Politicians need experience to do their job.

This may fall under the "unpopular opinion" category to some people, but it's something I feel strongly about and have been thinking about for a while.

You wouldn't want someone who played a surgeon on TV — but didn't actually go to medical school — to perform surgery on you. So why would you want someone with no experience or training in politics to be your elected official, especially when we're talking about a position with as much power as the President of the United States?

I'm sharing my thoughts about this in today's episode, "Real Quick: Politicians Need Experience," which is the first in our new Real Quick series!

You know when you're talking to someone and the conversation is about to wrap up but there's one more thing you want to say before you part ways so you say, "Real quick, ____"? There are lots of things I want to say or wish I could add that don't quite fit in an episode or qualify as a full episode on their own, so this Real Quick series is my way of sharing those thoughts with you.

Whenever we have a Real Quick episode, you can plan on getting two mini-episodes that week, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday, so be on the lookout later this week for another small dose of the First Name Basis Podcast!

Get your Voting Action Plan

Whether it's for a primary election or a general election, if you're voting for your local school board or president of the United States, being an informed voter is crucial — and takes more effort than just skimming headlines or reading one-off articles on social media.

We're here to help! Head over to firstnamebasis.org/vote to have the First Name Basis Voting Action Plan sent straight to your inbox!

Articles, Studies & Podcasts Referenced In The Episode

First Name Basis Podcast, Season 2, Episode 28: "How to Become an Informed Voter"

"How Much Political Experience Does It Take to Be Elected President?" by Maggie Astor and Alicia Parlapiano, The New York Times

Song Credit: "Sleeper" by Steve Adams" and "Dive Down" by VYEN