Experience Matters, Obama Showed; Why You Shouldn't Vote for Carson or Trump
A recurring critique of President Obama has been his lack of experience. Barack Obama, part Progressive ideologue and part cerebral academic, has been moonlighting as the leader of the Free World and consequently ruining everything.
He doesn't know how to build coalitions, he can't work effectively with Congress, he passes the buck and claims ignorance when major things go wrong. His actions in the realm of foreign policy betray a naïve understanding of geopolitics.
Sarah Palin made hay of Obama's lack of experience when she compared her mayoral responsibilities to his role as a community organizer, and conservatives cheered and nodded in enthusiastic agreement.
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The "lack of experience" critique is legitimate. President of the United States is not a job well suited to a "learn as you go" approach. The stakes are so incredibly high, the workload so immense, and the pace so breakneck that the office requires not only a quick mind and commanding leadership capacity, but an intimate understanding of the structure and functioning of American government.
Few would argue that Barack Obama is an unintelligent person. He's clearly a very intelligent and accomplished man. But the Presidency requires a very particular and very broad skill set that few individuals possess. Barack Obama has an impressive resume, a charismatic personality, and in the minds of many, an inspiring vision for America. But many, critics and supporters alike, observe that he's been unsuccessful at translating those attributes into a successful Presidency.
It's odd then, that the two Republican presidential candidates tied for the lead, Ben Carson and Donald Trump, according to the current Real Clear Politics average of polls, have virtually zero experience in governance of any kind.
Like Barack Obama, Ben Carson is a man with an inspiring personal story and record of achievement in his field. To his political base he conveys a spirit of "hope and change." In short, he is a candidate long on emotional appeal and short on substance. His debate performances and interviews have revealed that he knows next to nothing about foreign affairs, and his domestic policy "solutions" consist mostly of rhetorical platitudes, like suggesting that the Biblical principle of tithing is a model for tax reform.
When pressed on his lack of experience, Dr. Carson and his campaign reply that a President Carson would surround himself with "good people" who could fill in the knowledge and experience gaps. This is standard operating procedure for elected officials, of course. No one knows everything and no one can do it all. The ability to effectively delegate responsibility and authority is critical to successful governance at any level. In order to delegate wisely, however, it is imperative that a good leader have a superior grasp of the big picture as well as the many moving parts at play.
People loved to slam President Bush for appearing unintelligent on camera, but sources report that his intelligence was revealed by the kind of questions he asked his advisors. As Commander in Chief, you need to know enough to know how much you don't know, and what important questions need asking. If you think that a grand vision is sufficient, you end up leaving a lot of critical information out of the picture because you don't know enough to ask about it. Your command of the issues needs to be better than almost everyone in the room. A president who knows less about foreign affairs or tax policy than his undergraduate interns is not a president who will be able to lead the country effectively.
