Sep 3, 2008 11:20 pm US/Central
Reality Check: Experience And Politics
(WCCO)
As political experience goes, it doesn't sound like much. Sarah Palin, mayor of tiny Wasilla, Alaska for six years and Alaska Governor for 20 months.
IN FACT...
It's roughly the same for Barack Obama -- less political experience than most presidential candidates --
eight years in state legislature, four years in the U.S. Senate.
But for voters
it may not matter.
HERE'S WHY...
Electing presidents based on political experience is
not a predictor of presidential greatness.
Abraham Lincoln had very little political experience, but may be the country's greatest president.
James Buchanan had the most, but his face isn't exactly on Mount Rushmore.
BOTTOM LINE...
As much as politicians want you to believe it, military experience is not a predictor of a great chief executive either.
Dwight Eisenhower had it, and he's considered great. Ulysses S. Grant, not so much.
Here's the REALITY.
History shows
voters make presidential picks for many reasons other than political or military experience. It's a factor, for sure, but a candidate's character is often the deciding factor.
That's Reality Check.
To check the resources for this Reality Check click on the links below:
Sen. Barack Obama Bio Presidential nods: Political experience matters very little List of presidents by previous executive experience How Good Are Experienced Presidents? Nowadays, a Candidate Can Seem Too Experienced 
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