The Apprentice

Here's a question for ya...

Imagine you are about to have heart surgery. Who would you rather have perform the delicate procedure...a first year medical student or a cardiovascular surgeon with 40 years of hands-on experience in the O.R.?

I'm guessin'...and this is just a guess, mind you...that you said, "THE SURGEON!"

Me too. I want the guy with the most experience opening my chest. I don't think that's unreasonable. I think it's just plain smart.

So when I hear people who are running for national office throw off on career politicians and label them "Washington Insiders", I get a little squirrely, if you know what I mean.

That is exactly who should be running the country. People who have been there and know the system. That's what politicians are good at. Politics.

The idea that someone who has been successful at one thing, or another, say business or sports or acting, would make a good politician is just stupid.

I am fairly good at what I do but I would be a lousy pilot. I actually flew a plane once. A Cessna 150. Over Tulsa back in the 70s. It was a lot of fun (almost collided with a 747 but that's another story...) but that experience in no way qualifies me for elected office.

I may think I know what the problems are and I may think I have the answers but if I can't play the game I'll get crushed.

That is, essentially, what has happened to Obama, by the way. He had practically no experience coming into the Oval Office. And he got whallopped by the "Loyal Opposition." (emphasis on opposition...) Guys like Boehner and McConnell and Cantor know how the game is played and they are very good at playing it.

Obama was a babe in the woods. And please don't bore me with the crap about community organizer and state senator and one term US Senator. That was little league or at best the minors.

Washington, to continue the baseball metaphor, is "The Show." You either can bring heat or you can't and if you ain't got the stuff you'll get sent down to Pawtucket until you prove you can play with the big boys.

So when Willard claims that his experience as a businessman qualifies him for the presidency be careful. I know he was the Governor of Massachusetts. But that was Massachusetts and not Washington. That was the Pawsox and not the Red Sox. And he wasn't a very good governor at that. It was a calculated stepping stone to, what he hoped would be, the White House.

I hope not. We may need the scalpel but after the surgery we want the patient to be better.

Not dead.