Barack Obama has the Right Kind of Experience

I am so tired of hearing some folks say that Barack Obama lacks the "experience" necessary to become President of the United States. Such folks need to remember that experience should not be narrowly defined as simply working in Washington, D.C. Indeed, that kind of inside the beltway "experience" can sometimes be a major drawback rather than strength. Look at how the government's been managed for the past eight years. Is that the best we can do?

In contrast to the other major presidential candidates, Obama brings all kinds of new and novel experiences to the table. It's important to remember that experience is much more than just simply being a national politician. There are many other ways in which to gain valuable life experience that would prepare one for such an important position as President of the United States. 

For example, what other presidential candidate in recent memory has actually majored in international relations during college? Obama did just that, graduating from Columbia University after studying global politics and foreign affairs in depth. 

What other candidate has been president of the Harvard Law Review and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard Law School? What other candidate has worked as a community organizer, civil rights lawyer, best selling author, and college lecturer of constitutional law at the University of Chicago? In this respect, Obama clearly understands the importance of preserving our constitutional freedoms, unlike the current occupants of the White House. He also has witnessed and experienced firsthand the negative impact of racism, classism, and poverty on American society.

Who else running for president has emerged from the grassroots of inner-city urban politics, as Obama did in Chicago? Who else has served for years as a state legislator and was highly respected by members of both political parties? What other candidate has served with distinction on the U.S. foreign relations committee, bringing his academic expertise on international relations to the national stage? 

This is all very important experience and much more significant than what George W. Bush brought with him to the White House.

Moreover, Obama's demeanor and personality along with his strength of character is tailor-made for leadership and diplomacy both at home and abroad.

When you think about it, Obama is the definitive "bridge" candidate - he's actually biracial, which may be one reason why he instinctively appeals to so many people of all races. He even seems to bridge the gulf between Christians, Jews, and Muslims; though he clearly identifies as a Christian, he also has a strong understanding of Islam and Judaism. Ideologically, he's a liberal on most issues but also often uses value-laden language, invoking God and his Christian faith. He's the kind of candidate that could actually get votes from card-carrying ACLU members and evangelical Christians alike. 

He's an intergenerational candidate too, representing the first major presidential candidate in U.S. history to come of age in the 1970s - the post-Vietnam cohort of younger baby boomers and Generation Xers. His message is refreshing as he often employs the language of youthful idealism and belief in change agency through social movement activism, essentially synthesizing 1960s style civil rights concerns with the modern era. Images of John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King come to mind when I watch him speak, with messages framed specifically for a contemporary post-9-11 world. 

Obama's charismatic personality helps to bring people together too, along with his language of inclusion. I have been impressed by the fact that he has repeatedly rejected the Bush-era scapegoating of gays and lesbians, for example. He also says all the right things about the Iraq War, including the fact that he opposed this war from the very beginning (while running for the U.S. Senate) and considers the war to be a "tragic mistake." He has a clear plan and timetable to end America's military involvement in Iraq. But at the same time he frequently expresses concern and admiration for our returning veterans, thereby bridging the perceived gap between the peace movement and our troops in Iraq and elsewhere around the world. 

Let's hope that Obama continues to bridge these gaps (both real and perceived) and finds a way to help make America whole again. It's high time we elected a candidate with the right kind of real-world experience who truly has a fresh outlook and rejects politics as usual. That's why I'm supporting Barack Obama for President!