How Important is Experience?

Experience has always been something associated with the presidency. We as a country have had very experienced individuals elected to the Presidency and on occasion we have also had those that lack "experience". In my opinion, no matter how much experience you say you have or what your credentials state, the Presidency is a position like no other in the country. Character and personal traits are taken more into consideration when judging how well a candidate is suited for the Presidency, as experience is a transparent benefit. Americans can relate to character, much more appropriately than they can relate to political experience. In the 2008 election, opponents of Senator Barack Obama downplay his own political experience. I recall watching an episode of the Daily Show in which John Stewart replied something to this effect in response to Obama's supposed inexperience "What happened the last time an inexperienced Senator from Illinois was elected president?" Of course, he was referring to the legendary Abraham Lincoln, the President credited with ending slavery and closing the darkest chapter in American history. Lincoln, who succeeded James Buchanan to become President, was also considered mildly inexperienced. Buchanan, on the other hand, is considered to be one of the most experienced Presidents ever elected to office. We all know, it was the "inexperienced" Lincoln who cleaned up the mess the "experienced" Buchanan Presidency left behind. The same goes for Dwight D. Eisenhower, the least experienced President ever elected into office. With absolutely no political experience, just his military generalship, the Eisenhower Presidency goes down in history as perhaps one of the most successful in US history. So, as Barack Obama faces people who question his experience today, just remember that experience has failed us before and character has yet to let us down.