Powell shoots down Democratic convention talk (says Obama doesn't have experience...)

AFP ^

[mnehring]

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Former Republican secretary of state Colin Powell denied Wednesday that he was to appear at the upcoming Democratic convention, in what would have been a coup for White House runner Barack Obama...

...Powell told ABC News in a telephone interview: "I do not have time to waste on Bill Kristol's musings. I am not going to the convention. I have made this clear."

.."He (Obama) doesn't have experience at the senior levels of national government...Last quote removed by source article for some reason.

[Jean S]

How dare you compare Obama to Lincoln!
You’re a troll!

[mnehring]

Don’t apologize yet. This is ‘the rest of the story’ but it may not be the end of the story.

[Enchante]

Lincoln’s govt. experience before being elected POTUS consisted of four (2 year) terms in the US House..... so, no, Lincoln did not have a whole lot of federal/national experience...... but if the Obamanators try to raise this point the answer should be “OBAMA, YOU ARE NO ABRAHAM LINCON!!!”

Of course, Lincoln had served as a Captain in the Illinois state militia in wartime (Blackhawk War) and had other experiences Obambi can’t claim.

Still, Lincoln and Woodrow Wilson were probably about the two most ‘inexperienced’ Presidents upon election (Wilson had merely 2 years as Governor of NJ). Lincoln turned into a great President and Wilson the Democrat turned out to be an overeducated (mis-educated) fool. Guess which of these two Obambi shares more in common with??

[mnehring]

Ditto Jean.
It is asinine to compare Obama to Lincoln in terms of experience. If you take a percent of experience to strategic knowledge of the time, Lincoln was still heads and tails above Obama. Strategic knowledge of the time involved, initially primarily militias with weapons any person could, and did use. Now, strategic knowledge requires managing billions of dollars worth of equipment, placing strategic pieces all over the world and balancing the interests of hundreds of allies and treaties. Lincoln also had a core philosophical base that makes Obama seem like a McDonald's fry cook.

[pepsi_junkie]

"He doesn't have experience at the senior levels of national government. But I've seen other individuals who have come along that didn't have that breadth of experience," said the former top official under President George W. Bush.

The job is president. Who, Mr Powell, has had less experience than BHO? Let's see.

• George W Bush: Governor prior to running
• Bill Clinton: Governor prior to running
• George HW Bush: Vice President prior to running
• Ronald Reagan: Governor prior to running
• Jimmy Carter: Governor prior to running
• Gerald Ford: never elected
• Richard Nixon: Vice President prior to running
• Lyndon Johnson: Vice President prior to running
• JFK: War hero with 14 years congressional experience prior to running
• Ike: Supreme Allied Commander of biggest war ever
• Truman: Ah hah! Here's the closest parallel!

You have to go back to 1944 to find someone as unqualified as BHO for the office, and he didnt run for it then! He ran as VP and came to power through the death of Roosevelt.

Obama has the thinnest resume of any Presidential candidate in the last 60 years and probably longer than that.

[NonValueAdded]

Alternate headline: Kristol’s floater sinks to the bottom of the bowl.

[rabidralph]

No need to apologize. I’m sure there are several who are on dial-up. Enjoy your time here, this is the greatest site on the web.

[calcowgirl]

You are twisting Powell's point 180 degrees

It's an art, isn't it?

[Deetes]

Maybe to get colin on paper um phone line ;-)

[calcowgirl]

The quote is from "Good Morning America"

Colin Powell echoes a Barack Obama talking point

ABC News' Dianne Sawyer asked Powell what he made of the presidential candidate's "relative lack" of seasoning as a national and international figure.

"He doesn't have experience at the senior levels of national government. But I've seen other individuals come along who didn't have that breadth of experience and what they do is surround themselves with people who do bring that experience.

"With Sen. Obama, he didn't have a lot of experience running a presidential campaign, did he? But he seems to know how to organize a task and he seems to know how to apply resources to a problem at hand. So that gives me some indication that (with) his inexperience in foreign affairs or domestic affairs, he may be someone who can learn quickly."

This is a point Obama has made repeatedly --

(snip)

[Freedom2specul8]

marked to read later

[Carley]

Thanks for your nice words.

Have checked in at this site over the years but with the election coming up I thought it a good time to sign up.

Half the week I am on dial up and the other three days I have high speed.

Most of the time tho, I am just plain confused!

[Wallace T.]

You would have to go back to Abraham Lincoln to find someone entering the Presidency with as little electoral experience as Obama had. But Lincoln at least was a corporate lawyer and had extensive knowledge of commerce, industry, agriculture, and railroads. He was also a quick study and was not afraid to fire ineffective generals, though he dragged his feet with regard to George McClellan. Obama’s non-electoral experience was as a community organizer (left wing agitator) and a law professor (remember the adage that those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach). Obama, like most liberals, is instinctively anti-military. Even Jimmy Carter, a naval veteran and Annapolis graduate, never overcame the anti-military bias.

[mckenzie7]

How about MCCAIN/JINDAL?

[mkjessup]

How about MCCAIN/JINDAL?

I like Bobby Jindal, he's a good and decent man. He's had a few misteps in his first term as Governor of Louisiana but overall I think he's doing a good job.