<p>To a reported claim by Barack Obama that he has more foreign policy experience than either Clinton or Republican nominee-in-waiting John McCain.</p>
<p>According to the Huffington Post blog, Obama was addressing a crowd of fundraisers in San Francisco on Sunday when he began talking about his choice for vice president, and said he would choose someone who adds to his expertise.</p>
<p>I think a lot of people assume that might be some sort of military thing to make me look more commander in chief-like. Ironically, this is an area foreign policy is the area where I am probably most confident that I know more and understand the world better than Senator Clinton or Senator McCain, Obama reportedly said.</p>
<p>Clinton, speaking with FOX News Tuesday morning, said she was baffled by the claim.</p>
<p>According to the report, in his remarks Obama again mentioned his childhood years in Indonesia and family in Kenya.</p>
<p>one thing that I find amazing about Obama is how easily he can blend into the crowd he is addressing.
For instance, when the issues of his minister and spiritual advisor came to a head…he focuses on his white heritage , with televison ads showing him with his white grandparents.</p>
<p>Then when it suits him he turns to his black and muslim roots to proclaim his expertise with international issues,</p>
<p>My personal favorite ad I have seen is how he insists that he will not take any money from big oil companies ,when indeed no presidential candidates CAN legally take money from them…however he has accepted significant money from individuals working for such companies. Misleading , but enough to get the avg voter who will be willing to take his word for it, and throw him a vote</p>
<p>“Ironically, this is an area — foreign policy is the area where I am probably most confident that I know more and understand the world better than Senator Clinton or Senator McCain,” Obama reportedly said.”</p>
<p>^^Yep, surround yourself with the right people and you’re golden. You don’t and you’re toast.</p>
<p>I like your analogy Zamzam, reminds me Hillary. You know, the my husband was president, I can be that too! mentality that she exhibits. Silly Hillary.</p>
<p>The sad part isn’t that Obama can make this stuff up as he goes; but that those in the audience actually buy his B.S. The man has little to no experience is anything. He’s 46 years old; he’s spent 8 of those years as a state senator and 3 as a US Senator. He spent 4 years in College and 3 years in law school. Take away 18 more years from birth to high school graduation. That leaves a total of 10 years of life experience. He didn’t do anything for 2 of those years between college and going off to be a community organizer. That leaves 8 years. He spent 5 whole years as a Civil Rights lawyer and another 3 years of not much of anything.</p>
<p>How many times does his biography have to be played out? It’s not even made up; it’s on his website. His website says; “It has been the rich and varied experiences of Barack Obama’s life - growing up in different places with people who had differing ideas - that have animated his political journey.” What is all that about. After his father left his mother, Obama grew up in Hawaii with a couple of years in Indonesia. Then he moved to New York. He was a kid. What kind of “RICH AND VARIED EXPERIENCES” is he talking about???</p>
<p>He’s definitely one heck of a salesman. The worst part is that so many people actually buy his garbage. Chelsie Clinton has more experience with Foreign Affairs than Obama does. She’s 28; graduate of stanford; masters from Oxford; heck, she’s better than Obama.</p>
<p>Life experience doesn’t occur only after one graduates from college and/or law school. That’s got to be one of the silliest arguments I’ve ever read!</p>
<p>Not that it relly belongs on a college admission website, but if you actually read the quote rather than accept the Fox Noise take on it, it does not mention the word “experience.” He said he thought he understood the world better than McCain or Clinton. Many would say that he does–though the bar set by the other two may not be terribly high.</p>
<p>Right, it’s “know more” and “understand better.” While it’s certainly not a modest claim, I’m inclined to think that it’s true. I’m certainly convinced that his capacity to understand is significantly greater than McCain’s, and somewhat greater than Clinton’s.</p>
<p>Simba, I am curious. Why *do *you use the word “experience” in the thread title? That’s not what your own evidence shows. Perhaps I missed something…?</p>
<p>Don’t confuse experience with intelligence, wisdom, and judgement. McCain has been regularly mixing up Shiites, Sunnis, and the origins of Al-Qaeda on the road. The last thing we need as president is another bumbling idiot that can’t be bothered with such important details but just recites useless mantras that don’t serve us well – e.g. “Iraq is too important for us to fail.” We’ve already failed in our goals there. We need a new approach. I want someone who can reason through a new approach, not try to justify past failed policies with mindless repititions.</p>
<p>And you probably supported George Bush, a man who in spite of his incredible personal advantages, spent his life until the age of 40 drinking, dodging the draft, failing repeatedly at various ventures including running for Congress and trying to run businesses. Barack has a spectacular record.</p>
<p>“what evidence do you have to support such a reckless claim? Living in Indonesia? Relatives in Kenya? Banning Chineese toys?”</p>
<p>Nothing reckless about it. Obama was president of the Harvard Law Review. McCain was at the bottom of his service academy class. That right there is pretty good evidence of their respective abilities to know and understand stuff. Obama is smarter than McCain–probably a lot smarter. I think he’s smarter than Clinton, too, but not by as much.</p>
<p>This is another example of how everybody really knows what kind of “experience” the person has, but chooses to argue about it anyway (just as with Hillary’s White House experience). It should be obvious to anybody that living in a foreign country and having contact with relatives in yet another foreign country will give you perspectives on the world that lots of Americans don’t have. There’s no reason to make any more or less of it than it is. As Senators, the three candidates don’t have the kind of foreign policy experience a diplomat has…but all three of them have more than George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter or Ronald Reagan had…and most of us probably think that at least one of them was a pretty good president.</p>