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dangermousie(This does not apply to either McCain or Obama because, thankfully, I don't think either of them is a Washington outsider).
You know what I simply don't understand: why is there such a virtue/premium placed in not being a "Beltway Insider." I want my political leaders to be politicians, i.e. to have political experience and know-how.
To do a comparison: if I want someone to fix my plumbing, I'll call a plumber. I might not like that plumbers* charge too much (and sometimes even cheat), are slow, and can get snooty about my lack of knowledge of how pipes in my kitchen operate, but I would still never think of substituting the expensive and personally-unappealing professional plumber with an idealist who believes plumbing services should be cheap and punctual, and who is the soul of politeness but has no experience with fixing pipes. To do a job, I want someone who knows how to do it. That only makes sense.
McCain and Obama are both senators, thus they have political and Washington experience (even if either might be somewhat unconventional in behavior or background for a 'traditional' politician). That's fine. That means they know how to navigate political waters and how to interact in a political process. That's what I want. And I honestly don't understand why that sort of a desire is a controversial idea in some circles.
* No plumbers were harmed in the making of this entry. Neither do I have any sweeping generalizations to make about plumbers' honesty or efficiency. I just picked a random profession out of a hat :)
You know what I simply don't understand: why is there such a virtue/premium placed in not being a "Beltway Insider." I want my political leaders to be politicians, i.e. to have political experience and know-how.
To do a comparison: if I want someone to fix my plumbing, I'll call a plumber. I might not like that plumbers* charge too much (and sometimes even cheat), are slow, and can get snooty about my lack of knowledge of how pipes in my kitchen operate, but I would still never think of substituting the expensive and personally-unappealing professional plumber with an idealist who believes plumbing services should be cheap and punctual, and who is the soul of politeness but has no experience with fixing pipes. To do a job, I want someone who knows how to do it. That only makes sense.
McCain and Obama are both senators, thus they have political and Washington experience (even if either might be somewhat unconventional in behavior or background for a 'traditional' politician). That's fine. That means they know how to navigate political waters and how to interact in a political process. That's what I want. And I honestly don't understand why that sort of a desire is a controversial idea in some circles.
* No plumbers were harmed in the making of this entry. Neither do I have any sweeping generalizations to make about plumbers' honesty or efficiency. I just picked a random profession out of a hat :)
