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McCain’s Deputy E-Campaign Director Promotes Obama
The NYT Caucus posted an article entitled McCain and the Internets. The piece hasn’t garnered the deluge of comments that more sensationalist subjects attract. This makes sense, as the title “McCain and the Internets” sounds about as sexy as watching paint dry.
There was, however one statement by Mark Soohoo, McCain’s E-Campaign Director (what a job title!) that caught my attention:
“You don’t necessarily have to use a computer to understand how it shapes the country.”
I found this comment interesting and posted this (excerpted) comment with the Caucus article:
Conceptually, Soohoo is right. A candidate does not have to type in front of a computer to understand its importance. However, the logic behind his statement is antithetical to McCain’s statements about experience and plays into Obama’s argument about judgment. Think about it. If Soohoo’s statement is true, then:
-You don’t have to have military experience to be a competent Commander in Chief;
-You don’t have to have years of Washington experience to competently run the Executive Branch;
Doesn’t Mr. Soohoo’s statement imply that one doesn’t need extensive actual experience to have sound judgment
Thank you, Mark Soohoo, for being bold enough to tacitly support Barack Obama.
Comments (13)
Extremely well played!
Recommended!
June 24, 2008 10:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you.
Even though Mike is "only" a deputy, I think that his statement is at least humorout, and at most, indicative of the ridiculous "experience" argument. If experience were the only metric by which we measure effectiveness, then it would always be the case that those most senior in their job positions would be the most qualified.
I dare anyone to prove that mere life experience trumps all.
June 24, 2008 10:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
What is ironic about it is that, an adult person who in the year 2008, has never tried, or been able to learn how to use a computer has a problem. Either they lack curiosity or a desire to tap an information-rich source, or they have some kind of learning disability that is scary.
On the other hand, military experience is less important than good judgement when you consider how a person chooses and evaluates advisors. Same for experience in government.
You caught something that most people missed -- good call! But when you think about it, it is even worse than what you said! These people are clueless!
June 25, 2008 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
this is excellent logic as per what this statement could mean if other words were inserted into it. right on. life experience doesnt necessarily translate into good judgment or competence for that matter. look at Bush. he had 'experience', allegedly, as governor of Texas and look where that has gotten him?!?! the worst president in history, non pareil! Obama was right about the invasion of Iraq and Bush and McCain were wrong. the two 'experienced' people were wrong over the one who has 'less' life experience. huh, go figure. Obama works for me.
June 24, 2008 10:59 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you.
To your point, experience without judgment is not good, as Bush has demonstrated. Conversely, this is why Condoleeza Rice would be a VP poor choice for McCain (judgment without political experience).
McCain, for all of his experience, has demonstrated poor judgment.
June 24, 2008 11:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Even more to your point very few people in the WORLD have more combined foreign policy and national defense experience than Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, but that did not stop them from being wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong on the most important foreign policy decisions of the past decade.
Experience does not count for shit if it is not backed by a healthy perspective and good intentions.
June 25, 2008 8:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
I disagree. They accomplished exactly what they wanted. Their friends went from millionaires to billionaires; the constitution is in shreds; they were masterful at criminal behavior and thumbing their noses at the ineffective Dems in Congress all the while. (Impeachment is off the table -- without the facts being known!) If you really think about it they were the most successful "leaders" in a long time. Only problem is that they were leading us down a rat-hole of their very own desires.
In fact, if anyone anywhere wants to find someone to help ruin a prosperous country, these are the guys with the "experience" to handle the job!
June 25, 2008 10:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed.
June 25, 2008 1:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wonderful catch.
June 25, 2008 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
Here's hoping that somebody at Obama HQ reads your comment or figures this angle out.
June 25, 2008 3:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
Moreover, McCain in his computer illiteracy has refused to acknowledge the world is a different place than it was even 10 years ago. This has been said before, but I reiterate, this election will be about the new media, much like JFK-Nixon. Media shifts necessitate a paradigm shift in campaigning. TV taught us that how you present yourself is just as important as what you say, perfected by Rove. The internet disseminates information so quickly that even mildly twisting accepted fact can be checked and denounced even before your speech is even finished. Everything you say in front of anybody can be repeated over and over and over, like a giant echo chamber. Not to mention the level of interaction a candidate can have with his or her possible constituents. Obama fundamentally understood this from the beginning. This is easily substantiated by comparing how tightly controlled Obama's campaign message is, and his opponents in this election cycle. His campaign makes every other campaign, both past and present, look slip-shod and sloppy. His is the new paradigm of how a campaign must be run in this day and age, and will influence every future candidacy.
June 25, 2008 5:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
The fact that McCain does not use a computer is symbolic. In the early 80's when computers entered the home and nearly every corridor of the workplace, McCain avoided them. In the 90's when the internet exploded and information was available in seconds, McCain avoided the technology. This guy has been OLD for a long time in his head. What else has he avoided learning in the last twenty five plus years. Where is his curiosity, his growth of knowledge? Does he simply rely on others to tell him what they think he should know? We've had 8 years of one of those. We need a President that can operate in this century.
June 25, 2008 7:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
As an abstract concept, I have no problem with someone relying on others for advice on what he/she should know. After all, nobody can know everything. (Granted, McCain, should have some working knowledge about computers.)
However, the above exactly feeds the Obama campaign's argument that judgment trumps experience.
June 25, 2008 8:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
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