I Favor Judgment Over Experience
February 20th, 2008
By PAUL SILVER
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Commenter “loveourcountry” posted the text of Obama’s anti-Iraq war speech in 2002 in repsonse to another discussion about Campaign Finance, and it was the first time I had read it. It was courageous for Obama to take such a stand in a climate of revenge and deference to the President. And he was right.
The President was a two term governor of Texas, his father a President and former director of the CIA, his VP a former Secretary of Defense and Chief of Staff to President Ford, his Secretary of Defense one of the most experienced to have that job. And the Administration got it wrong. They misunderstood the facts and the context. It can be argued that this uncommonly experienced administration got it consistently wrong on Foreign affairs, energy, environment, trade, economic and fiscal management, health care, education… on just about everything except how to divert public funds to their friends in Oil, big Pharma, and the Military-Industrial complex.
Familiarity with a situation is very handy, and it can be the critical factor when all other factors are equal. But it is not the only, or the best, indicator of future success. Senators Clinton and McCain would both provide leadership that I could be content with. But from almost everything Obama has said, and the way he has conducted himself, his is the intellect I would prefer making the hard calls for the future of my government.
I agree with Obama’s refrain that it is as important to be “right” on day one as it is to be “ready.”
This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 20th, 2008 at 12:16 pm and is filed under Barack Obama. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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