Is Obama Too Young, Or Too Inexperienced, To Be President?
Lest anyone say that 47-year-old Barack Obama is too young to be president, consider this:
Although John F. Kennedy is widely thought of as the youngest U.S. President, having been elected at the age of 43, he is not the youngest man to have served as President.
That honor goes to Theodore Roosevelt, who was inaugurated at the age of 42 after the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901. Roosevelt went on to be re-elected in 1904, becoming the first president to gain office due to an assassination and then be elected in his own right.
Kennedy was second-youngest, 43 at the time of his election and inauguration. He was the youngest man to be elected president.
Bill Clinton and Ulysses S. Grant were each 46 at their inaugurations, and Grover Cleveland was 47.
Although John F. Kennedy is widely thought of as the youngest U.S. President, having been elected at the age of 43, he is not the youngest man to have served as President.
That honor goes to Theodore Roosevelt, who was inaugurated at the age of 42 after the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901. Roosevelt went on to be re-elected in 1904, becoming the first president to gain office due to an assassination and then be elected in his own right.
Kennedy was second-youngest, 43 at the time of his election and inauguration. He was the youngest man to be elected president.
Bill Clinton and Ulysses S. Grant were each 46 at their inaugurations, and Grover Cleveland was 47.
So age isn't really an issue. How about experience?
The primary knock on Obama this election year has been his perceived “lack of experience.” Indeed, Obama’s detractors have cleverly perpetuated this notion for months, persistently asserting that the Senator is “not experienced.” By now, this very phrase has been repeated so often that those proclaiming such a belief sound like parrots. In fact, this has been John McCain’s central thesis against his rival. But does this argument hold up to scrutiny?
At the Republican Convention, and on the campaign trail, John McCain and Sarah Palin continually accuse Barack Obama of “not passing a single piece of legislation, or even a reform.”
The reality:
“Obama/Lugar law boosts U.S. efforts to keeps WMDs and other dangerous weapons out of the hands of terrorists.”
- House Record
“Obama/Feingold Ethics Reform Law - most sweeping reform since Watergate.”
- Washington Post
“Obama and Coburn co-author bill to create a database of information on federal spending.”
- House Record
“Obama’s improvements in healthcare for recovering soldiers passed into law.”
- House Record
“Obama worked with Republicans to pass legislation improving services for homeless veterans.”
- House Record
“Obama passed near-unanimous death penalty overhaul package.”
- Associated Press
The truth is, Obama is not inexperienced.
If he were a governor, he’d be finishing his first term this fall. Ambitious? Yes, very.
Prior to his four years in the Senate, Obama served in the Illinois Senate for eight years, from 1997-2004. His Congressional district had more residents than all of Alaska.
He also taught Constitutional law at University of Chicago Law School from 1992-2004. It’s important to remember that the US is governed by the Rule of Law. Therefore, having a thorough understanding of the law is a critical—even essential—asset for any national politician. As a nation of laws founded on the Constitution, the job of the legislature is to enact laws based on the Constitution, and the job of the president is to execute them. Obama is an expert in this area.
Clearly, George W. Bush doesn’t understand the Constitution. Look where that’s gotten us.
Obama isn’t the Messiah, sent to save us from ourselves. He’s just a human, like the rest of us. But he is a smart man, and he is experienced—despite what his detractors keep repeating over and over. For most people, perception is reality. It’s a very powerful thing.
But consider this:
Since the start of the 20th Century, eight U.S. governors have gone on to become president: Teddy Roosevelt (NY), Woodrow Wilson (NJ), Calvin Coolidge (MA), Franklin Roosevelt (NY), Jimmy Carter (GA), Ronald Reagan (CA), Bill Clinton (AK), and GW Bush (TX).
Wilson, Coolidge, FDR and Carter were all one-term governors, meaning they served just four years before moving on to the White House. Bush was elected twice, but served just five years before becoming president.
Barack Obama is concluding his fourth year in the Senate. If he were a governor, he would be winding up his first term. Using history as a guide, Obama certainly cannot be deemed too inexperienced to be president.
Since the start of the Twentieth Century, only two sitting Congressmen or Senators have made successful presidential bids: Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts, and Sen. Warren G. Harding of Ohio. That’s the history that both Obama and McCain are up against.
Why the success of governors? They can more easily portray themselves as outsiders than Senators, Congressmen, or former Vice Presidents. Even when the opposition party controls the federal government, governors serve as a sort of farm team from which their party can mount a viable run for the White House.
And since governors are not legislators, they do not have an extensive voting record to defend, or one that can be parsed, dissected, and endlessly criticized.
Yet, governors usually aren't national politicians and have little, if any, foreign policy experience before they take office. Some governors, such as Bush, never even held elective office before becoming the Chief Executive of their respective states. Yet, you rarely -- if ever -- heard Carter, Reagan, Clinton, or Bush assailed for their lack of experience the way that Barack Obama has been.
Obama makes the case that there is a difference between experience and sound judgment. And indeed it’s true that even people with experience can have, and have shown, poor judgment.
A sense of wisdom, and a calm rationale under fire are critical attributes for a president. And a measured temperament, thoughtfulness, inquisitiveness, and the ability to inspire, compel, and lead a nation are vitally important characteristics that can’t be underestimated.
Copyright © 2008 Sean M. Kennedy. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the author’s consent.
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Comments: 15
As I was reading your article, the thought came to me...our youths age and experience is not considered when they go over to Iraq is it.....
What other leaders of other countries support Obama for President? Chavez, Putin, Ahmadinejad to name a few. Who are these people? OUR ENEMIES who hate us and our way of life, our government.
I think that they would want Obama in office because he will give us over to our enemies as in letting them think we are their friends and would not oppose them with force in any manner in a conflict. How is this good for America?
Is anyone ready for another 9/11? Not me.
McCain has over 20 years in government. He's demonstrated beyond a doubt that he's unqualified for the office he occupies, let alone the presidency.