The Experience Question

To me this is a non-issue. As Robert DeNiro stated today in endorsing Obama ""He wasn't experienced enough to authorize the invasion of Iraq."

First off, Obama has a proven record of public service from the grass roots up as an organizer, seven years in Illinois Senate, four years in the US Senate.

As others have pointed out to me, the "experience" argument would lead us to believe our best elected officers should've been those with the most government experience by the time they reached elected office - which would be Richard Nixon or Dick Cheney. And we know how they worked out. Or JFK vs Nixon was decided by the experience argument, we'd likely have had Nixon as President during the Bay of Pigs and none of us would be here right now.

I think it is true, as Obama says - not just to be ready on day one, but be right on day one -- the greater question for a President is good judgment and the courage of conviction. As the LA Times states in its endorsement, "experience has value only if it is accompanied by courage and leads to judgment. Nowhere was that judgment more needed than in 2003, when Congress was called upon to accept or reject the disastrous Iraq invasion. Clinton faced a test and failed, joining the stampede as Congress voted to authorize war." On this ground, Hillary has disqualified herself with her politically expedient vote for the Iraq war and her willingness to go back on her word for crass political purposes. (More here)