What is it that Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and Barack Obama have in common? Well, let's see. Kobe Bryant is an amazing basketball player, joining the league in 1996. Tracy McGrady also went into the league from high school, one year later, putting up impressive numbers. And no, I'm not saying that Obama should be playing basketball. But these two men, drafted straight from high school to the NBA, have done a great job with no formal experience. Obama (and yes I am confident in my beliefs) would jump into the role of president and play the game well. How much experience does it take to become president?
Experience
Experience is a good thing to have when called upon to perform any duties. One who has done these things before can more easily do it again, as it relates to job opportunities, cooking a certain dish, driving a car, or pretty much anything else. But let's more close examine each of these things, beginning with jobs. My first professional position that I actually wanted to give my all to consisted of selling and servicing. I had never cared much for each, and I had never done either one in this capacity. However, I went into the company, got more new customers in one year than some branches did in several years, and I resigned, gracefully, after one year expired simply because that wasn't my field of choice. So, what did experience matter here, was it necessary? Most managers would have loved to have me as their employee, desired over someone who's been with the company for five years and haven't produced what I have produced in one year. Now, on to cooking… I have been living alone for several years now, and I haven't had the chance to cook everything that I'll cook once a husband and kids come along. Yet, I have to prepare for that. So, a few months ago, I tried to cook lasagna-for the first time. I looked at a couple of recipes, asked a few people what they put in it, but being the leader that I am, the one who needs very little direction, I never compiled a list of ingredients and directions, but I went to the grocery store, bought what I wanted in mine, and came home and prepared it. No recipe was followed hard and fast. And oh yeah, my lasagna was as good as any I had ever eaten, and all others who tried it thought I had to have cooked one before. Must I continue, or is my point taken? Experience equated to nothing, because I did as great a job as any.
In Lieu of Experience
With intelligence, natural ability to lead, and great decision-making abilities, I can guarantee you all that no experience is needed. When one is intelligent, they are smart enough to think logically, weigh all options, and determine what the best outcome will be. They have intensive thought processes that allow them to quickly analyze a situation before acting, and reflected in their history, you don't see a trail of bad decisions. Obama is a very intelligent man who has emerged from a background of diversity that he has dealt with quite well, embracing his heritage and mixed roots. Being considered black because one of his parents is, this had nothing to do with his the acceleration of his intelligence, both academically and professionally. He graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law, he has taught at a law school, he has presided over the Harvard Law Review, he has written two exceptional books, and he has married a great black woman who matches his level of success, all of which make him a little bit smarter than the traditional look of the presidents we are accustomed to.
Being a black man and able to accomplish all of these things, he has surely been dealt a challenging hand, but he successfully played this hand, which also reflects his intelligence and perseverance. When you see black people that come close to this level of success, some wouldn't imagine all of the things that play against you, making some lose their desire to do what they set out to do, forcing people to quit because they refuse to lose face. I'm sure Obama has received rejection letters, been called names, been denied things that he knows he should be entitled to, lost to competitors less qualified than him, and there's no telling how much more. This is the plight of the successful African-American. This is the story of Barack Obama, the only true candidate for change, which America can only benefit from at this point. So, when evaluating presidential candidates, never use experience as a stand-alone. Anybody can be a failure. And never undermine a great man's ability because he has never been president. If this is the strongest case we have against Obama, then we should be smart enough to know that we have nothing.
