I’ve been thinking about how the last Presidential election was won by an electorate who voted their fears. Fear of another terrorist attack was high on the list. Fear of liberals ruining a society built on Christian principles followed closely. Fear motivated those who voted left of center as well. Moderate to liberal voters envisioned a world of war without end, ecological devastation on a planetary scale, and a government-sanctioned return to tyrannical puritanism. Nearly four years later not much has changed. Or has it?
Like 17 year cicadas, every four years we can expect an orgy of bloviated promises, accusations, and patriotic rhetoric. But what credentials are really important when choosing a President? Besides military service, political experience remains a popular metric to judge a candidate’s potential White House performance. What better way to silence an opponent than to convince voters that lack of experience far outweighs any potential for creating positive change. That logic can disqualify an opponent before the accusing candidate’s own performance receives careful scrutiny. Senators Clinton and McCain are both hoping this strategy will work against Barack Obama. It will only work if voters believe it.
But I don’t think the ploy will be as effective in this election. The title of the post summarizes the key reason I feel this way: Occupancy does not equal experience. A chauffeur can have 30 years experience as a competent driver and still head in the wrong direction. By the same measure, simply holding political office does not guarantee the experience necessary to inspire and create change. Two terms of the current administration amply prove that point.
Also supporting my view is the fact that no American President governs alone. Whoever wins in the fall will not simply be dumped into the Chief Executive’s chair and handed a swanky fountain pen. He or she will have the combined experience of a carefully chosen staff (at least in an ideal Presidency). And except for a few heinous and very creative abuses of power, even Bush’s decrees have required the backing of Congress (and sometimes the Supreme Court) to pass.
Finally, this country may be at the tipping point where a majority of people agree that continuing politics as usual will soon create irreparable damage to our economy, environment, and our future as a world leader. Those people are the voters who won’t be swayed by charges of inexperience. Those voters will look at the extremely experienced personnel Bush surrounded himself with and think about how far we haven’t come in seven years. We’ve seen what a united America looks like under Bush’s reign; it ain’t pretty. I believe most adults of average intelligence understand that politics is generally a bloody, divisive occupation. But if experience means using bullying, fear-mongering, and outright deception to ensure policies that positively effect only a small percentage of Americans, we really do need a change.