Warner Not Ready for Prime Time

Yesterday I watched with interest George Stephanopoulos' interview with former Gov. Mark Warner (Democrat-VA). I am unable to locate a transcript but I can say that the popular Democratic figure is not quite ready for prime time.

I think Mr. Warner would add a great deal to the debate in choosing a Democratic presidential nominee for 2008, but for now he needs to take some time off, obtain some serious coaching, finesse his answers a bit, and come back after the 2006 mid-terms elections.

During the interview, Warner fell into the John Kerry trap - using the word "alliances" time and time again in answers to foreign policy questions. While I agree that it is vitally important for the U.S. to restore alliances (ie: rebuild the bridges that Bush burned), ramming that point home in debates and interviews doesn't win over voters.

In his defense: Stephanopoulos kept trying to point out that as Governor Mr. Warner's national security credentials were minimal. While true, one only need point out that George W. Bush was a governor when he became president in 2000 and had only been in the White House for 8 months when the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01 took place. And while I think the President's national security performance has been abysmal, Warner has plenty of time to get his head in that part of the game. Bush never had an interest in global affairs during his first run for the White House (he'd never been abroad and couldn't name the prime minister of India) and that early detachment has led the United States down a long dark road at a time when we needed a president with at least a minimal working knowledge of the world around him.

I am not supporting Warner in his presidential bid. At this point I am not supporting anybody. But Warner would add a great deal of substance to the party debate when the nomination contests heat up in 2007. Between now and then, the former Virginia governor should obtain some serious coaching on the issues and how to play the game with the national media.