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I live in Illinois, and as communications director of a state planning agency in the late 90s, I was contacted constantly by Obama's office with in depth and thorough questions. His office was in contact with our agency about as much as all the other state legislators put together. He hires brilliant people-- such as when he snapped up Tom Daschle's chief of staff upon entering the Senate. I've followed his career since then, and I've been extremely impressed at every level.
Vis a vis the disingenuousness of your replies-- the William Jennings Bryan administration, Academic experience does not always do well in the real world, etc. We would prefer candidates that didn't perform well academically? We would prefer candidates that are mediocre orators?
My point is that "inexperience" is a code word. Lincoln, Eisenhower, and Teddy Roosevelt had less experience upon becoming president than Obama. Kennedy, Teddy Roosevelt, and Bill Clinton were younger. Mitt Romney's only political experience is four years as Governor of Massachusetts, and yet you don't hear people questioning his experience.
