Which word is harder to define: PORN or EXPERIENCE?
“You know it when you see it!” That’s how some have defined Porn. While this definition wouldn’t make Webster’s book, it provides a useful way to think about this elusive word.
Experience is another such word. Especially when we think about how much of it is required to be President. On one hand you have the first Bush, he had a lengthy resume; he was head of the CIA and Vice President, but he only ended up being a one term President. On the other hand there was Lincoln. His only experience before becoming Commander-in-Chief was as an Illinois State Senator, but he ended up with his face on Mt. Rushmore.
So this issue of experience is a tricky one. And it may explain why another Illinois Senator could struggle to convince America that he has the required experience to be President.
Some other Obama supporters have argued that he should go about this task by using the word judgment instead of experience. They argue that judgment is really what people want to know about. They feel that people just use the wrong word when they ask about experience and that judgment would be an easier sell for Obama because he showed it by opposing the Iraq war.
Although I am sympathetic to this argument, I disagree with it!
I disagree because this approach is not practical. America is not going to change its lexicon and substitute the word ‘judgment’ for ‘experience’ in the 4 months that remain before Iowa.
Obama needs to talk about experience and he needs to use that word…but that brings us back to the original question… Porn or Experience: Which word is harder to define? Truth is, I don’t know! But an interesting comparison becomes possible if we define experience, just as Porn has been defined… “You know it when you see it!”
Unlike Obama, Edwards is rarely labeled as inexperienced, and most would agree that Hillary is experienced. So it appears that people see ‘experience’ when they see Edwards and Hillary.
But how does Obama’s experience really compare? If his resume is shorter than their’s, then perhaps he should use ‘judgment’. On the other hand, if we learn that his resume is comparable or even stronger....what then?
Let’s compare apples with apples.
PUBLIC SERVICE: If you count her time as first lady, and I do, Hillary has been in public service for 14 years. For Edwards, it’s 6 years. Obama has over 2 decades of public service, which started when he left a job on Wall Street to become a Community Organizer in Chicago…So on this one… looks like Obama wins!
…but I can already hear some people saying, “What does public service mean anyway? Anyone can choose to do ‘public work’, but that doesn’t qualify them to be President.” Public elected office is what counts, right? So let’s examine that…
ELECTED OFFICE: On this one, Edwards has 6 years, Hillary has 7 years and Obama wins again, he has 10 years. But wait a minute, wasn’t some of that time in the State Senate…that’s not exactly equivalent to the US Senate? Lincoln might disagree, but let’s play along... how about we substitute 2 years in the State Senate for 1 year in the US Senate…that would mean that Obama has about 7 years…. So this one looks like a draw!
I can already hear the grumbles though… “It’s not about time served, it’s about results. What Bills did they pass as Legislators?”
BILLS PASSED: Unfortunately it’s difficult to compare candidates on Bills passed because the data is not readily available. However, it was recently reported that Obama has passed more Bills than Edwards and Hillary…and I haven’t heard any objections from either of them…so at the very least, another draw, but more likely, Obama wins this as well!
Hold on! This shouldn’t be about quantity. It should be about quality…it should be about the impact these Bills have had on regular people.
IMPACT ON REGULAR PEOPLE: If you listen closely to politicians, and I do, then you’ll realize that neither Hillary nor Edwards actually talk about what results they’ve achieved. To be fair, Edward is very vocal about fighting poverty, and most people know about Hillary’s attempt to reform Healthcare, but we also know how that turned out…
In contrast, Obama has delivered results. Here are a few that have impacted regular people:
Not bad, is it? …So the next time someone says something along these lines… “That Obama guy is charismatic and seems like he has the potential to change things, but I am not sure he has the experience…” Please… do me a favor…don’t chicken out and only talk about Obama’s ‘good judgment’…tell them about the man’s experience!
