This guy disagrees:
Except that Franklin wasn't much of a politician, certainly not in the sense that he made a career out of running for office. From a quick search, the only offices he was actually elected to were the Pennslyvania Assembly, and (in his 70s) President of Pennsylvania.
Interesting to note that he was also a sort of Mustachian, having retired from his printing business at the age of 42.
Being elected has nothing to do with being a politician or not. He represented Pennsylvania in several meetings (most famously in the 2nd Continental Congress) was an Ambassador to France for like 10 years, spent 5 years in England representing Pennsylvania's political interests, and trying to remove the Penn family from power their (among other things) he was a Postmaster General, a councilman in Philadelphia in the 1750s and named President of Philadelphia when he was old.
From Websters
a person actively engaged in politics, esp. party politics, professionally or otherwise; often, a person holding or seeking political office: frequently used in a derogatory sense, with implications of seeking personal or partisan gain, scheming, opportunism, etc.
Also the idea the well educated, handsome, charming, cunning, egotistical men or women could not successfully turn those skills into a lot of money in the private sector is so absurd I feel like I'm wasting my time even addressing it.