Experience, Schmexperience:
Let's memorize this together so we can keep repeating it.

Prior to his election to the Presidency, Grover Cleveland had been Governor of New York for three years, 1883-1885. Cleveland was 48.

Before being elected Vice-President to William McKinley in 1900, Theodore Roosevelt had been governor of New York for two years. He had spent one year as Assistant Secretary of the Navy. When McKinley was assasinated eight months after taking office, Roosevelt became President at age 43.

Woodrow Wilson was elected President at age 56 after serving only two years as governor of New Jersey, from 1911-1913.

When he was elected Vice-President to Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge had been governor of Massachusetts for two years. At age 48, he had also served as lieutenant governor for three years. When Harding died in 1923, Coolidge took over and the Roarin' Twenties were on their way.

In 1920, at the age of 38, Franklin Roosevelt was nominated for the Vice-Presidency, having been, well, Assistant Secretary of the Navy. At age 50, when he was elected President in 1932, his only additional experience was four years as Governor of New York.

When he became President at age 54, George W. Bush's political experience consisted of 6 years as Governor of Texas. He had never held a previous elected or appointed office when he became Governor.

If elected Vice-President, John Edwards will have served a full six-year term as a senator. He will be 51.

Now, can we all please shut the fuck up and talk about issues. Or do we have to trot out the slavering Republican support of Arnold Schwarzenegger, that doyen of leadership.


Note: Advice to John Kerry, promised for today, is still incubating. It will be readily available for consumption in a couple of days. But, please, take a chair, and enjoy the rudeness. And if you get to this entry through a direct link and you wish to read more, click on "Current Rudeness" to get back to the main page.