Executive Experience: Not a Deal Breaker For Me / Flip Floppers: A Requirement!

[Pacifist Patriot]

EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE

Sorry, but this ridiculous meme of requiring executive experience for the office of POTUS / VPOTUS is irrelevant to me.

Does this mean we are restricted to Governors and Mayors? How many perfectly adequate presidents in our past would we have had to do without for the sake of executive experience.

Personally I think legislative experience is fantastic for a president. I'd like to know that someone who has experience with constituent relations, legislative process, political negotiation and the art of diplomatic compromise is leading the country.

I'd rather agree with a candidate's policy positions, voting record, fiscal responsibility, compassionate values, etc. than consider the fact that someone held elective office in the executive branch. If we have a candidate with executive experience who demonstrates good judgment and sound policy statements, excellent! But by no means is this a deal breaker.

FLIP FLOPPING

I trust politicians who have revised their position on issues far more than those who have never waivered. Provided, of course, they can provide sound reasoning for having been persuaded or learned their new stance is preferrable to their old one.

I know I do not have the same convictions today I did ten or twenty years ago. I've matured, I've expanded my base of knowledge, and I've broadened my ability to entertain different viewpoints.

Someone who has never changed his or her mind worries me. Is this an individual who is unable to listen to opposing views? Cannot admit when he or she is wrong? Cannot grasp the complexities of problems that cannot possibly be addressed in terms of black and white?

Flip Floppers? Bring 'em on!

Executives? Take 'em or leave 'em!

Cheers!

[spindrifter]

1. I guess Gidget out-ranks

JFK in her executive experience. After all, his PT boat had a crew of only 13.

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. Oh for all that is right and good, please do not misunderstand me!

I am by no means a Palin apologist. I think this nomination is the epitome of poor judgment by McCain and a gift to the Democrats if they use it correctly.

The key to my post is "candidate's policy positions, voting record, fiscal responsibility, compassionate values.

Clearly Obama has that in excess and Palin fails on all accounts miserably.

I think the "executive experience" argument is absolutely and utterly ridiculous no matter who slings it. Therefore the JFK analogy is pointless and actually proves my point.