[theowne]

I don't think you can compare Obama and Palin. Even if you think before entering the "ring", they were of similar experience (I don't believe that, I think even by "default" Obama was in a better position to be president compared to Sarah Palin), at this point, Obama has run a long primary campaign and earned his nomination which even by itself gives him some higher position, while Sarah Palin was just picked. You just can't really say they're both the same.

 

[afransen]

Yeah. Obama took down the Hillary machine which is, if nothing else, a fairly impressive display of political acumen and organizational strength. Many observers thought it would be a coronation for Clinton.

 

[unimaginative2]

It's important to note that outside the political realm, Obama was educated at Harvard Law School, was the editor of the Harvard Law Review, and taught law at a major university. From the information available, Palin bounced around between a number of minor colleges, won a beauty pageant, and finally graduating from a college in Idaho. After her schooling, she was a sports reporter at a local TV station until she became mayor of a small Anchorage suburb.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

at some jobs i've held, on my first day, i did better work than those who have done the same job for years and years. experience doesn't always mean better. this is why i laugh at palin's "executive experience".

 

[Brian69]

If experience is important (as opposed to just spinning), then if she is going to give you pause for being inexperienced - the same should be true for Obama. Everytime one of Obama's proxies (news shows - democratic primary) was asked what was his accomplishments - legislatively - there was an effort not to answer that question directly. He is one of 100 (i.e. not leadership), a very junior member. To me, experience is just one thing I consider - not the most important.... I do find it funny when someone brings this up though, and when I hear it brought up by a "news person" - but only when talking about Palin - then I get very suspicious that he is showing his personal bias.

While I agree that Obama is less experienced than McCain he's done fine so far in expressing himself and sparring with McCain. Most of all I appreciate the fact Obama has the ability to debate rather than simply state his party's position.

There's still time for McCain to come back (especially if Palin has pleased her conservative base as polls indicate) but right now I'm seeing the Democrats attacking as well as any recent Republican contender has done. If Palin simply energized the faithful then I'm wondering whether Biden might have reached more of the undecided.

And and far as his health goes I certainly hope McCain lasts for quite some time--he's tough as nails. So far my impression of Pain is that she doesn't really match McCain but has been an attempt to reach a demographic or two that he can't. She does have a presence that appeals to many. Time will tell whether Palin is deeper than what we have seen so far.

 

[kEiThZ]

It's important to note that outside the political realm, Obama was educated at Harvard Law School, was the editor of the Harvard Law Review, and taught law at a major university. From the information available, Palin bounced around between a number of minor colleges, won a beauty pageant, and finally graduating from a college in Idaho. After her schooling, she was a sports reporter at a local TV station until she became mayor of a small Anchorage suburb.

While I am not a fan of Palin (and I generally do consider her a useless tool) I find the Democrat arguments about experience a little trite. Forget the community organizer vs. mayor debate, I am surprised that people aren't comparing the fact that there's a governor running against a senator, even if that state is Alaska That's executive experience. I'd say that the Premier of PEI would be more qualified than any MP to be PM any time.

.....this issue of academic qualifiications. Obama has an impressive resume no doubt. But that does not say much when the US is just getting off a President with degrees from Yale and Harvard. Holding a PhD hardly ensures that someone will be extraordinary as a leader.

Lastly, the previous job experience. I am sick of lawyers. It seems like there are way too many lawyers getting public office.

All that said, I do prefer Obama, but people should at least hit Palin on her actual policy failings.....foregin policy, simplistic understanding of legal decisions, etc.

 

[Roy G Biv]

All that said, I do prefer Obama, but people should at least hit Palin on her actual policy failings.....foregin policy, simplistic understanding of legal decisions, etc.

No, that would be giving her and the Republicans too much credit. I'll hit her for being a gigantic joke, and a symbol of SERIOUS problems within American society. The deep-rooted skepticism of intellectualism (intellectual populism) is mind boggling.

You conveniently mention Bush's Ivy League credentials (he only passed because of his Daddy... he was a terrible student, much like Mccain. Obama was a successful, self-made academic who started with nothing), while forgetting to point out that he had executive experience, which you hold in such high regard.

The whole experience angle is overrated by both sides. There is no experience that will sufficiently prepare anyone for becoming the most powerful person in the world. I'll hate on Palin because she's a talking-point-spewing, vapid vehicle for post-Goldwater Republican bullshit.

 

[Brian69]

The thing that shocked me the most after the debate is that 36% of respondents in a CNN poll said Palin won the debate. Not 36% thought she showed up, held her own or didn't embarrass herself but actually won the debate which is mind-boggling seeing as she hardly engaged Biden in a debate at all.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/03/debate.poll/?iref=hpmostpop

 

[kEiThZ]

The thing that shocked me the most after the debate is that 36% of respondents in a CNN poll said Palin won the debate. Not 36% thought she showed up, held her own or didn't embarrass herself but actually won the debate which is mind-boggling seeing as she hardly engaged Biden in a debate at all.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/03/debate.poll/?iref=hpmostpop

They were probably leaning (or are) Republicans anyway. And they just wanted confirmation that she would not totally screw-up.

Her canned talking points though as just so grating. Any respect McCain had before for his moderate record has gone out the window with this VP pick. When you are in your 70s and have war injuries and a risk of cancer recurrence, you gotta pick a person who is able take over if anything happens, not a walking cliche who will keep the chair warm.

 

[Brian69]

They were probably leaning (or are) Republicans anyway. And they just wanted confirmation that she would not totally screw-up.

Her canned talking points though as just so grating. Any respect McCain had before for his moderate record has gone out the window with this VP pick. When you are in your 70s and have war injuries and a risk of cancer recurrence, you gotta pick a person who is able take over if anything happens, not a walking cliche who will keep the chair warm.

Yes, I suppose this leap of faith the traditional Republican voter base is making here fits in well with Palin's background.

 

[kEiThZ]

....while forgetting to point out that he had executive experience, which you hold in such high regard.

I like Obama but I would not defend his executive experience. Are you talking about running a campaign or his stint as a community organizer? I am not aware of any other experience he has. In the Canadian context, would we count experience as a MP/MPP or labour activist as executive experience? Hardly. I'd argue that on this front the mayor or Belleville or the premier of PEI would have more to offer in terms of experience. I may not like Palin, but I think it's ridiculous to say that being Governor of Alaska is on par with being a US Senator.

I will agree that executive experience does not matter as much, as being able to put together a good team, and with his pick of Biden, he's shown he's able to put together a team that can take on any problem. And with McCain picking Palin, he's shown that he cares less of about getting a good team together than about being elected.

 

[Roy G Biv]

A Palin debate sampler:

"Well, our founding fathers were very wise there in allowing through the Constitution much flexibility there in the office of the vice president. And we will do what is best for the American people in tapping into that position and ushering in an agenda that is supportive and cooperative with the president's agenda in that position. Yeah, so I do agree with him that we have a lot of flexibility in there, and we'll do what we have to do to administer very appropriately the plans that are needed for this nation. And it is my executive experience that is partly to be attributed to my pick as VP with McCain, not only as a governor, but earlier on as a mayor, as an oil and gas regulator, as a business owner. It is those years of experience on an executive level that will be put to good use in the White House, also."

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oboyox3L_MI

replace dan quayle with sarah palin. what a parallel!

 

[Brian69]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oboyox3L_MI

replace dan quayle with sarah palin. what a parallel!

Oh, yea.

Losing Carlin was tough...he connected like few others could and was far too accurate in his observations.

 

[Prometheus The Supremo]

Oh, yea.

Losing Carlin was tough...he connected like few others could and was far too accurate in his observations.

don't worry, i'm sure he'll turn up somewhere.

in these troubling times, we sure could have used him. he had the best bullshit detector ever. i could only imagine what sort of material he could have put together with mccain & palin as subjects.