How much does experience really matter?

According to Mr. Judy & myself, experience matters a lot, at least in the teaching arena. One of our pet peeves are college education professors who have never left academia and never been in the arena of real-life high school education. How well do those educational theories work in the real world?

Like most with a college degree(s), I've come to realize that college is mostly about learning the rules, jumping through hoops, & receiving a piece of paper to prove it. All it means is that you're ready to start getting your hands dirty & hopefully you won't screw it up royally. Any decent interview committee would hire an experienced teacher with a good reputation over a fresh-full-of-theory-newbie.

Now to politics: McCain's new negative ad that reminds us all about what he's got over Obama. If truth is truth regardless, then the axiom that experience matters probably applies to the presidency as well. I suppose the debate is what type of experience prepares one for the Presidency. I would argue any/all real-world experience trumps all theory.

Note: Obama's silly grin picture at the end :)

http://blogs.wsj.com/politicalperceptions/