Foregin Policy Experience? Really??

I read something the other day in a blog that disturbed me. I'd have commented, but the comments were closed. It said [blockquote]I am getting tired of reading about governors who don’t have foreign policy experience. They have got to have some overseas seasoning before they are qualfied to sit in the big chair.[/blockquote]

The post irritated me at first because it was an obvious dig at Mike Huckabee -- after he was out of the race. But the more I thought about it, the stupider it sounded.

How much foreign policy experience did Ronald Reagan have? What about George Washington? Jefferson had quite a bit, but I'm not sure about Monroe. Or Adams. How about Lincoln? I'd say that many of our Presidents learned their foreign policy on the job, or by talking to their advisers. Our problem today is that we want our President to show up fully trained and ready, but there's no training program for Presidents. We've had lawyers, generals, actors, and more ascend to the White House. Few had any real foreign policy experience.

Maybe rather than wonder about the experience a candidate has, we should see what kind of people they surround themselves with. Who is going to be giving them the advice they seek to make the decisions that they have to make? That seems to be the more important question.

Of course, maybe I also got irritated because two days before I read the post, Condi Rice was asked if she was interested in a VP position, and she laughed and said no. So it's not even in the cards -- even though I agree that it would be a good choice.