Are You Experienced?

Commentary by Lightning Rod - RIP 2/6/2013
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Lightning Rod
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Are You Experienced?

Post by Lightning Rod » September 4th, 2008, 12:59 pm

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Are You Experienced?
for release 09-04-08
Dallas, Texas
by Lighting Rod


Probably the most irrelevant issue that we will hear discussed over and over again in the presidential campaign is the issue of experience. The entire premise that experience matters in order to lead a country is a red herring.

Louis XIV was king of France when he was 4 years old. Talk about on the job training. That was on the job potty training.

Alexander was 17 when he became king of Macedonia and had conquered the western world by the time he was 24.

The reason that the 'experience' issue is completely irrelevant is that there is no possible experience that can prepare you for the job of President of the United States. As soon as anyone puts their hand on that bible and takes the oath, it's ALL on the job training after that. The only president running for office as a non-incumbent that had experience was Grover Cleveland.

But we are so bought-in to the corporate mentality, we demand a specific resume.

The Poet's Eye sees that this is one of the problems of our democracy: we have developed a professional class of career politicians. As Jefferson saw our representative democracy, the representatives of the people would be people, real people, who had farms, ran businesses, worked with their hands.
They would be an elected representative for awhile and then they would go back to their real lives. It was supposed to be more like jury duty, not a career.

Today we have a professional class of politicians. It's a caste really. If you look at history, you will see that this is what happens to a culture as it matures. Castes or bureaucracies develop as the society stratifies. The cream will always separate from the the curds and whey if left to stand long enough.

So now we have a political caste. It is rare when a person in high office is anything but a career politician. We plebes aren't allowed in the forum. You have to be vetted first, wear the right color of toga and have the proper credentials and experience. (It doesn't hurt to be born well either.)

This is the single most fascinating and beguiling aspect of Sarah Palin's sudden rise to national prominence: She is presenting herself as 'a regular hockey mom.' How Jeffersonian. I don't believe this for a moment, but it's a great gimmick. They should dress her up in an Annie Oakley suit and let her break plates with her M-16 at State Fairs. She has a great wild west image. It will be interesting to see if she can answer the questions.

Abraham Lincoln had been a small town lawyer just a few years before he was elected president. He had virtually no experience in national leadership and a few months after he took office, we were in a civil war. You don't deal with something like this by experience because there is no experience that could possibly prepare you for a civil war. What Lincoln needed was good sense and the ability to think on his feet. His oratory power didn't hurt either.

The Poet's Eye doesn't see that experience translates to either wisdom or leadership. Let's give both Obama and Palin a chance to demonstrate their respective grasp of the national and world issues and weigh them on the basis of vision, not experience.

If you can just get your mind together
Uh-then come on across to me
Well hold hands and then well watch the sunrise
From the bottom of the sea
But first, are you experienced?
Uh-have you ever been experienced-uh?
Well, I have---Jimi Hendrix
Last edited by Lightning Rod on September 4th, 2008, 1:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"These words don't make me a poet, these Eyes make me a poet."

The Poet's Eye

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constantine
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Post by constantine » September 4th, 2008, 1:21 pm

well said and astute.

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Post by mtmynd » September 5th, 2008, 12:57 am

LR : "Let's give both Obama and Palin a chance to demonstrate their respective grasp of the national and world issues and weigh them on the basis of vision, not experience."

We'll have no choice but to give them a chance. But why put a person running for President against a person running for VP in the same sentence? Should the Republican vote go for Palin's answers you ask or for McCain's agenda?

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Lightning Rod
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Post by Lightning Rod » September 5th, 2008, 1:32 am

the reason that I was comparing apples to oranges is because I really wasn't comparing apples to oranges

Both tickets have an 'experienced' member and an 'inexperienced' member

Obama is the rookie on the Democratic ticket, so he hired Joe Biden to round out his resume.

McCain is the veteran on the Republican ticket who needed a little sexing up, so he picked a newbie with telegenic qualities.

So, the comparison between Palin and Obama is a fair one.
"These words don't make me a poet, these Eyes make me a poet."

The Poet's Eye

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Post by mtmynd » September 5th, 2008, 8:44 am

"So, the comparison between Palin and Obama is a fair one."

Relatively speaking. Obama is a Senator who has been known in the Senate since January, 2005, when he was sworn in. As his Senatorial website states: "Senator Obama serves on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which oversees our nation’s health care, schools, employment, and retirement programs. He is a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, which plays a vital role in shaping American policy around the world, including our policy in Iraq. And Senator Obama serves on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, which is focused on providing our brave veterans with the care and services they deserve. In 2005 and 2006, he served on the Environment and Public Works Committee, which safeguards our environment and provides funding for our highways." That's over 3 years that the fellow Senators (and a public that wanted to know) have had an opportunity to know him.

On the other hand, Sarah Palin has been in Alaska as a virtual unknown to the American people including the U.S. Senate. She was introduced to the public one week ago. There is much to learn and know about a woman who, if McCain is elected and dies in office, may become a President of the U.S..

The only common ground between Palin and Obama would be their both Americans... but then so are McCain and Biden. It would be more reasonable to make the connection between McCain, Biden and Obama given the know fact that the three have a common ground in being Senators. Palin does not qualify for that comparison.

But, yes... "Let's give both Obama and Palin a chance to demonstrate their respective grasp of the national and world issues." Although 'giving them a chance' is something we have no choice in doing at this time. It's more like a 'wait and see.'

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Artguy
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Post by Artguy » September 5th, 2008, 10:49 am

I remember when Vaclev Havel became leader of Czechoslovakia and being quite thrilled that an artist has become the leader of a nation. He also was instrumental in allowing the 2 nations within to go their own ways without a shot fired . It's time we gave governing power of our nations to the artists. the lawyers and corporate slime have had their chance......

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constantine
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Post by constantine » September 5th, 2008, 11:15 am

i don't think they will let us - they have an army at their disposal.

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Post by jimboloco » September 6th, 2008, 9:17 pm

true, a professional army that does the bidding of the masters

it is relevant that Obama's campaign has received larger numbers of contributions from active duty militarios by a ratio of 8:1 over said same group of donations to mccCain

actuually mccCain bragged on his son, a 4th generation Naval Acadummy cadet, the grandfather admiral.......guys who follow a family tradiition with regard for the patrician elite and little else, a confined parameter of vision.

we hope that indeed Palin will pale in comparison, because of her limited scope.

all lawyers are not slime, nor are all corporate leaders, but we have to channel the cash flow to benefit a larger society thru innovative mix of public-private enterprise.
[color=darkcyan]i'm on a survival mission
yo ho ho an a bottle of rum om[/color]

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