Wednesday, December 19, 2007

The Experience of Hillary

Magic Johnson came out today to campaign for Hillary. Why?

"Only 30 years of experience right here," Johnson said, signaling to Clinton, who stood by his side in the sit-down eating area of the Hy-Vee. He stayed diligently on-message, repeating the campaign talking points. "I think this country right now needs a leader with experience because this is not going to be an easy job," Johnson said.

30 years of experience. Hillary keeps touting "35 years of experience" on all the news shows, but if counting everything one did since graduation from college is "experience," then who doesn't have experience?

I hardly call 15 years as a corporate lawyer experience to be President. Obama and Edwards were lawyers as well. This "35 years of experience" also includes her three years as a law school professor. (Obama was too) Then there is that oh so important experience as a first lady. First as first lady of Arkansas, then First Lady of the U.S.A. So, according to her biography 11 were spent being a First lady. That's experience for the Presidency? And the one policy issue that she attempted as First Lady was a health care fiasco. Then she has had 7 years in the Senate. Which really is the only experience that counts. Everyone running for President has a college degree or more. They have all worked either in the private sector or in political office to which they were elected.

Obama also claims to have been "fighting" for the little guy too. And he was a community organizer in Chicago after working in the private sector for a short time. He seems to have done as much "fighting" as Hillary did and he was a lecturer of constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School from 1993 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2004. And he was a state legislator before that.

Edwards was also a lawyer supposedly 'fighting' for the little guy. Edwards has also been a Senator (for seven years) and if experience for doing anything counts, he was the vice Presidential nominee in 2004.

So how does Hillary have more experience than Obama and Edwards? Because Obama and Edwards haven't been a First Lady?

Looks that way.