Since McCain nominated Sarah Palin, Senator Obama's experience has again become an issue. I guess the European jaunt didn't quite burnish his credentials.
There are two arguments over his experience: One comparing his to Palin's, and the other absurdly argues that he is as qualified as Lincoln or Kennedy when they ran for office.
I'll deal with the first and ignore the second. I think a business owner and governor has more executive leadership experience than a community organizer turned politician who eats donations and craps BS. My purpose here is to cut down the nonsensical comparisons with JFK and Lincoln.
Let's take Abraham Lincoln first. A skilled debater could almost make this a convincing case, for Lincoln's Civil War leadership is what revealed the greatness of this man who was underestimated by some when he was elected.
Lincoln was a true self-made man, becoming a lawyer by dint of his own hard work and self-study. He was a store keeper and a Captain in the Illinois Militia during the Blackhawk wars. His military experience only lasted a few months, but that's still more than Obama's. He didn't teach law, but he did practice it for years, earning the admiration of his peers. He was an Illinois legislator for eight years and earned national fame during the Lincoln Douglas debates that took place during his unsuccessful run for Senator. His fame was well earned: He dazzled audiences with his clever debating skills that were well-grounded in Christian Religion and classical thought as he debated the great issues facing our country. In other words, he actually said substantive things when he spoke.
The John F. Kennedy argument is even more ridiculous. JFK was a Naval Officer in the Pacific during WW II, earning a purple heart as well as decorations for heroism. Despite grave injuries, he made sure his crew got to safety after their boat, PT 109, was cut in half by a Japanese destroyer. He was a US Congressman from 1947-1953, and a US Senator from 1953-1960. He also won a Pulitzer prize for his book, profiles in courage, which by the way was not about himself. John Kennedy was already a great man of significant accomplishments when he entered the White House in 1961.
Mr. Obama cuts a stylish figure like JFK and he's from Illinois like Abe Lincoln, but the comparisons become strained much past that. Good people can make the argument that Mr. Obama is qualified to be president. They just need to refrain from twisting history and belittling the reputations of true American heroes in the process.
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=l000313
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/al16.html
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/jk35.html
http://www.biography.com/deathiversary/jfk/jfk.jsp
