Amateurs or Rookies?

Here's an interesting piece by a history prof at Brown on the positives and negatives of the practice of term limits for politicians.

He refers to a "rotation of amateurs" at the end. Perhaps it would be more accurate to call them rookies instead of amateurs. Children, at least those of only a few years of chronological age, are not elected to office. Adults, as least those of requisite chronological age, are and by virtue of simply existing have experience which can be applied to important issues. They might even have been elected or appointed to local or state level positions.

Consequently they are not usually amateurs, but many are rookies, as those who are finally called up to the big leagues are known. A succession of rookies can be a good thing for the health of the team. A rotation of minor leaguers often is not.

Leanderthal