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Tuesday, November 20, 2007

A Hit on Obama’s Experience

posted by on November 20 at 12:30 PM

The Clinton campaign is calling reporters’ attention to this line (bolded below) in a speech that Clinton delivered today:

I have traveled the world on behalf of our country - first in the White House with my husband and now as a Senator. I’ve met with countless world leaders and know many of them personally. I went to Beijing in 1995 and stood up to the Chinese government on human rights and women’s rights. I have fought for our men and women in uniform to make sure they have the equipment they need in battle and are treated with dignity when they return home.

I believe I have the right kind of experience to be the next President. With a war and a tough economy, we need a President ready on Day One to bring our troops home from Iraq and to handle all of our other tough challenges.

Now voters will judge whether living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next President will face. I think we need a President with more experience than that. Someone the rest of the world knows, looks up to, and has confidence in. I don’t think this is the time for on the job training on our economy or on foreign policy.

I offer my credentials, my experience, and qualifications which I think uniquely equip me to be prepared to hit the ground running on Day One. And I offer the experience of being battle tested in the political wars here at home. For 15 years, I have been the object of the Republican attack machine and I’m still here.

I predict it won’t be long before Obama hits back at this. As we’ve been seeing on many issues in the last week, the Democratic campaigns are going overboard to hit back hard at every charge, lest their candidate be tagged as this year’s John Kerry.

RSS icon Comments

1
Now voters will judge whether living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next President will face. I think we need a President with more experience than that.

I think this attack would have resonated better about 35 years ago -- when Obama actually was 10 years old. Then again, this attack wouldn't have been necessary 35 years ago because he wouldn't have been eligible to run for president anyway.

What's remarkable to me is the restraint Obama and David Axelrod are demonstrating to not snap back with a paraphrase like this: Now voters will judge whether living in the White House as First Lady prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next President will face.

Posted by cressona | November 20, 2007 12:54 PM
2

For 15 years, I have been the object of the Republican attack machine and I’m still here.

YFTM the progressive Democratic attack machine too.

Posted by K | November 20, 2007 1:02 PM
3
Now voters will judge whether living in a foreign country at the age of 10 prepares one to face the big, complex international challenges the next President will face.

Because that's the entire sum of Obama's resume and qualifications, of course.

Weak.

Posted by tsm | November 20, 2007 1:14 PM
4

it's amazing how condescending the release is with the ordered words, "big, complex". as if talking to ten year old. that is powerful language.

Posted by infrequent | November 20, 2007 1:26 PM
5

Oh how I wish Jed Bartlett weren't just a fictional character, but an actual presidential option...

Posted by eloise | November 20, 2007 1:30 PM
6

"As we’ve been seeing on many issues in the last week, the Democratic campaigns are going overboard to hit back hard at every charge, lest their candidate be tagged as this year’s John Kerry." --Wasn't John Kerry's problem that he didn't hit back at the Republicans, at the Swift Boat Vets, at media distortions, etc.? Not other Democratic candidates.

Until I see it, I won't believe the Democrats can hit anyone except each other.

Posted by Erik | November 20, 2007 1:36 PM
7

Why oh why do they hate President Obama so?

I blame Traitor Novak and his boss, Karl Marx Rove.

Posted by Will in Seattle | November 20, 2007 2:07 PM
8

TSM @3

She's responding to this:

"Probably the strongest experience I have in foreign relations is the fact that I spent four years living overseas when I was a child in southeast Asia," said Obama, who lived in Indonesia from age 6 to age 10.
Posted by Phelix | November 20, 2007 2:10 PM
9

Phelix, don't muddy the waters with facts. Don't you know that the Slog exists as a venue for Hillary-haters to sound off in a reality-free echo chamber, until they start believing things like "anyone but Hillary" and "if Hillary's the nominee, I'm not going to vote"?

Posted by Big Sven | November 20, 2007 2:32 PM
10

Phelix @8, please provide a published source for this quote.

Posted by cressona | November 20, 2007 2:32 PM
11
Posted by jewritto | November 20, 2007 3:15 PM
12

Thanks for posting that link for me, Jewritto. :)

And I'll try to keep my facts quiet in the future Big Sven, wouldn't want to disturb the reality-free zone. ;)

Posted by Phelix | November 20, 2007 3:28 PM
13

I was fearful of this being another Al Gore "I invented the Internet" episode. 'Cause Gore never actually said that. So yes, Obama did say that about his experience in foreign relations. And yes, it sounds pretty embarrassing by itself. But let's give the full context from that LA Times article:

He also described his unorthodox biography as a plus: As a child he lived abroad, and he still has relatives in Kenya, he told an audience at one of his campaign stops.

"Probably the strongest experience I have in foreign relations is the fact that I spent four years living overseas when I was a child in southeast Asia," said Obama, who lived in Indonesia from age 6 to age 10.

"So a lot of my knowledge about foreign affairs isn't just what I studied in school. It's not just the work that I do on Senate Foreign Relations [Committee]. It's actually having the knowledge of how ordinary people in these other countries live," he said.

Right now, I'm not entirely sold on Obama. I am much more sold on him than on Hillary, though. And considering that I'm not your typical American voter, any presidential candidate that I was unequivocally enthusiastic about would stand no chance whatsoever of getting elected.

Posted by cressona | November 20, 2007 4:33 PM
14

No Nig-Nogs for me!

Posted by IMAdrgQ | November 20, 2007 4:58 PM
15

is she paying you guys?

Posted by $log | November 20, 2007 9:36 PM
16

I wish, $log.

No, amazing as it sounds, a few of the 44% of Democrats who support Hillary actually read and/or post to the Slog.

Posted by Big Sven | November 21, 2007 12:13 AM
17

I don't think he's touting that as his sole credential. But it's a credential that is uniquely his, and I do think that living abroad - especially someplace as unlike here as Indonesia, and with an Indonesian stepdad - gives you a perspective you can't get otherwise. I lived in Belize when I was 9, for just a few months, and saw all kinds of stuff that made a huge, lasting impression on me. Obama describes the impression made on him by his Indonesia years in his autobiography, Dreams From My Father.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreams_from_My_Father

Posted by Phoebe | November 21, 2007 2:05 AM
18

@13 - thanks for putting the quote in context. It's hard to separate the legitimate criticisms of Obama from the more general arselicking of Hillary around here in recent times.

Posted by tsm | November 21, 2007 9:42 AM
19

tsm@13- Riiiiiiiiiiiight. Because this place is a vicious den of Clintonites. Oh that it were true.

Posted by Big Sven | November 21, 2007 9:54 AM

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