He 'has little/nothing to recommend him' as a political candidate. [=he has little/nothing that suggests he would be an attractive or successful candidate]
I 'recommend' [='suggest'] getting to the theater an hour early to be sure you get tickets. = I 'recommend' that you get to the theater an hour early.
As a vacation destination, the area 'has much to recommend it'. [=there are many things that make it a good vacation destination]
(..) on your kidneys, the residual concussive damage to your brain tissue and the general scarred-over quality of your body, I cannot recommend that you go heli-skiing, Mr. Wayne. Right. We were in this together... then you were gone. The Batman wasn't needed anymore. (..)2012 The Dark Knight Rises