… by suggesting to fellow liberals that Barack Obama “wasn’t ready” for the presidency, like-minded scribes such as TIME’s Joe Klein are running with the theme.
Klein’s latest column takes a rare jab at Jimmy Carter:
The most important thing Carter had going for him–his big selling point–was that he didn’t know anything about Washington. He was a fresh face, righteously rectitudinous, a Sunday-school teacher sent to Sodom. That seemed refreshing after the Nixon squalor, and even though Carter’s act got old very quickly, it has worked ever since.
Then, Klein sets his sights on the 44th president, though you might miss the criticism amid the boosterism:
Barack Obama, whose lack of experience seems more painful every day, is struggling mightily–although his ability to learn from his struggles could be an advantage, if he runs smart in 2012.
Chris Christie’s fans ought to file this column away. If the New Jersey governor ever runs for president, this might be the last time Klein ever praises him.
