I'm getting tired of hearing Romney talk about how he is best qualified to be President because he's not a career politician and has extensive work in the private sector. I have three problems with this.
1. I cannot think of any other profession where a limited amount of experience is seen an advantage. Romney's message is basically this: "I am best qualified to be President, because I have a limited amount of experience in government."
It's like a game of mad libs: "I am best qualified to be (occupation), because I have a limited amount of experience in (position's field)."
Being governor of a state is not limited experience. It is a question of
sole experience. I might not go to a surgeon, even one with exceptional experience, if I was interested in a nonsurgical solution to a medical problem. (That, if fact, was what I've done.)
A successful career politician understands how government works, but he does not necessarily understand how the
country works. That is a fine quality for a senator or a state representative, or a member of city council; that is not necessarily a fine quality for someone
running a country, a state, or even a city.
Both aspects are important, but it is helpful to have experience in both.
He understands what helps and hurts businesses. An economist
might understand some of the frictions on businesses, in theory, but not practically. They may not, for example, understand the effect of expectations.
