I am 50 years old. I need to keep saying it so that it sinks in. Not only do I receive the AARP magazine, I actually find myself reading it. So that’s who I am.   I have a good number of years of life experience and quite a number of years of professional experience.  As someone in full-blown middle age, it is one of my calling cards.  Part of how I define myself is through my experience.So as I assess Democratic presidential hopefuls, I am compelled to value the idea that experience is meaningful.  This has led me to look closely and care deeply about Hillary’s campaign.  And she is impressive.  Wolf Blitzer interviewed her two nights ago and asked what her first day in office would look like.  Her answer made my heart sing. She was clear and specific.  It was as if she’d already scheduled a few things for that day.  I just love a girl with a to-do list.And yet, when I review my professional experience, something strikes me. My most rewarding and successful move was to a position for which I had no relevant experience whatsoever. None.  I moved from corporate America to running a national lgbt organization (GLAAD).  I had absolutely no non-profit management experience and I had never asked a soul for money for a worthy cause. The truth is this lack of experience was not a disadvantage; it was in fact key to what many saw as my success.  I didn’t know that our movement’s politics can crush people; thus I wasn’t watching my back  I was looking ahead.  I knew none of the players but my relationship skills held me in good stead. I knew how to manage people and run a business.  And I had good instincts.Of course the folks with the best instincts in 1997 were the members of the GLAAD Board of Directors.  The board’s instinct was to define experience in its broadest terms.  They looked at transferable skills, personality attributes, leadership potential, management capability and core values.It’s easy to assess experience by looking at directly relevant credentials.  It’s especially easier when, after years in the work force, your professional credentials define you.  The tougher task is to consider the attributes, the values, and the key leadership skills of a prospective candidate.  It’s more abstract and it’s harder work.My point is not that Barack meets those criteria more than Hillary does. My point is that we really don’t know. As we assess each candidate in the “experience” category, we need to level the playing field and compare like criteria.  And maybe focus on the kind of experience that might ultimately matter the most.

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