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DENVER — On the day of Barack Obama’s big night, Republicans continued to use the divisive Democratic primary to attack the newly crowned Democratic nominee as too inexperienced to be president. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty repeatedly said during a Denver press conference that the Illinois senator did not have the experience, substance or accomplishments to be president. Then the GOP vice presidential contender let other Democrats make that argument in a video that compiled the best attacks on Obama’s experience from the contentious Democratic primary. There was Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) saying that while she and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) would bring lifetimes of experience, Obama “would bring a speech that he gave in 2002.” She was preceded by Sen. Joseph Biden (Del.), who is now Obama’s running mate. He stood by his comments in 2007 that Obama was not ready to be president. Former President Clinton also appears in the video questioning Obama’s experience, as does Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.). Biden and both Clintons this week have taken pains to say they believe Obama is ready to be president. The former president said Republicans tried the same tricks on him in 1992. But Pawlenty said Clinton has much more experience than Obama because of his years as Arkansas’s governor. He and Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) also argued that tightening polls show that more Americans are questioning Obama’s experience. The video also includes an interview given by Obama in November 2004, shortly after his election to the Senate. Pawlenty and Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl (R) told reporters the comments show Obama himself questioning his experience to be president, but the comments could also be read as Obama merely downplaying the chance he would seek the office. “I am a believer in knowing what you’re doing when you apply for a job and I think that if I were to seriously consider running on a national ticket, I would essentially have to start now before having served a day in the Senate. Now there are some people who might be comfortable doing that, but I’m not one of those people,” Obama said. The Illinois senator had already given a well-received address to the Democratic convention when he made those comments. The address launched a meteoric rise in his party that will culminate tonight in his speech accepting the Democratic nomination at an outdoor football stadium. Musicians Stevie Wonder and Sheryl Crow are scheduled to appear at the event, with attendance expected to be 75,000. Republicans have mocked Obama for giving an address in front of Roman columns that have been built on the podium for the speech. Pawlenty said those criticisms back up a more serious point. “Does this just feed into the growing perception that what we have here is one big glitzy production that is focused on more glories and teleprompters without the underlying substance, experience and wisdom and accomplished track record and vision on issues for the future?” Pawlenty asked. |
