Answering Clinton

A Andrew Sullivan reader writes:

In Friday night's interview with Charlie Rose, Bill Clinton said, "When is the last time we elected a president based on one year of service in the Senate before he started running?"

To that, I would answer: In 1860, when the country elected Abraham Lincoln, who had served just a single term in the House of Representatives.

I'm not saying that Obama is Lincoln, but Lincoln's example shows that a president's good judgment and mental flexibility is more important than years logged in Congress. I for one am grateful that Stephen Douglas (the most "experienced" candidate in 1860) was not President of the United States during the Civil War.

Hat Tip: Andrew Sullivan's, The Daily Dish