In a presidential candidate, what is experience to you?

[Beet]

Experience for a politician is like standardized tests for a grad school applicant. She has to reach a certain level to avoid being weeded out, but beyond that it's irrelevant. E.g., no random persons off the street, or people who've never held statewide office, if even for a couple of years. That's pretty much it. Although I suppose, angus makes a good point about military experience being a plus.

[Beet]

Indeed, Winfield. I agree completely.

How would you feel to the following resume for a candidate?

Has a J.D. in law from Yale.

Fulbright Scholar. 

Elected at age 26 to the State House, serves a total of 4 years.

Elected at age 30 to the State Senate, serves a total of 2 years

Elected at age 32 to be Governor of a small state - about 1 million people. Serves one four year term.

Appointed after he leaves as Governor (age 36) to be Secretary of Energy, he's very popular at the job.

Leaves cabinet post to run for Senate, elected twice, and 1 year into his second term as Senator... runs for President.

Would that be enough experience? Or not?

I ask this specific question, as I'm writing a timeline.

He was doing fine until he accepted the Secretary of Energy position and became a Washington Insider.

Some things I would add:

Tall, 6'3
Good looking
White
Married to his high school sweetheart
Has two daughters and a son

[Beet]

Possibly it could work, IMO, if you shift Secretary of Energy before his governorship. Bill Richardson and Andrew Cuomo pulled off similar moves. A Cabinet official needs elected experience as a must, to run for president. An elected official doesn't need to be in the Cabinet, bar extraordinary circumstances (Hillary, etc.). But that's just my opinion.