McCain vs. Obama: Battle of the Resumés

So there's this job--President of the United States. It's kind of important, and we've got two applicants to choose from.

Let's see how their resumés stack up, shall we?

Candidate A

• Combat veteran of the the US armed forces


• Five terms in the US House of Representatives, including one as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee


• Former United States Ambassador to both Russia and Great Britain


• Former Secretary of State


• Twelve years in the US Senate, five as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Pretty impressive... And the other guy?

Candidate B

• Former member of the Illinois state legislature


• One term as a US Congressman from Illinois

Is that it? Seriously?

Not quite. As you may have noticed, I've left out the candidates' names...

Candidate A is James Buchanan (widely regarded as the worst president in US history); Candidate B? Abraham Lincoln.

These facts should speak volumes. They should serve to remind everyone that experience is not limited to employment in the federal government. The amount of time one has spent in Congress does not necessarily translate to having leadership and judgment.

You might note that Candidate B was also prone to giving fancy speeches with lofty ideals, like, you know, the Gettysburg Address. But I guess that was all just talk...