WHAT EXPERIENCE REALLY MATTERS?

President Kennedy addressing the nation October 22, 1962

The election is less than two weeks away! It surely looks as though Senator Barack Obama is going to win a landslide victory –with significant coattails. That is, of course, unless the “Bradley Effect” is still alive after more than twenty years… and unless Republican charges against Obama begin to stick.

The most potent charge against Senator Obama is his perceived lack of experience— particularly executive experience— since he has been only a Senator… and for less than a full term. By that standard, however, what executive experience does Senator McCain have?

If Senators don’t gain any executive experience, what’s the difference between four years or more than two decades? Perhaps that perception is one reason the last Senator to be elected was John F. Kennedy in 1960; and he was one of only two, I believe, to be elected directly from the Senate in the history of the Republic. So by that standard, the only so-called qualified candidate among the four major contenders is Governor Sarah Palin. God, help us!!! Clearly, other experience matters. And perhaps, even more important are temperment and judgment.

George Will recently wrote that experience can be gained, but temperment is fairly constant or something to that effect. His conclusion was that Obama’s temperment is steadier than McCain’s.

Former Secretary of State, retired General Colin Powell's eloquent endorsement last Sunday on Meet the Press gave additional validity and gravitas to Obama's candidacy. "Experience is helpful, but it is judgment that matters."

President Clinton has said that nobody has the experience to be President before gaining office, and I think that is probably true.

What about Abraham Lincoln? Besides being un-photogenic, and reportedly having a high, squeaky voice, Lincoln had had only a few terms in the Illinois legislature and a single term in the U.S. House of Representatives— more than a decade before— when he had opposed the War with Mexico. By today’s standards, he would never be considered a serious presidential contender.

Although he was roundly criticized by all sides last summer, I think retired General Wesley Clark made a valid point. To paraphrase VP Dick Cheney (in reference to energy conservation) holding up well under enemy captivity may be a sign of “personal virtue” and perhaps of patriotism and distinguished valor; but –by itself— it does not necessarily demonstrate any executive or military decision-making capability.

Temperament and judgment are sometimes true conservative values: that is, careful, deliberative, non-reflexive action. (I contend that many so-called conservatives today are really radical-reactionaries. If so-called conservatives can denigrate the positive definition of liberalism, then it’s only fair to describe so-called conservatism by what it actually is and does.)

In the Cuban Missile Crisis forty-six years ago in October 1962, * both President John F. Kennedy and Premier Nikita Khrushchev demonstrated true conservatism by ignoring the demands of their respective generals to start offensive action. Perhaps it was just luck and not good judgment – but how lucky we all were!! Maybe both Kennedy and Khrushchev were like General Dietrich von Cholitz, the “Butcher of Sebastopol” hand-picked by Hitler to destroy Paris when given the order. He didn’t. Evidently he didn’t want to go down in history as the man who destroyed Paris. Similarly, Kennedy and Khrushchev perhaps didn’t want to go down in history (providing there was any history left to write) as the men who destroyed civilization.

I contend that Senator Barack Obama— more so than Senator John McCain— has demonstrated the careful, steady temperament and judgment needed to deal with future world crises. I think the world would be a much safer place with a President Obama in the White House.

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* I recall how ominous events seemed to be in October 1962. I was thirteen. My Dad returned home early from a business trip to be with the family and listen to President Kennedy address the nation on October 22, 1962. There really was a palpable fear that this might be the end of civilization as we knew it.