Letters: The myth of Obama’s inexperience
Re “What has Obama learned?,†Opinion, Sept. 25
Jonah Goldberg asserts that President Obama was “easily among the least experienced major party nominees in U.S. history.†This assertion is dubious. Obama had more experience as an elected official before wining the presidency than many of his successful predecessors (nearly 11 years total — seven in the Illinois statehouse and almost four as a U.S. senator).
Abraham Lincoln served eight years as an Illinois state representative and two years in the House before becoming president. Theodore Roosevelt had less than seven years of experience: four as a state Assembly member, two as governor of New York and less than one as vice president.
Woodrow Wilson was governor for three years; Dwight Eisenhower had no experience; Ronald Reagan served as California’s governor for eight years.
Goldberg doesn’t explain why Obama’s nearly 11 years as an elected official adds up to less experience than these presidents.
James Dubrasky
Valencia
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