Obama lacks crucial experience

It’s time to get serious about considering the qualifications for president of the United States. Imagine being on the board of directors of a major corporation that was selecting a new chief executive. Would you seriously consider picking a salesman or other employee with only two years’ experience to run your company?

Think of being on the board of regents of a major university that was choosing a new president. How much consideration would be given to taking an associate professor with a couple of school terms to head up your university?

Or imagine being in the military and learning that a lieutenant from the ranks had been chosen to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. How confident would you be in his ability to handle the job? Would you want to follow that person into combat?

Think of being a cardinal in the Catholic Church who is selecting a new pope. Do you think the white smoke would rise to signal the election of someone who had only a few years as a priest, no matter how charming?

Rational persons, of course, would say no in any of these situations. Yet a young man whose only administrative experience was as a community organizer in Chicago is being considered to be president, arguably the biggest and toughest job in the world! A man who has had no executive experience, no military experience, no economic experience and very little time in the U.S. Senate.

While John McCain has some drawbacks, I much prefer him to be at the helm steering us through the troubled waters of the world than Barack Obama. I place a lot more value in McCain’s experience to keep us off rocky shoals than with any “hope” that Obama would.

Robert Johnston

Camano Island