THE EXPERIENCE FACTOR

Posted at 6:45 p.m. ET

The "experience" factor has come to the fore again with John McCain's selection of Sarah Palin to be his running mate.  There is anguish.  There is regret.  There are predictions of a backlash.  That childish woman in our White House.

Even The Politico, liberal but usually restrained, ran a hit piece quoting "scholars" as saying that Palin has fewer qualifications than any major-party candidate, maybe in all of human history.

Reality check:  No one doubts there are legitimate questions about Palin's experience, but I'm surprised that no one is examining the role that experience plays in voters' decisions.  In fact, it often plays a very small role.

In 1932, incumbent and vastly experienced Herbert Hoover was defeated by one-term Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, because of the depression.

In 1952, politically experienced Governor Adlai Stevenson of Illinois was defeated by war hero Dwight D. Eisenhower, who'd never held political office. 

In 1960, former congressman, senator, and incumbent Vice President Richard Nixon, running on the slogan, "Experience counts," was defeated by the much-less-experienced John F. Kennedy.

In 1976, heavily experienced and incumbent President Gerald R. Ford was defeated by former Georgia Governor Jimmah Carter, who'd never held federal office.

In 1980, incumbent President Carter was defeated by former California Governor Ronald Reagan, who'd never held federal office. 

In 1992, the resumé president, George H.W. Bush, one of the most experienced men ever to hold the presidency, was defeated by Bill Clinton, governor of a small state, who'd never held federal office.

In 2000, Vice President and former Senator Al Gore was defeated by the less experienced George W. Bush, who'd never held federal office.

And, need we point out, that 2008 has the vastly experienced John S. McCain running against Chicago machine product Barack Obama, a man whose experience can fit on the thin edge of a falsified voter-registration card.  Let's hope that this time the voters choose the more experienced presidential candidate.

August 30, 2008.