Who are these people kidding? Even with his what most would call "existence" in the Senate he was lacking at the VERY LEAST. And you know as a President one CANNOT just be PRESENT! Aside from the FACT that he did the SAME THING in the SENATE that he has done publically to the AMERICAN PEOPLE, FLIP-FLOP (LIE) and make EXCUSES. With this guy EVERYTHING HE screws up is either SOMEBODY ELSES FAULT, IT DID NOT HAPPEN, OR IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE?? Now, all of us will admit people make mistakes, but how do you sit somewhere for TWENTY YEARS and NOT get it? And how do you make WORDS come OUT OF YOUR MOUTH and say it did NOT HAPPEN?? Back in the day it would be Shucking and Jiving and that is what he does WELL. As far as leadership...guess again.

and I'm not even Catholic!

How could anyone be so stupid as to equate a stint in a Democratic-controlled state legislature with being President of the United States by claiming that "they can hold all the issues in their head better?"

How hard is it to serve and get some bills passed when you are the majority party in a state legislature? Barack Obama didn't exactly set the place on fire then either, according to some of his colleagues.

Does political opportunist sound right to you? It does to me.

A guy who says he'll sit down with anyone and then comes back trying to clean that up doesn't sound like a guy who can keep an issue in his head to me. It sounds like the same ole' liberal bullshit that I recall from 40 years ago.

Obama is not qualified to be President of the United States. Look at W. Bush. There's your perfect example of what happens when the electorate doesn't demand experience and qualifications.

I served in the Oklahoma Legislature for eighteen years(78-96). I assure all of my friends that I observed several fellow legislators who I would rather have seen in the White House than anyone who has occupied it for several decades. Being a state legislator is a 24/7 job. Although you often have good staff support--it is just that--support. It is not normally a "staff

run" job like the U.S. Senate. As such you have to directly engage with the issues and players.

Throughout his life and career, Obama has demonstrated the attributes critical to leadership--a willingness to listen, a real interest in ideas, and a commitment to principles tempered by an understanding of the need for compromise and consensus in a democracy.

As a seasoned ex-politician, I almost always find it difficult to get excited about another candidate. For me, Obama is the exception to that rule.

It would be nice if the CEO had some experience leading a corporation before he was promoted to the position.

That comment is retarded. It makes my head hurt. CEOs can't have any experience running any corporations until they are PROMOTED TO THE POSITION! There are no such things as "volunteer " or "unpaid intern" CEO positions. Jayzus...

If you had your way, Theo Epstein would never have been made GM of the Boston Red Sox (Why? Because the 29 year old has never had any experience running a major league team. Let's let all the "experienced" folks keep running the show, despite the 86 years since the last World Series.) and the team probably would never have won their two recent championships.

Typically the best Presidents in our nation's history had the least amount of s0called "experience." JFK, Lincoln. Look at Nixon, perhaps the most experienced President. How did that work out?

It would be nice if the CEO had some experience leading a corporation before he was promoted to the position.

so we need to lose that bullshit.

Bottom line: what matters most in a president is the same thing i would like to see if i were hiring a CEO.

TOP SKILL SET: ability to evaluate and analyze data and make decisions based upon a broad spectrum of knowledge.

I would not expect my CEO to be a marketing expert, an economics expert, a R&D expert or any of the other things that he will ultimately have the responsibility of making final decisions about.

What I WOULD expect is an ability to choose the BEST marketing expert, the BEST R&D Team, the BEST economics expert to advise him and to make sure he understood deeply his own business and the trends for the next 5, 10, 20, 50 years in that industry to guide him in making decisions.

I think Obama has done good work in his political career. That's a plus. But I also feel like I've seen him make some really sound decisions over the last years' primary. Also he;s held up in times of extreme scrutiny and pressure. He's displayed some personal characteristics I like and that I think makes for good leaders, including a few that were not of *neat* and not what would have been the *politik* thing to do.

Of course, good managerial skills and vision are only important if the CEO is of good character. After all, if he is informed and still makes decisions designed primarily to line his own pockets (remember Enron and Tyco) then he's not ideal. It would be important also that the CEO have the temperament for the job. No one needs a volatile wild hair in the top office. Every really successful CEO i know is fairly even tempered and analytical. Most have basic good character.

For me, Obama, being that he's seeking a public service role, has the right idea with regard to the people as *shareholders*. I think he has make an excellent manager and leader in his lifetime already. He displays the intellectual capacity to make sound decisions and I think has a real grasp of where our country need to be moving in order to meet the emerging global world and maintain our position in it.

He's not perfect. I wouldn't expect any CEO to be and I certainly cannot expect it of a presidential candidate or the president himself. But i have seen him willing to correct mistakes and do an about face when it its right.Overall, I think he is far superior to McCain for exactly these reasons.

On the contrary, I believe McCain's prism through which he interprets information is far too narrow (seem everything works its way through the prism of being a POW) and I think he lacks a real understanding of the 21st century world. I think he's a guy generally of good character, but I do question the whole incident with his former wife and Cindy (I know it has nothing to do with presidential ability per se, but for me its a character issue. And for the record, yes, I think Bill was amazingly disrespectful of Hillary to continue HIS affairs as well. And I do consider it a character flaw to knowingly hurt someone you love). I also have concerns about McCain's ability to make decisions and stick with them. His recent behavior is quite schizophrenic so I'm not sure (honestly) where he stands or what he really would do if elected. I don't have much faith that he;s a man who REALIZES he doesn't know everything - and get the impression that Obama listens to others because he recognizes that he isn't an expert of everything. McCain, I can imagine, not really taking counsel. (Lots of men his age think they know everything too). That scares me because every president needs to listen.

Experience, schmerience. Give me equanimity, intellect, sound judgment, a willingness to accept counsel and character.

THEN I'll look at the issues.

For me, McCain doesn't even get out of the gate.