One of the more common criticisms that you hear about a possible Barack Obama Presidential run is his relative inexperience.
Just to put that to rest….the next time somebody brings it up, point out the following: He’s had 7 years in the Illinois State House, and he’s currently starting his 2nd year in the US Senate. This gives him almost the same qualifications as Abraham Lincoln, who served 8 years in the Illinois State House, and 2 years in Congress, and went on to become one of our most revered Presidents.
Jus’ sayin’….
Now, as to whether or not a black man can be elected President in 21st century America, well, sadly, that is the question.
Thanks! I needed that perspective myself. :D
If he waited four years, his experience would be a liability. This country just doesn’t like to elect experienced politicians to the presidency.
Having listened to what the man has to say, and what he says his values and beliefs are, I would have no trouble voting for him.
I really hope I get to. It would make the choice much easier.
What I find interesting is I can’t find a president in modern history that came from the Legislative branch. All of them were Executive branch (be it state or national) graduates just before their presidential term:
George W. Bush – Governor of Texas (6 years)
Bill Clinton – Governor or Arkansas (12 years)
George H.W. Bush – Vice-president of U.S. (8 years)
Ronald Reagan – Governor of California (8 years)
Jimmy Carter – Governor of Georgia (6 years)
Gerald Ford – Vice-president of U.S. (2 years)
Richard Nixon – Vice-president of U.S. (8 years)
Dwight Eisenhower had no previous political experience and ran on a distinguished military career.
But hells bells, half a century of executive branch politicos running the top spot? We still seem to want them, despite your and Gareth’s assertion that inexperience is good and experience is a liability. I don’t AGREE with it, but apparently the electoral majority does.
The problem with experienced legislators, especially at the national level, is that they generally have to compromise in order to get anything done. This gives their opponents ammunition to attack them on inconsistency, etc. Just look at all the meaningless babble about “flip-flopping” that was heaped on John Kerry during his campaign.
The current crop of Republican legislators may be an exception, since they avoided compromise at all costs, even to the point of sidelining bills with popular bipartisan support in favor of the most one-sided legislation they could brute-force into law. Then again, their goal seems to have been to avoid getting anything useful done, so as to prove their mantra of Government Doesn’t Work.
I think he would be a great candidate. And definately a better first black president than Jesse Jackson ;).
Thanks for the background, Gareth. I’m hoping, hoping for an Obama/Not Hillary ticket in ’08. I just can’t stand that woman, and she’d be an albatross (post-mortem) ’round Barack’s neck, I think…