Brandon GayThe McCain Campaign's Confusing Experience Argument
September 4th 2008 07:09
The classic "I'm more qualified than my opponent because I have more experience" argument has always been complicated. Experience should count, but political experience does not equate good judgment, wisdom and common sense. And, what constitutes experience? Experience in federal government? Executive experience? Does business experience count? So, the experience argument has always been precarious.
But, the McCain campaign's experience argument is beyond precarious and downright laughably ridiculous.
As best I can tell, their argument is this: John McCain has been a senator for a long time and is a war hero, so he has the experience to answer the phone at 3 a.m. He's tested, trustworthy and ready. Sarah Palin was President of the PTA, a small-town mayor and small-state governor, so she has the executive experience necessary to be president if necessary. She's "not from these parts" and has not been poisoned by Washington politics.
We have heard over and over at the GOP convention, correctly, that Sarah Palin has more executive experience than the entire Barack Obama/Joe Biden ticket. Obama and Biden have no executive experience. Barack Obama has no national security experience, has not been in Washington very long and was a community organizer, which, apparently, is a do-nothing, meaningless desk job or something. So, neither of them are qualified.
So, let's recap:
Barack Obama is not qualified because he does not have executive experience nor foreign policy experience. John McCain has no executive experience, but has been in the senate for a long time, so he's qualified. Joe Biden has been in the senate for a long time but has no executive experience, so he's not qualified. Sarah Palin has no foreign policy experience and little experience outside Wasilla, Alaska, but she has executive experience, so she's qualified.
As a citizen of Sane, America, I love the irony. According to the McCain campaign's argument, John McCain is not qualified because he has not executive experience and has been in Washington too long. Sarah Palin is not qualified to be President, if necessary, because she has no foreign policy experience and a light resume.
But, the McCain campaign's experience argument is beyond precarious and downright laughably ridiculous.
As best I can tell, their argument is this: John McCain has been a senator for a long time and is a war hero, so he has the experience to answer the phone at 3 a.m. He's tested, trustworthy and ready. Sarah Palin was President of the PTA, a small-town mayor and small-state governor, so she has the executive experience necessary to be president if necessary. She's "not from these parts" and has not been poisoned by Washington politics.
We have heard over and over at the GOP convention, correctly, that Sarah Palin has more executive experience than the entire Barack Obama/Joe Biden ticket. Obama and Biden have no executive experience. Barack Obama has no national security experience, has not been in Washington very long and was a community organizer, which, apparently, is a do-nothing, meaningless desk job or something. So, neither of them are qualified.
So, let's recap:
Barack Obama is not qualified because he does not have executive experience nor foreign policy experience. John McCain has no executive experience, but has been in the senate for a long time, so he's qualified. Joe Biden has been in the senate for a long time but has no executive experience, so he's not qualified. Sarah Palin has no foreign policy experience and little experience outside Wasilla, Alaska, but she has executive experience, so she's qualified.
As a citizen of Sane, America, I love the irony. According to the McCain campaign's argument, John McCain is not qualified because he has not executive experience and has been in Washington too long. Sarah Palin is not qualified to be President, if necessary, because she has no foreign policy experience and a light resume.
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