Barack Obama has some genuine strengths: He is good looking, he is unusually serene for a man so young, and he seems decent and straight-talking for a politician. Also he is a man comfortable in his own skin, which is refreshing coming after people like Bill Clinton and Al Gore who are still "growing up" in their fifties.
Obama's weakness is that he is inexperienced. This shows in his numerous naive and inane statements which I will be blogging about in the months to come. But what intrigues me is Obama's insinuation that experience doesn't matter. Whever Hillary chides Obama with inexperience Obama basically replies, "Look where experience has gotten us."
There is some truth in this. Abraham Lincoln had no experience and yet he became America's greatest president. Nixon was experienced and yet his presidency ended in disgrace. Reagan had limited experience and yet his two terms were a triumph. Hillary's own experience is mainly in screwing up.
But this historical record cuts both ways. Eisenhower's experience in foreign policy contributed to American power and prosperity in the 1950s. Jimmy Carter's inexperience resulted in American abandonment of the Shah of Iran and brought us the Ayatollah Khomeini. George H. W. Bush's experience helped assemble an international coalition that won the Gulf War. His son's inexperience led to some serious mistakes in the early period of the Iraq war.
Obama's non-sequitur is that experienced people have screwed up, therefore experience is irrelevant. Apply this reasoning to other areas and its absurdity becomes obvious. Consider the following extensions of Obama's argument: "The experienced CEO made a bad investment, so let's replace him with the least experienced guy at the company." "The skilled skater fell during the Olympic trials, so let's put a guy on a team who has never skated before." "The general made a flawed maneuver, so let's turn over the company to Pee Wee Herman."
The Lincoln analogy--which others have applied to Obama--is flawed. The 1860 election was a single-issue election and focused on a grand struggle that would determine what kind of country America would be. That single issue was slavery. Lincoln had been an anti-slavery man all his life and on this issue he was thoroughly experienced. He had addressed the slavery issue in a series of profound debates with Stephen Douglas, debates that are still studied in classrooms today. Lincoln was inexperienced on matters like the economy, but those issues didn't matter very much.
So what is Obama's great issue? Where are his profound meditations on it? These may be forthcoming, but so far we have seen no signs of it, and my sense is that with Obama, what we've seen is what there is. Perhaps Gertrude Stein's words are applicable: "There is no 'there' there."
Reader Comments ( Page 3 of 40)
31. Nobody has enough experience to be presdent. Inexperience is tempered by advisors. What kind of people would President Obama surround himself? Say what you want about W, he surrounded himself with lots of experience.
John Moliski at 2:45AM on Mar 6th 2008
32. brian,
You have stated you are the most tolerant person on this blog. I guess you do not have a dictionary so I will state the definition of tolerance so you may know what the word means.
tolerance, 1. a fair and permissive attitude toward those whose race, religion, nationality, etc., differ from one's own; freedom from bigotry. 2. a fair and permissive attitude toward opinions and practices that differ from one's own. 3. any liberal, un dogmatic viewpoint.
this is just the opposite of many of your comments, not only about Hillary or Obama, but many others that participate in this blog. I expect this kind of meaningless statements from DD as he has a large ego problem, and I am beginning to believe you have such a problem yourself.
About Obama, he is a spiritual man and many that do not understand the spirit have a problem with him, however if he was a republican you would probably be telling everyone how wonderful he was. You, and Observant both have intellectual understanding of religion,but obviously do not get the real spiritual meaning. Of course this is common among Christians. I personally do not care for the republican or democratic partys as I believe they are just two gangs acting on gang mentality. Obama is different in this regard, and of course that is very threaten especially to conservatives. Reminds me of the show "Leap of Faith" the only thing to fear is the real thing.
Jerry Brown at 3:47PM on Mar 5th 2008
33. Gee, if D'Souza had not lost every ounce of credibility with his AIDS joke, that he milked for days...he might just have a point.
As it is now, even it he has a point, it might be better if someone else made it. It means nothing coming from this guy.
Davidg at 4:20PM on Mar 5th 2008
34. jerry,
really i do not have alot of repect for either party either. i am with you. but of the lesser of two evil i have to side with the republicans. its not the democrats that i have a problem with, its the liberal left of the party. granted the liberal left controls the party at the national level. barrack hussien is a liberal, he has to cowtow to the liberal idealogy so therefore i can't agree. its the liberal left that has the muslim world all up in arms with us anyway.
as far as tolerance, i am very tolerant. but that does not mean i agree in the slightest. why should i? this is where the liberal left leaves the station. they say if you don't agree with us your phobic this or phobic that or a hate-monger. which is patently false. i think you may be a candidate to become conservative jerry
brian at 4:33PM on Mar 5th 2008
35. jerry,
i do have a fair and permissive attitude toward liberals. i just think they are lost as a ball in high weeds.
brian at 4:34PM on Mar 5th 2008
36. "its the liberal left that has the muslim world all up in arms with us anyway."
OK, brian, it's back to posts like these...the circle continues...and what's my traditional response to such nonsense?
You're an idiot.
OK, now's where you get to "defend" yourself and at the same time disparage several groups of people, accuse me of being intolerant or something, and then repost your same drivel. Do you see why this is getting old?
brandon at 4:38PM on Mar 5th 2008
37. brian,
I agree with the following, Kenneth Galbraith said, "The modern conservative is engaged in one of man's oldest exercises in moral philosophy; that is, the search for a superior moral justification for selfishenss."
Jerry Brown at 4:38PM on Mar 5th 2008
38. brain - and liberals think you and the rest of the far right conservatives could not shove a pin up your ass if you tried.
Gwen at 4:44PM on Mar 5th 2008
39. Okay that was probably uncalled for, but somewhat entertaining.
Gwen at 4:44PM on Mar 5th 2008
40. Jerry your posts are nicely put. You are much better at an elegant argument than I am and I admire you for it.
Gwen at 4:46PM on Mar 5th 2008
41. brandon,
i did not say democrats have the muslim world angry at us. its the liberal left. and its true because the muslims are threatened by our smut, our lack of reguard for the traditional family, our immoral and decadent lifestyle,etc. the list could go on. the liberal left is largely responsible,thus the angst the muslims feel. quit getting so snipid. what i say is true. its not a slam its a fact. this is what my gripe with the democrats are, they should toss the far left idealogy out the window and the party would be better off
brian at 4:48PM on Mar 5th 2008
42. jerry,\\your comment is not true. conservatives are not selfish. you shpould recant.
gwen shoving things up one hiny was 5 days ago post and look what got stirred up. you better quit that talk or paul will be back in a huff
brian at 4:50PM on Mar 5th 2008
43. You are right brian I am sure it is not because we have politically left them vulnerable or because we invaded their country.
Gwen at 4:56PM on Mar 5th 2008
44. gwen,
i am just as elegant as jerry. in fact we were having a civil discussion i think
brian at 4:52PM on Mar 5th 2008
45. OK brian I will give you that you have a sense of humor, but I still think you are a nut.
Gwen at 4:53PM on Mar 5th 2008