Is the Illinois state legislature, a law practice and 1 term in Congress enough experience to be President?

Question

Or was Abraham Lincoln really unqualified?

Answer 1

I would opine that [olitics is the oly job where not being qualified is the highest recommendation for the job. It is the content of your character that matters the most to me. Today congress and the executive are filled primarily by highly qualified metaphorical rapists. Most are experts in intercourse at thier pleasure alone, having not the slightest empathy for those that they rule.

Answer 2

Age and Citizenship requirements - US Constitution, Article II, Section 1

No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States.

Doesn't say anything about "experiece", does it? And the following didn't apply to Abe of course.

Term limit amendment - US Constitution, Amendment XXII, Section 1 – ratified February 27, 1951

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.

Answer 3

First, I wouldn't be comparing B. Hussein Obama to Lincoln.

Second, the qualifications for President have changed a lot in 150 years.

This is not to say that Obama is not "qualified". He's a natural born citizen (or so I've been led to believe) at least 35 years old, and is eligible to vote having no felony convictions on his record (again, so I believe). By that test, he's qualified, but so am I.

Answer 4

He's over 35, US citizen by birth, and has resided in the US for 14 years. He's qualified to hold the office. Eisenhower never held any political office prior to being elected President.

Answer 5

"No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States."

Anything else is left to the voters to decide.

Answer 6

The constitution sets forth the minimum. The rest is up to us. I prefer candidates of good character, with combat experience or its equivalent. Ie. firefighters, emts, cops, other high risk work experience. Lawyers are lowest on the list as they are professional sharpers (old slang) and are bound by no ethical standards that I can discern. Still, Obama looks to be the best of the Democrats running, by my standards.

Answer 7

This day and age is entirely "different" than it was for Mr. Lincoln. Todays' Presidents have to be more well versed on a number of issues and I do NOT believe Obama is qualified.

Answer 8

It probably was enough back then. He barely lost in the US Senate in 1858 against Stephen Douglas (in the much famed Stephen Douglas debates). He later destroyed Douglas in the 1860 election for President.

Answer 9

The problem is we need someone with common sense, not experience. Same as President Lincoln.

Answer 10

Are you seriously trying to compare Abe Lincoln to Barack Obama?? There were half as many states when Lincoln served, probably half as many laws, and back then, people actually supported their government instead of alway trying to bring them down with investigations and other accusations, (when I say "people", I actually mean "liberals").

So all that being said, Lincoln was qualified, but Obama is not.