by Arlos » Sat May 24, 2008 12:52 pm
Well, he first started out as a community organizer for a church group trying to improve conditions for poor families in bad areas of Chicago. Then, he went to Harvard Law for his law degree, where he was the first ever black president of the Harvard Law Review. When he got back to Illinois, first he spent a few years teaching Constitutional Law, and then he ended up getting elected to the State Senate, and served there for 8 years, from 96 to '04. Obviously, in '04 he got elected to the US Senate.
So, he's got a background working to help the poor, a law degree, he taught Constitutional law, and he's spent 12 years in state and national government.
So, no, he hasn't spent 30 years in Washington or something, but I consider that a GOOD thing, as it means he's not beholden to the lobbyist brigades. Look at McCain, his chief adviser used to do PR campaigns for Ferdinand Marcos and African warlords. Plus he has tons of other lobbyists close to him as integral parts of his team. That scares the crap out of me, honestly.
Anyway, there you have it. I'd consider 12 years at the highest state or national levels to be pretty good background, especially when combined with a personal background in Constitutional law.
-Arlos