Obama, Biden found lacking

I like this Letter to the Editor originally published in the West Chester Daily Local News. The writer argues that Obama's inexperience is showing when he refers to decade-old problems as "new" challenges for the nation. The writer also takes a swipe at Washington insider Joe Biden, who has little to show for his 30 years in the Senate, except for a trunk-load of special interest cash.

What's so new?

Sen. Obama has recently and continually outlined what he considers to be "new" challenges to the United States and to the world. Among those "new" challenges, Obama cites the following: 1) strife in the Middle East (there has been strife throughout this region since before the Crusades and dates to at least as early as Babylon -- curiously located in what is now Iraq!); 2) the price of fuel and the dependence on foreign oil (where was he in the 1970s when I was paying then-unheard-of prices for gasoline and waiting in line to get my ration! Oh yeah, he was probably asleep in the back seat of his grandparents' car while they waited in line on their odd or even day!); 3) an unpopular war (OK, someone had to tell him about Vietnam, somewhere along the way! I served in the Vietnam War -- when he was only 6 years old -- and I can personally attest to the palpable unpleasantness displayed to our troops when we returned home to the U.S.); 4) the economy/mortgage crisis (does he not remember the savings and loan/mortgage crisis of the 1980s? He was certainly old enough by then to have been cognizant of, at least, some economic matters -- history is repeating itself on this point!).

Merely based upon what Sen. Obama considers to be "new" in the world, I've reached the conclusion that he does not have nearly the breadth nor the depth of knowledge of American history, world history, economic history or political history to avoid the repetition of the same! He demonstrably lacks the knowledge and experience to be president of the United States and commander in chief -- or, for that matter, to fill any political leadership role, in my opinion.

Then, there is Sen. Joe Biden. We in southeastern Pennsylvania are very familiar with Biden. Here is a man who has spent virtually his entire adult life in the U.S. Senate. Is this where he learned to identify with the common folk? Is this were he experienced how the rest of us live and what affects our lives? However, I do agree with Sen. Biden on one point (I never thought that I'd see myself write that!) and that is that Barack Obama is not qualified to be president!

Robert F. McRae
West Chester