To that end, a summary of Presidential experience beginning with Comrade Zero and going back all the way to Harry Truman:
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Barack Obama
Military Experience: None
Political Experience:
State Senator (Illinois) 1997 - 2004 (7 years legislative experience)
U.S. Senator 2005 - 2008 (3 years federal legislative experience)
President 2009 -
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pre-Presidential Experience 10 years
George W Bush
Military Experience: Texas Air National Guard / Air Force Reserve
1968 - 1974 (6 years total)
Political Experience:
Campaign Advisor to GHWB 1988 & 1992 (2 years cumulative campaign experience)
Governor of Texas 1994 - 2000 (6 years executive experience)
President 2001 - 2009
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pre-Presidential Experience 14 years
William Jefferson Clinton
Military Experience: None
Political Experience:
Attorney General (Ark) 1976 - 1978 (2 years judicial experience)
Governor of Arkansas 1978 - 1980 (2 years executive experience)
Governor of Arkansas 1982 - 1992 (10 years executive experience)
President 1993 - 2001
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pre-Presidential Experience 14 years
George Herbert Walker Bush
Military Experience: United States Navy - Combat Naval Aviator & Trainer/Instructor
1942 - 1945 (3 years total)
Political Experience:
U.S. Congressman 1966 - 1970 (4 years legislative experience)
U.N. Ambassador 1971 - 1973 (2 years diplomatic experience)
GOP Chairman 1973 - 1974 (2 years political management experience)
U.S. Liaison to PRC 1974 - 1976 (2 years diplomatic experience)
CIA Director 1976 - 1977 (1 year national security/intelligence experience)
Vice President 1981 - 1989 (8 years executive/diplomatic/managerial experience)
President 1989 - 1993
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pre-Presidential Experience 22 years
Ronald Wilson Reagan
Military Experience: United States Army - Cavalry / Army Air Force / Public Relations
1937 - 1945 (8 years total)
Political Experience:
Screen Actors Guild
(President) 1947 - 1952 (6 years executive/management experience + 1 yr/1959)
Governor of California 1967 - 1975 (8 years executive experience)
President 1981 - 1989
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pre-Presidential Experience 22 years
Jimmy Carter
Military Experience: United States Navy - Nuclear Power Plants, submarine service
1946 - 1953 (7 years total)
Political Experience:
Georgia State Senate 1961 - 1966 (5 years legislative experience)
Governor of Georgia 1971 - 1975 (4 years executive experience)
President 1977 - 1981
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pre-Presidential Experience 16 years
Gerald Ford
Military Experience: United States Navy - Navigation, AntiAircraft, Instructor
1942 - 1946 (4 years total)
Political Experience:
U.S. Congressman 1949 - 1973 (25 years legislative experience)
Vice President 1973 - 1974 (-1 year / 11 mths to be exact)
President 1974 - 1976
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pre-Presidential Experience 30 years
Richard Nixon
Military Experience: United States Navy - Logistics, Operations, Cargo Handling
1942 - 1945 (3 years total)
Political Experience:
U.S. Congressman 1946 - 1950 (4 years legislative experience)
U.S. Senator 1950 - 1952 (2 years legislatvie experience)
Vice President 1952 - 1960 (8 years executive/diplomatic experience)
President 1968 - 1974
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pre-Presidential Experience 17 years
Lyndon Johnson
Military Experience: United States Navy - Pacific Survey Team, Presidential review
1942 - 1945 (3 years total)
Political Experience:
U.S. Senator 1948 - 1960 (12 years legislative experience)
Vice President 1960 - 1963 (3 years executive experience)
President 1963 - 1968
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pre-Presidential Experience 18 years
John F Kennedy
Military Experience: United States Navy - PT Boat Commander, Pacific Theatre
1941 - 1945 (4 years total)
Political Experience:
U.S. Congressman 1946 - 1952 (6 years legislative experience)
U.S. Senator 1952 - 1960 (8 years legislative experience)
President 1960 - 1963
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pre-Presidential Experience 18 years
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Military Experience: United States Army - Supreme Allied Commander, European Theatre
1911 - 1952 (41 years total)
Political Experience: None
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pre-Presidential Experience 41 years
Harry S Truman
Military Experience: United States Army - Missouri National Guard, AEF, World War I
1905 - 1918 (13 years total)
Political Experience:
County Judge 1922 - 1924 (2 years judicial experience)
Presiding Judge 1926 - 1932 (6 years judicial experience)
Director Federal CWA/MO 1933 - 1934 (1 year executive/managerial experience)
U.S. Senator 1934 - 1944 (10 years legislative experience)
Vice President 1944 - 1945 (-1 year total)
President 1944 - 1952
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pre-Presidential Experience 33+ years
Sarah Palin
Military Experience: None
Political Experience:
Wasilla City Council 1992 - 1996 (4 years local municipal experience)
Mayor of Wasilla 1996 - 2002 (6 years local executive experience)
Oil & Gas Commission 2003 - 2004 (11 months state experience, Feb '03, resigned Jan '04)
Governor of Alaska 2006 - 2009 (3 years executive experience, resigned July 2009)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------- pre-Presidential Experience 13 years 11 months
And in conclusion, the above data in graph form:
Sarah has less experience than did Jimmy Carter when he took the Oath of Office in January '77, and we all know how that slow motion train wreck turned out. Sarah is a great cheerleader, can motivate people to vote, but the unpleasant reality is that 13.9 years of experience simply isn't going to cut it.