Obama's Inexperience "Problem"

So Barack Obama is inexperienced.  Is that really a big handicap when it comes to seeking the 2008 Presidential nomination?

Obama is still in his first term in the Senate.  Prior to that, he had served eight years in the Illinois Senate.  Is that the profile of a Presidential candidate?

You might be surprised, though, that lack of experience in elected office has not been that big of a problem for many past candidates.  By the end of 2008, Obama will have held elective office for 12 years -- or twice as many years as George W. Bush had when he took office, and twelve more years than Dwight Eisenhower, who famously won the Presidency without having ever held elective office.

A recap of the Presidents we've had since 1952 (or, the advent of television):

Dwight Eisenhower: No experience in elected office.

JFK: Six years in the House, eight years in the Senate.  14 years in elected office.

LBJ: Twelve years in the House, twelve in the Senate.  Spent three years as Vice President before ascending to the Presidency.  27 years in elected office.

Nixon: Four years in the House, two years in the Senate, eight as Vice President.  14 years in elected office.

Ford: 24 years in the House before being appointed Vice President.

Carter: Four years in the Georgia Senate, four years as governor.

Reagan: Eight years as California governor.

Bush 41: Four years in the House, eight as Vice President.

Clinton: Two years as Arkansas Attorney General, 12 years as governor.

Bush 43: Six years as Texas governor.

So, Obama has more experience than four of our last ten Presidents.  If you don't count Nixon's and Bush's years as Vice President (when they were elected largely because of Eisenhower and Reagan, respectively), it's six of ten.  JFK and Clinton only had two more years of experience in office.  That leaves LBJ and Ford -- and both of them ascended to the Presidency through the death or resignation of the President.

Where's the complaint?  Obama is already a national figure, won an impressive victory in his first Senate election, and has the gravitas to be elected President.  What's more, many of the Republican contenders don't have a ton of experience in electoral politics, either.  Mitt Romney has spent four years as governor.  Giuliani was mayor for eight years.  Mike Huckabee has twelve years -- two as lieutenant governor, ten as governor.

Inexperience doesn't seem to be a likely charge against Obama -- at least, not one that will stick.  Not when the candidate running against him will likely be someone without much experience.



Display:


Re: Obama's Inexperience "Problem" (none / 0)

I think it depends who he's running against.  John McCain would likely try and make the election about experience.  And clearly Gore/Clinton would want to make it a central issue.  But Mike Huckabee or Mitt Romney?  Not so much.


by LPMandrake on Fri Dec 01, 2006 at 02:08:22 AM EST

Re: Obama's Inexperience "Problem" (none / 0)

I would advise not trying to advance the argument that Obama has as much (or more!) "experience" than George H.W. Bush did when Bush became President.  Bush did a lot of things other than serve in elective office, most notably serving as the Director of the CIA.

Similarly, I don't thnk it's worth comparing Obama to Ike.  Ike had no political experience but, um, come on!  

I think the better line of argument is to compare Obama with W., who had almost no real experience.  Of course the problem there is that we'd also be arguing that Bush was a terrible President.  If Obama is up against McCain, he's going to be seen as the less experienced candidate.  


by RickD on Fri Dec 01, 2006 at 04:54:07 AM EST

Re: Obama's Inexperience "Problem" (none / 0)

(To be crystal clear, Ike, being a successful general, had a great deal of military poltical experience, not so much in domestic poltics.)

If Obama is directly up against McCain -- and Obama grows a pair -- we win, quite frankly. I believe in Obama to that extent. McCain simply cannot project the stature of senior statesman as well as Obama, regardless of his seniority. And hope? McCain is a bitter old guy who sold his soul.

I'm not certain Obama can grow a pair. He needs to figure what he believes in, nail it down, and stick to that script. We'll back him up if he does. This isn't 2004.


by lightyearsfromhome on Fri Dec 01, 2006 at 01:01:38 PM EST
[ Parent ]

I dont think Obama shd run for Pres yet (none / 0)

He needs at least a term in Senate.  He could be considered for VP though.


by jasmine on Fri Dec 01, 2006 at 10:41:10 AM EST

Re: I dont think Obama shd run for Pres yet (none / 0)

I doubt that many people will make a distinction between serving a half of a term or 1 term.  Either way it's light on experience on the federal level.  I don't think Edwards has any practical experience advantage over Obama.  With that said I don't think experience will be anywhere near the litmus test it was in 2004.  We won't be competing against a war time President whose central campaign was run on National Security and terrorism.  National Security is going to be a much smaller issue for the GOP in 08 considering how horribly they messed up Iraq.


by blueryan on Fri Dec 01, 2006 at 04:28:52 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Obama's Inexperience "Problem" (none / 0)

I kind of think Ike's experience as Supreme Commander of the Allied forces in the European theater in WWII and as the first supreme commander of NATO counts as political experience. Certainly not elected but kind of significant.


by The Cunctator on Fri Dec 01, 2006 at 12:32:44 PM EST

Re: Obama's Inexperience "Problem" (none / 0)

Like Sirota, my concern about Obama isn't his inexperience but his innate tendency towards the safe, self-serving path of not standing for anything.

Except hope, of course. Because who doesn't like hope?

Oh, yeah, and an awesome God.


by The Cunctator on Fri Dec 01, 2006 at 12:34:48 PM EST

Re: Obama's Inexperience "Problem" (none / 0)

Right. Exactly. 'Experience' is something Nixon had in spades, for example. Cheney and Rumsfeld? No end of experience. Condi? Experience!

...inexperience is self-correcting, if the candidate has an appropriate amount of humility, probably not an issue with most of the Dems.

If Obama gets the nomination, I'll be up there with as big a can of STFU as any of the progressives when the wingnuts start the lack-of-experience swiftboating operation.


by lightyearsfromhome on Fri Dec 01, 2006 at 12:50:36 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Obama's Inexperience "Problem" (none / 0)

won an impressive victory in his first Senate election

Which Senate would that be? The US Senate he coasted into against wacko Alan Keyes. Has the dude ever had to really fight in a race?


by lightyearsfromhome on Fri Dec 01, 2006 at 12:52:27 PM EST


You are not logged in.

In order to post a comment, you must be logged in. If you have a member account, please log in to comment.

If not, you can make an account right here. It's quick and free.