Post by: Desertdog on September 02, 2008, 08:10:49 AM
Ludicrous to Say Palin Has Less Experience Than Obama, McCain Says
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=34921
(CNSNews.com) - Is Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin the best choice to be a heartbeat away from the presidency? Many Americans are asking that question, and Sen. John McCain answered it with a resounding yes on Sunday.
The facts are funny things, McCain said in an interview with NBCs Brian Williams.
Shes been in elected office longer than Sen. Obama. Shes been the chief executive of the state that provides 20 percent of Americas energy; she has balanced budgets; she has had executive experience as governor, as mayor, as a city council member and PTA.
So she was in elected office when Sen. Obama was still a local community organizer. Hes never had one day of executive experience.
Palin served two terms on the Wasilla (Alaska) City Council, from 1992-1996. She was elected mayor of Wasilla in 1996 and served two terms there as well, until 2002, when she ran for lieutenant governor and lost.
She chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission for one year, until 2004, and was elected governor of Alaska in 2006.
I think its almost ludicrous to compare her experience in elected office and as a leader of one of the most important states in America -- certainly one of the largest -- to compare her experience with his. Its no contest, McCain said.
McCain said Palin is the best person to be his running mate in every way.
She has experience, shes been an executive, she knows how to balance budgets, she knows how towns and cities work.
McCain also said Palin has set an inspiring example of home, family and service and putting her country first.
Obamas experience
Barack Obamas campaign Web site, in a meet the candidate section, mentions that Obama graduated from Columbia University in 1983, moved to Chicago in 1985, and became a community organizer with a church-based group seeking to improve living conditions in poor neighborhoods plagued with crime and high unemployment.
(Elsewhere on the page, he says he worked for Christian churches in Chicago, helping communities devastated when steel plants closed. )
Obama earned his law degree from Harvard in 1991, then-- after turning down lucrative jobs in law firms, he returned to Chicago to practice civil rights law and teach constitutional law. During this time, he mentions that he led a successful voter registration drive.
Obama says his advocacy work finally led him to run for the Illinois State Senate, where he served for eight years. In 2004, he became the third African American since Reconstruction to be elected to the U.S. Senate.
His first law [as a U.S. Senator] was passed with Republican Tom Coburn, a measure to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how and where every dime of their tax dollars is spent, the Web site says. The Senate passed that law two years ago -- in September 2006.
Post by: longeyes on September 02, 2008, 08:20:59 AM
Post by: Matthew Carberry on September 02, 2008, 08:58:41 AM
The logistics of providing state services up here are more complex than someone from the second smallest state of the Union or a suburb of Chicago can imagine.
Post by: Desertdog on September 02, 2008, 09:04:06 AM
Quote
Note that in our state of "scant population" about half of those citizens live in towns and villages that can only be reached by aircraft.
The logistics of providing state services up here are more complex than someone from the second smallest state of the Union or a suburb of Chicago can imagine.
The show "Tougher in Alaska" on the History Channel covers some of the problems of life of living in many Alaska towns.
The logistics of providing state services up here are more complex than someone from the second smallest state of the Union or a suburb of Chicago can imagine.
Post by: freedom lover on September 02, 2008, 11:23:27 AM
Post by: Tallpine on September 02, 2008, 11:28:58 AM
Post by: longeyes on September 02, 2008, 11:46:04 AM
Post by: HankB on September 02, 2008, 11:50:56 AM
Obama is now counting his campaign as executive experience.
Didn't that begin the day he joined the Senate?
Post by: agricola on September 02, 2008, 12:06:26 PM
Quote
"In fact I dont know if you realize this but Sarah Palin got more votes running for mayor in Wasilla, Alaska than Joe Biden did in two quests for the presidency"
Post by: seeker_two on September 02, 2008, 12:55:50 PM
Face it....of all the candidates, Palin is more qualified than Obama, Biden, Barr, and McCain....
Post by: yesitsloaded on September 02, 2008, 03:15:45 PM
Post by: seeker_two on September 02, 2008, 03:25:13 PM
Palin Paul 2012 for the win?
Bear hunters and guys in Wookie suits.....probably not a good mix.....
Post by: xavier fremboe on September 02, 2008, 06:12:38 PM
Obama is now counting his campaign as executive experience.
I was amazed by this one, too. I am legitimized by my own candidacy. Such hubris. It's like saying how rich you are by pointing out you are wearing nice shoes.
Post by: Ezekiel on September 02, 2008, 06:18:45 PM
I am legitimized by my own candidacy.
If he wins, he's right.
Actually -- reciprocal -- if he loses, he's right.
Either way...
Post by: Intune on September 03, 2008, 02:57:37 AM
Post by: roo_ster on September 03, 2008, 05:38:08 AM
http://volokh.com/archives/archive_2008_08_31-2008_09_06.shtml#1220412096
[Jonathan Adler, September 2, 2008 at 11:21pm] Trackbacks
Why Does Campaign Experience Count?
I am still a bit confused about this whole "experience" issue. Among the responses to my last post on whether experience of some sort or another is necessary for a Presidential or Vice Presidential candidate was the argument that the experience of running a Presidential campaign is itself important experience for the job. So, for instance, some argue that Senator Obama's successful oversight of his own campaign has provided him with sufficient executive experience to be President. (Indeed, this is an argument Senator Obama himself has made in comparing his experience to Governor Palin's experience as a suburban mayor.)
This argument seems a bit tautological: A candidate who runs for President has sufficient experience to be President because he ran for President. Any candidate who runs a successful campaign is qualified due to that success, and that a candidate's lack of experience will be cured if only we support him or her so they can campaign long enough to be qualified. It also suggests that any candidate that has not imploded by November is, ipso facto, qualified for the job.
This all makes me think I should run for President. If anyone dares suggest I lack the experience, I'll simply tell them that's why I need their support: So I can have a successful campaign and gain the experience I need to have in order to be a good President. Any takers?
Post by: Matthew Carberry on September 03, 2008, 10:10:00 AM
Post by: MechAg94 on September 03, 2008, 10:56:31 AM
It is certainly a more challenging job with more critical decisions than campaigning. You can't hire campaign managers to run the executive branch for you. The buck still stops at your office.
Post by: Matthew Carberry on September 03, 2008, 11:06:40 AM
Post by: ilbob on September 03, 2008, 11:12:28 AM
On the one hand you have a presidential candidate who is a legitimate war hero from a family with a proud history of military service to the US that stretches way back, and a VP candidate who is worked her way up the ladder by sheer talent and determination, managing to have 5 children along the way.
Compare that to two candidates who have never held a real job.