Tuesday, September 02, 2008

Talent & Experience   [Jay Nordlinger]

Years ago, the University of Michigan basketball team was the “Fab Five.” The starting lineup consisted of five freshmen. And they made the NCAA tournament (comfortably). CBS had a preview show, in which the host — it might have been Brent Musburger — asked Bill Walton to predict who would win the tournament. He said Michigan. Musburger (or whoever it was) said, “But they’re starting five freshmen! They have no experience!” To which Walton replied, “I’ll take talent over experience any day.”

Democrats may say that about their presidential nominee. Republicans may say that about their vice-presidential nominee. And, incidentally, I have occasionally used this anecdote — about Walton — in my music criticism: writing about some young phenom.

By the way, Michigan finished second in the tournament that year (1992) — not bad at all. (They lost to Duke.) Obviously, basketball is not the White House. But talent is welcome anywhere, and experience is not the be-all, end-all.

The reason — the main reason — to oppose Barack Obama is not that he lacks experience but that he is a leftist. The reason to oppose Palin is that she is a conservative. I remember when Quayle was knocked for his lack of experience (which now looks like a wealth). I said, “Well, Howard Metzenbaum, George McGovern, and Ted Kennedy have experience. What’s your point?”

There’s much more to say, of course, but you get my drift.

09/02 03:40 PMShare