'Experience' is a phony issue in this campaign

By LEONARD PITTS JR.

lpitts@miamiherald.com

Hillary Clinton is right. Barack Obama does not have the experience to be president of the United States.

But then, neither does she. Neither does John McCain.

We Americans have spent a lot of time in recent weeks debating experience, which candidate will be ready ''from day one'' to answer the 3 a.m. phone call in the White House. (What, the White House doesn't have a switchboard?) When the campaign began a hundred years ago, that seemed a sensible debate to have, especially given Obama's short term in the Senate and upon the national stage.

I've since reconsidered. Sensible as it may superficially seem, the whole ''experience'' debate strikes me now as a phony issue in a campaign full of the same.

• In the first place: As Obama has noted, if he's too inexperienced to be president, why do Clinton and her surrogates keep telling us what a great running mate he would make?

• In the second place: As Chris Rock has observed, being married to the president does not qualify one to be president, any more than being married to a comedian qualifies one to tell jokes.

• In the third place: Obama would hardly be the first president to come to office with little experience in national politics. Abraham Lincoln, like Obama, had eight years in Illinois state government and a few more in Congress. Dwight Eisenhower and Ulysses S. Grant had never held elective office.

Then there's Chester Arthur. He was a lawyer before running for vice-president under James Garfield. When Garfield was killed, six months into his term, the lawyer found himself president.

This debate, I think, proceeds from a false premise: that there's a body of learning which, once absorbed, qualifies a person for the presidency.

Consider James Buchanan, who brought to office a college degree and 31 years of experience as a senator, representative, diplomat and state lawmaker. He sat idle while the Union disintegrated around him. His successor, the aforementioned Lincoln, was a rough-hewn, self-taught frontier lawyer with a fraction of Buchanan's experience. He acted boldly to save the Union and, in the process, became arguably the greatest president of all.

The moral of the story is not that experience is irrelevant. No, the moral is that experience is not the only barometer, that the presidency also requires reasoning, knowledge, maturity, leadership and some sense of how the world works. There is no president school, no certificate that says you're ready. The presidency is an entity unto itself, its responsibilities and burdens unique beyond anyone's ability to prepare for them. Small wonder.

The president of the United States governs 303 million people, presides over a $14 trillion annual economy -- the largest on earth -- commands the world's most formidable military, sets the agenda for the planet's only superpower, stands answerable to history on a daily basis. Do you really think Bill Clinton's 12 years as governor of Arkansas prepared him for that? How about George W. Bush's six years as governor of Texas?

Richard Nixon, of all people, once said character was the most important qualification for being president. Lyndon Johnson said, ''The presidency has made every man who occupied it, no matter how small, bigger than he was; and no matter how big, not big enough for its demands.'' And John Kennedy once groused to Barry Goldwater, ``So, you want this [expletive] job.''

Which brings to mind an iconic picture of Kennedy, standing at a White House window. He is alone, head bowed, his thoughts unknowable, his isolation and burden palpable. It drives home the absurdity of debating what prepares one for the presidency. To me, it's obvious:

Nothing does.

Girls Aloud out partying again...but this time it's actually work!

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But minutes later the girls are seen taking cover from the cold under fluffy dressing gowns - hardly the usual attire for young clubbers.

Later it all became clear, as the girls were actually filming a television advert for a new low-calorie chocolate bar, Kit Kat Senses.

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Ready to work: Cheryl and bandmates, from left, Nicola Roberts, Nadine Coyle, and Kimberly Walsh, get the VIP treatment as they film a Kit Kat commercial in London today

Striking a pose: Sarah Harding looks stunning on the red carpet last night

Foxy ladies: These girls can walk a red carpet in their sleep - but here they're getting paid to

In fact, blonde Sarah Harding, could be seen taking a break, and enjoying one on the steps of the location shoot, at the University of London.

Cheryl Cole was back with band members Sarah Harding, Kimberly Walsh, and Nicola Roberts, dressed in a white mini-dress with a plunging neckline. There were smiles all round as the girls turned on the charm for the cameras.

But as soon as they stopped rolling, the group could be seen huddled together wrapped up in their fleecy dressing gowns.

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Taking a break: Sarah Harding looks set to party...but later the chill at the outdoor shoot forces her to cover up with a fleecy wrap as she enjoys a break - and a Kit Kat Senses

Smiling again: Cheryl looks happy to be back at work with her Girls Aloud pals

Divas: Nicola and Cheryl show off their red-carpet style

Having fun: Nadine Coyle, left, said she's not leaving the group and she's looking forward to their tour which starts next month. Kimberley Walsh, right, dazzled in white

Nadine Coyle was another band member conspicuous by her presence. Following her no-show at the Brits, she has been subject to a flurry of rumours that she plans to leave the UK's most successful girl band.

But, she says, despite those rumours, the group are definitely not splitting up.

Nadine's written to fans of the five-some to assure them that she's not leaving the group or moving to Los Angeles.

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Party girls: The girls often enjoy a night out, but this time they were actually hard at work filming a commercial for chocolate brand Kit Kat

Now you see them...now you don't: The girls take cover from the evening chill under their fleecy dressing gowns after making an impressive exit

Stepping out: Cheryl Cole leads her Girls Aloud bandmates as they leave another red carpet event. But it's not what it seems, as the girls were actually filming a television in London last night

She said: "I've heard all these things recently? things saying I'm leaving the band and quitting the UK for LA. That's just not true."

Nadine wrote on the Girls Aloud Myspace: "A few years ago I went to LA...instantly I loved the weather so I kept going back on holidays.

"My family loved it too and...they have lived there since the beginning of last year. So I travel back and forth to see them in LA and be with the girls here."

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It's a wrap: Sarah tries to beat the cold

All wrapped up: On set helpers ensure Sarah keeps the chill out

Girls Aloud are set to tour in April and Nadine said: "I am so excited about the tour, you have no idea! It's the best time of the year and (it's) not long now."

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