Thursday, March 13, 2008

So you are voting for Senator Clinton because she's "experienced"

Senator Clinton's supporters say that the Senator is "experienced," which is why they support her over Senator Obama.

Guess what? There were other fine, experienced candidates in the Democratic field, who dropped out after poor performances in Iowa and New Hampshire. Here are three (summarizing their accomplishments as described on Wikipedia):

Governor Bill Richardson - 14 years in the US Congress; 1997 US Ambassador to the UN; 1998-2000 US Secretary of Energy; Governor of New Mexico 2003-present, re-elected in 2006.
"In 2006, Forbes credited Richardson's reforms in naming Albuquerque, New Mexico the best city in the U.S. for business and careers. The Cato Institute, meanwhile, has consistently rated Richardson as one of the most fiscally responsible Democratic governors in the nation."

Senator Joe Biden - six-term US Senator from Delaware. Past Chairman of the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary, current and past Chairman of the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Fifth-youngest US Senator when first elected in 1972 at age 30.

Senator Chris Dodd - 6 years in the US Congress; five-term US Senator from Connecticut. Authored the Family and Medical Leave Act. US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, Chairman of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs etc.

Of the three, Governor Richardson seems the most experienced - Congressman, Governor, Ambassador, Secretary of Energy. I would even venture so far as to say - more experienced than Senator Clinton. And yet, he had to drop out after New Hampshire (and even that was a stretch.)

So you can proclaim all you want that you are voting for Senator Clinton because she's experienced and will be "ready on Day One." But that's a load of BS, because you rejected three people with more experience, including one with actual proven Chief Executive credentials and foreign policy expertise - unlike Senator Clinton.

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