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Experience
101
Barack Obama is clearly the most fired-at target in this issue - clobbered by both Clinton and McCain. Ironically, this was an issue for past presidents such as John F. Kennedy and, yes, even Bill Clinton himself. And what of the "experience" of Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and the rest of our Founding Fathers? Not a one of them had a minute of experience in building a new nation and freeing it from the iron hand of an oversees regime. It was strictly "on-the-job training" for every single one of them - and they didn't always get it right!! Another public servant from Obama's state of Illinois had very little experience when he became one of history's most respected Presidents - Abraham Lincoln. We also have to take a look at the kind of experience a candidate claims. This applies especially to Hillary Clinton, who is the one claiming to be "ready to go from day one." How many treaties did she sign? How many international conflicts did she resolve? True, she went to China and gave an important speech on human rights - but how many trade deals or disarmament deals did she negotiate? Using the most basic yardstick, one would have to say John McCain has the most experience - BUT - how does his experience rate when other factors such as honesty, fitness, etc. are factored in? One could legitimately claim that Adolf Hitler, Mao TseTung, Ho Chi Minh, Stalin, Kruschchev, Manuel Noriega, Genghis Khan and Pol Pot all had experience - but would you want to elect them president? Brett Favre recently retired with, what, 17 years' experience in professional football. Does logic then dictate that his wife should be put into the game as his replacement quarterback - because, certainly, she "shared" those 17 years of experience? I hardly think so! And would you want to vote for a President in these rough economic seas who, by his own admission, "knows nothing about economics ... but I have Alan Greenspan's book"? John McCain actually made this statement not too long ago.
Hillary Clinton
Barack Obama
John McCain
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