Question for anti-Obama posters: How is Obama inexperienced and Hillary isn't?

[PresidentObama]

I ask this because Senator Barack Obama has been an elected official for eleven years.

And Senator Hillary Clinton has only been an elected official for eight years.

So how is inexperienced when he has more experience as an elected official than Hillary?

If Hillary Clinton is counting years in Washington, that's hardly experience.

It's clear the system in Washington is simply corrupt and broken, and Americans see that. That's why poll after poll, whether we're in power or Republicans, show Americans hate whats happening with lawmakers in Washington D.C.

I'm sick and damn tired of all this bullshit about how inexperienced Barack Obama is.

I'm calling your B.S.

He's been an elected official longer.

Hillary's time as First Lady is hardly experience. Seriously. She did a lot of things that had a lot of impact, but in the end...her husband was President, not her.

Being in Washington longer doesn't mean you have more experience, or the right experience.

[LostinVA]

1. Maybe if you say "HRC Supporters" you'll get more responses

[PresidentObama]

3. It's not just HRC supporters, it's Edwards supporters...Richardsons former supporters...etc.

It seems to me out of the top tier the one getting the most flack for being inexperienced has the most experience as an elected official.

[LostinVA]

9. Then don't say "anti Obama"

[PresidentObama]

12. Are you denying there aren't anti-Obama posters here?

Just like there are anti-Hillary people. AKA the ABC and ABH (Anybody but Hillary Clinton) group

[aquart]

2. Yes, dear. Of course, dear.

Believe what you want. His resume is light. Hers isn't.

But I will always go to Obama for advice on how to buy a house.

[PresidentObama]

4. We aren't talking about records. We're talking about experience.

How is Obama inexperienced and Hillary isn't?

He's been an elected official longer.

[wyldwolf]

11. isn't experience displayed on a resume?

[DJ13]

5. Believe what you want. His resume is light. Hers isn't.

[dmallind]

6. I agree this is more "vibe" than real argument

Yes you can point to her years in the Hwite House, where she did some substantive work. Yes you can point to her years in dealing with the smear machine (and that does have some validity to me), but in terms of purely functional political roles there's not much in it really. He has state experience instead of first lady experience, and both lawyer and activist experience to go up against her previous life.

Really this sells more than it means - because she is older and has been in the public eye longer. His youthful looks don't help - he's in his 40s and not just only, but he appears and acts younger. It's an unavoidabel corollary of building up a fresh new change image though - you can't sell both that and directly relevant experience at the same time.

While I am no MSM conspiracy theorist this is where I DO think they play a major role. They build a certain image of each candidate very early in teh process, and seem unable to pull themselves away regardless of data or argument. Therefoire Clinton is experienced and efficient political machinery - regardelss of a brief Senate tenure and soem strange campaign choices, and Obama is fresh young blood despite being actively involved in organizing, law and government for 20 years or more.

[Zueda]

7. That's easy...

She pushed through universal health care when it was really unpopular with the american people and while up against a republican controlled congress.

She fought vigorously to keep GWB from going to war in Iraq and has been a leader in making sure we don't do the same with regards to Iran.

And take a look at Walmart... started out as a small chain in Arkansas but with her effort was able to become the largest retailer in the world! providing many well paying jobs, with excellent benefits, on every street corner.

on edit: the fact that a Walmart is on every street corner also means less commuting for the workers....Green man!...Green!


I could go on forever....

[LostinVA]

13. Err... she didn't make Wal-Mart into the largest retailer

And, I think you know that. She was on teh Board of Directors, not Sam Walton.

[Zueda]

14. When her hubby first got elected governor she started working for them through...

Rose Law firm as a corporate defense lawyer. From there it's not hard to see their rise is parallel to the Clinton's rise.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rose_Law_Firm

[Zueda]

20. Now that I think of it I guess we can call her...

"Corporate America's Lawyer"

[LostinVA]

28. Which shows you know nothing about how corporate law firms or corporations work

And Wiki is not a legitimate source.

[Zueda]

30. So, that's all you got?

Care to explain?

[wyldwolf]

8. (sigh) why must we cover this ground over and over again? You'll get the same answers each time

I ask this because Senator Barack Obama has been an elected official for eleven years.

Most of which was as a part-time state Senator. Would an elected dog catcher be able to claim experience? Hillary has more time as a full-time elected official.

If Hillary Clinton is counting years in Washington, that's hardly experience... Hillary's time as First Lady is hardly experience. Seriously. She did a lot of things that had a lot of impact, but in the end...her husband was President, not her.

Barack Obama disagrees.

"She's very smart ... people rightly give her credit for having been a participant in the Clinton administration and for doing some heavy lifting on issues." Barack Obama, speaking of Hillary Clinton's White House experience and contradicting Obama supporters - The Daily Show with Jon Stewart 8/22/07

[napi21]

10. I don't know what your job is, but let me tell you how I look at the experience thing.

I was an accountant bfore I retired, but I learned A LOT via the companies I worked for.

I endured quite a few law suits at those companies. They didn't make me a lawyer, but I am better than the average bear at knowing how the law works and how lawyers think.

One of those companies mfg's vitamins and food supplements. I can't formulate any of those products, but I know more than most about how they are formulated and what has a reputation for doing what the customer wants it to do and which ones are all hype.

I learned what works to get your products shipped and delivered when you want them there, but I can't drive a semi.

Hillary was not the president, but she was involved enough to know many of the world leaders, & how they react to specific things. She did learn what not to do when you're trying to get some major project through congress.

All I mean is that being in a Governor's mansion, the WH, & the Senate all teach a lot, and the broader your exposure the more you learn.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

15. Longer experience in the Senate, and it will be a Billary presidency, as everyone knows. eom.

eom.

[TwilightGardener]

16. You don't earn experience by osmosis, you earn it by actually having

the job and upholding the duties and responsibilities of your office. He was an officeholder longer than she was. Denigrating his experience because it was at a state level is silly--both he and the people of Illinois took his position and his legislation seriously.

[wyldwolf]

18. uh huh... right.

You don't earn experience by osmosis, you earn it by actually having the job and upholding the duties and responsibilities of your office. He was an officeholder longer than she was.

So if they were both running as a part-time state senator, he'd have more experience than her.

[TwilightGardener]

21. I'm baffled by the intentional use of the term "part time"--he held

the office, he did the job, for 7 years, whether or not it was his main source of income. I don't know how many hours he logged every day or every week, but he did the job he was elected to do, which was to make laws for the state. And what was Hillary, a full-time little wifeski? First Lady isn't a real position, it's a title given to the wife of a President.

[JerseygirlCT]

26. By that reasoning, they're both running for President

a job neither of them have held.

[Occam Bandage]

17. Two replies.

First, Hillary has spent more time in the United States Senate, which is far more relevant than time in the Illinois State Senate. She's dealt with both national issues and national Congressional structure and tactics while Obama was focused on regional issues.

Second, Hillary's time in the White House was indeed valuable. She got eight years of training in how a successful executive branch is run. Obama's time debating CTA funding? Not quite as useful.

[MannyGoldstein]

19. Because, Time After Time, Hillary Has Taken On The Republican And Won!!!

I just can't think of any single specific time. But I'm assured that it's true.

[TwilightGardener]

22. LOL! Rudy dropped out from cancer, and that Lazio idiot...boy, some tough competition there.

In actuality, the Clintons were continually hounded and hamstrung by the GOP, and they will be again--gotta get someone else in there. Our party and our nation depend on it.

[sniffa]

23. Hillary brought peace to Northern Ireland

[AGirl]

24. Seantor Clinton

Senator Obama has only been a senator on the federal level for about 3 years, he refuse to vote yes or no on many issues, and he has not proven a consistent and long record of being able to provide real changes and fighting the Republicans.

Senator Clinton knows the culture of politics , she knows the attack points of the republicans and she has shown a long history of getting things done, even as the first lady who has been instrumental in designing the state’s health insurance program.

Senator Clinton is a safe and strong candidate , she's the only one who can beat the republican in GE.

[JerseygirlCT]

25. Here's what troubles me about the sort of "soft " experience

on her resume, that she keeps touting as giving her that big experience edge: there's no good way to judge it. The Clintons have successfully kept lots of information about those years under wraps. We're supposed to just take them at their word that she was terribly involved in all sorts of policy questions, and an ambassador to the world.

I think her trying to separate herself from Obama with this "experience" thing is a loser for her.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

27. That's like asking Swiftboaters to explain why Kerry didn't earn the purple hearts.

It's all part of "The Big Lie."

[butterfly77]

29. The only differences I see is that...

Hillary knows more about where the bones are buried than obama. Hillary also has been more specific about what she will do than Obama. Obama tells us what he will do away with just as Edwards does but I have yet to hear either of them go into detail. The night before the New Hampshire primary Hillary went into detail about what she would do...