Admit it. You thought twice about the timing of the operation to free the hostages in Colombia. McCain. Trailing in the polls. Goes to speak about Free Trade in Colombia. The week a CNN poll found that 51% of Americans now 'feel threatened by free trade.' As President Bush continues to try to push through a new Free Trade agreement with Colombia before leaving office. The Republican Presidential nominee. And one-time prisoner of war. Is briefed about the rescue operation prior to its execution. The raid is a success. Cable news headlines like "McCain Knew" and "McCain met with Colombians prior to Hostage Rescue" and "Colombian Hostages Free" are read by millions of Americans watching muted TVs in bars, gyms, and noisy households across America. Heading into the Fourth of July weekend. When those Americans will stand around the grill and say, perhaps jokingly, but with the same predictable effect:

I have not seen this posted but thought it relevant to the whole Gen. Clark dust-up. I have watched as pundit after pundit has attacked Gen Clark for "attacking McCain's military service" or when they don't use that canard they talk about how McCain NEVER talks about his military service. Well, this Meet The Press interview shows quite the opposite. http://www.youtube.com/...

By Jwilkes from Eyes on Obama:

For certain, Wesley Clark's now-infamous commentscriticizing the military experience of John McCain firmly solidified his status on Barack Obama's list- but the question is, which one: his short list for VP, or the list of candidates he's already eliminated?

The argument this week is once again about qualifications to be the Commander-In-Chief, with one side arguing that military experience may not have much weight towards that particular job.  The other side argues that any questioning of the qualifications of a "war hero" is a direct insult to all veterans and somehow degrades the service of that "war hero".  Below is my observation of the validity of the "war hero" President argument.

An argument that Republicans will try to make for McCain to independents is the experience argument. This argument must be confronted directly. The primary idea of the Republican version of this argument is that the length of time that one has spent in Washington is the primary criteria by which we should choose our Presidential candidate.

I just got home from running a quick errand and was wandering around my kitchen listening to Morning Joe interviewing Governor Christ about Obama's claim that McCain is untested in foreign policy. Scarborough thought it was sleazy and dirty for Obama to claim that McCain was untested in foreign policy when he was a POW and tortured after being shot down. But is Obama really that far from the truth...?

I'm really getting tired of the 'inexperienced', 'unqualified' and 'incompetent' memes people float against Obama.

So I decided to make a list you can use to refute them.

ex·pe·ri·ence (ĭk-spîr'ē-əns): Active participation in events or activities, leading to the accumulation of knowledge or skill: a lesson taught by experience; a carpenter with experience in roof repair.

I'm so sick of the "experience" argument and I'm sure I'll get more sick of it. So pardon me while I completely destroy the argument early on in the process. And when your friend says, "But McCain is so experienced.", you can  feel free to slap them around with this...

What I learned reading his 1994 memoir Dreams of My Father. Seen in detail, his "inexperience" as a community organizer and state senator stops looking like a liability, and actually the greatest source of his strength as a campaign organizer and agent of change.

A number of my friends, who are otherwise good candidates to become Barack Obama voters, have expressed doubts about his ability to be President, due to his inexperience.  

Some people will counter this fear by pointing to Abraham Lincoln, another Illinois politician with brief experience at the national level, only to run into the argument that Lincoln was a one-off, an instance that won't be repeated; most inexperienced Presidents, so popular belief runs, are disasters.

Not so. In fact, our best Presidents have all been inexperienced in the sense that Obama's inexperience is defined.  And those who have long experience seem stalemated in their past: "with this regard their currents turn awry, and lose the name of action."

You've read this far, why not look at the record?

I'm getting really tired of the "Barack Obama's lack of experience" meme.  Sure, in comparison to both his GOP opponent and his recent primary opponent he has spent less time in Washington D.C.

But everytime that meme is trotted out it makes it sound like he has virtually no experience and that his resumé is paper thin.

Well, I'd like to take a view moments to put things in perspective:

Much has been said about experience already in this campaign; Hillary claims to have the necessary "experience" (also claims that McCain does as well but Obama does not). McCain is making it the centerpiece of his campaign. All this experience talk would make a lot more sense to me if experience was the most important qualification for the job. But we have had 42 presidents (I've read biographies of most of them), and experience is simply NOT a good predictor of presidential success.

Some have suggested Barack Obama select a person with lots of experience as his Vice Presidential candidate, such as Sen. Biden, Sen. Dodd, Gov. Richardson, Sam Nunn, etc...  Many however, have noted the fact that Obama’s whole campaign premise has been about ‘change’ and looking toward the future – not the past; therefore he shouldn’t select anyone currently in Congress or State government that’s been there for a very long time.  They are part of the problem.

I think perhaps Barack Obama should reconsider.  The past (our history) is extremely important.  Aren’t we all told from a very early age that we should try and ‘learn’ from our mistakes?  To completely ignore the past would be a mistake.

A Little Late Night Fun With Photos & Quotes:

John Sidney McCain III
Born August 29, 1936 (currently 72 years old)
Source

OK it wasn't really all about Obama but it certainly felt that way.  I went on the first vacation I've had since the week before 9-11 to Washington DC and Colonial Williamsburg by train!  It was wonderful in and of itself, I got to see some precious friends and sightsee as well.  But what I want to tell you about here, is what I'd like to call, "The Union Station Obama Nation".

First, let me state that I agree with Hillary Clinton's supporters that there has been a certain degree of sexism in the media coverage of her campaign. While in the mainstream media it has mostly been unintentional sexism (i.e., the stories about whether her blouse was showing too much cleavage, which I don't think was meant to demean her as a woman but was just an example of the media looking to sensationalise anything they  can), there has been a great deal of blatant sexism coming from the right wing media for years (let us not forget Rush's "Hillary Clinton Testicle Lockbox" or Tucker Carlson speaking of feeling emasculated by her speaking voice). And yes, Chris Matthews has been a pig at times.

There is a logical fallacy often written in latin as "Post hoc ergo propter hoc", or "after this, therefore because of this," and I believe that is what is going on here. Just because there has been some sexism in the coverage of this campaign does not mean that it prevented Hillary from winning. So join me after the jump for a comparison of public service resumes that I feel argues pretty strongly against the "sexism did Hillary in" argument.

Now that the storm of Hurricane Hillary is waning away, it's time for Mr. Obama to not only campaign as the nominee, but he'd better really strategize and refine his plan of attack and defense against the republican onslaught.

Reverend Wright issues will surely re-emerge. William Ayers will certainly the at the top of the conservative agenda, and then there's the issue that this guy is going to beat silly.

Former presidential contender Mitt Romney increased his criticism of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama Wednesday taking direct aim at Obama’s experience, telling CNN’s John Roberts that "the presidency of the United States is not an internship."

"He can read a prompter very well and energize a crowd," said Romney. "But he has not accomplished anything during his life in terms of legislation, or leading an enterprise, or making a business work, or a city work, or a state work. He really has very little experience."

Mitt Romney