Ignorance Is Not a Virtue

More reporting on Trump’s transition:

During their private White House meeting on Thursday, Mr. Obama walked his successor through the duties of running the country, and Mr. Trump seemed surprised by the scope, said people familiar with the meeting. Trump aides were described by those people as unaware that the entire presidential staff working in the West Wing had to be replaced at the end of Mr. Obama’s term.

After meeting with Mr. Trump, the only person to be elected president without having held a government or military position, Mr. Obama realized the Republican needs more guidance. He plans to spend more time with his successor than presidents typically do, people familiar with the matter said.

I have never understood the assumed inherent value in electing an “outsider”. If a retail chain is about to go bankrupt, who would hire, say, a military general to come in and “shake things up”? No one. Because a general doesn’t know shit about running retail stores. The only difference between a situation like that and the presidency is that the latter is much more difficult, and real human beings might die if he makes the wrong decision. But please, by all means, let’s get the know nothings in there.