed 1972 Democrat Presidential contender George McGovern went on later in life to try to run a bed and breakfast, and failed. He is quoted as saying of his experience:
In retrospect, I wish I had known more about the hazards and difficulties of such a business.... I wish that during the years I was in public office I had this firsthand experience about the difficulties business people face every day. That knowledge would have made me a better Senator and a more understanding presidential contender... To create job opportunities, we need entrepreneurs who will risk their capital against an expected payoff. Too often, however, public policy does not consider whether we are choking off those opportunities.
When I listen to certain candidates, all I hear is their mistrust and how they want to punish business. To some candidates their lack of experience is a plus because "they haven't been corrupted" by the corporate world. Running a business is a risky endeavor. I do not have the cajones to go out on my own — with six other mouths depending on me. I've had plenty of opportunities to see businesses make pretty bad decisions. However business doesn't need government bureaucrats adding to the odds of failure. For all of their warts, they've still given me a paycheck and the means to support my family.
So for me, if a politician has been nothing but a politician (or a lawyer) his or her whole life, if they've never served in the military or at least run a small business, it's hard for me to support them. I'm especially insulted when they try to associate themselves with "the common man" when their biggest professional skill is pandering.