And a Spanish teacher is more qualified than someone who has spent time in Congressional committees studying the subject?
(a) how do you know that Thompson has spent any time in any Congressional committee studying anything? I do not doubt that he had some aides study issues and brief him on them, but I question your assumption that all elected leaders by definition and studious experts of any sort. Thompson has never been noted for being a particular energetic individual at anything, other than, perhaps, acting. But he is quite tall and has a nice voice, as I have stated. Also, he is too close to being bald to be elected president. It would appear that he has little chance of even getting the nomination.
He seems to me to be the least qualified of all the serious candidates of either party. He does not seem to be able to organize a staff, or give an effective speech. One would expect at least superior oratorial skills from a trained actor. His near baldness is not a factor in my lack of enthusiasm for him, but it does seem to matter a lot to the public. A large percentage men of presidential age are bald, and yet, only Eisenhower, the war hero,and Lyndon Johnson, who ascended to the presidency after JFK's assassination, have managed to be both bald and president. We have had two bald Adamses, a balding McKinley, Ike and LBJ. I can't think of any others.
Adlai Stevenson could have been a great president, had he not been follicularly challenged.
(b) Where was it that I said I was more qualified than Thompson? I do know that there won't ever be a situation where China or India will deprive the US of oil imports because it has been "outbid", because that is not how oil economics work.
The US does not bid for oil imports with other countries. Various parts of Iraq, ie Kurdistan, have been making deals with private companies without getting the national government (such as it is) involved at all.
Although I am not running for office, this does not mean that it is impossible for me, or you, or pretty much anyone, to know more than any given member of government. We all seem to know that corn is not a viable substitute for imported petroleum, for example, and many politicians deny this.