By way of Pondering Penguin:
in an article on YAHOO! News, four ‘Presidential scholars’ are asked about the choice of Governor Sarah Palin. Examples: “So unconventional was McCain’s choice that it left students of the presidency literally “stunned,” in the words of Joel Goldstein, a St. Louis University law professor and scholar of the vice presidency. “Being governor of a small state for less than two years is not consistent with the normal criteria for determining who’s of presidential caliber,” said Joel Goldstein. “I think she is the most inexperienced person on a major-party ticket in modern history,” said presidential historian Matthew Dallek.” “If she had been around for two terms as governor – or been a senator- it would have been an incredible choice,” said historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. “The first thing that hits me,” said Stephen Hess of the Brookings Institution, “is that it suggest that John McCain is a gambler. This is a high-roller decision.”
Thanks to reader Kevin Gregory form McClatchy Watch we find that Matthew Dallek is not an impartial voice:
“Presidential historian” Matthew Dallek belongs to an organization trying to elect Barack Obama.
The organization is called “Historians for Obama.”
I blogged about Matthew Dallek here.
Pondering Penguin adds:
The McCain campaign issued the following statement, “The authors quote four scholars attacking Gov. Palin’s fitness for the office of vice president. Among them, David Kennedy is a maxed-out Obama donor, Joel Goldstein is also an Obama donor, and Doris Kearns Goodwin has donated exclusively to Democrats this cycle. Finally, Matthew Dallek is a former speech writer for Dick Gephardt. This is not a story about scholars questioning Gov. Palin’s credentials so much as partisan Democrats who would find a reason to disqualify or discount any nominee put forward by Sen. McCain.”
The issue of “experience” (and more specifically, “the lack thereof”) has always stood on shaky ground as a political attack point; and now with Sarah Palin on the McCain ticket, it might be a talking point now off the tables. As Michael Medved lays it out,
Yes, this undermines McCain’s future use of the experience issue, but that’s almost certainly a good thing, too. The experience issue has never worked well in presidential elections: Gerald Ford tried it against a one-term Governor of Georgia (the worthless Jimmy Carter) and lost; Carter tried it against Reagan (no foreign policy experience as Governor of California!) and got wiped out; George H.W. Bush tried to make it stick against Bill Clinton and the result was the lowest percentage of the vote for a Republican candidate since Wiliam Howard Taft. The line McCain’s been using “He’s Not Ready to Lead” is still viable – and should emphasize a discussion of Obama’s policies, not his job history—his radicalism, not his resume. Meanwhile, we should invite comparisons of Governor Palin’s experience with Obama’s: won’t the PTA connect more with middle class voters than “community organizer,” and property tax-cutting small town mayor count more than slippery State Senator who voted “present” a disquieting proportion of the time. In any event, both tickets now balance experience with youthful energy – but McCain is balancing it the right way, with the experience at the top.
If Obama supporters now see an opening for attack in regard to Sarah Palin‘s “lack” of experience, they will only succeed in bringing back to scrutiny Obama’s own leadership (in)experience. Let’s see that “Tale of the Tape” chart that Curt linked to by Jeff Emanuel, once again:
| Office being sought | Vice President | President of the United States and Leader of the Free World |
| Full name | Sarah Louise Heath Palin | Barack Hussein Obama II |
| Nickname | Sarah Barracuda | Barry Obama; “The One” |
| Public opinion | Smoking hot in a “naughty librarian” sort of way | May be The Messiah |
| Age | 44 | 48 |
| Children | 5: two sons, three daughters | 2: two daughters |
| Religion/Church attendance | Evangelical Christian;attends Juneau Christian Center when in Juneau and grew up attending Wasilla Assembly of God | Attended Trinity United Church of Christ for 20 years, a “black liberation theology” church formerly led by Rev. Jeremiah Wright and governed according to the Black Value System |
| Current Job | Governor of Alaska | Junior Senator from Illinois |
| Previous Public Jobs | Mayor of Wasilla, AK (1996-2002); President of Alaska Conference of Mayors;City Council member (1992-1996) | State Senator (1997-2004);Community Organizer |
| Executive Experience | Governor for 2 years;Mayor for 10 years | None |
| Foreign Relations experience | Governor of state that borders two foreign countries (Canada and Russia) | Chaired Senate subcommittee on Europe but never called it into session;once gave a speech to 200,000 screaming Germans |
| Military Affairs experience | Commander in Chief of Alaska National Guard;Son is enlisted Infantryman in U.S. Army | None |
| Private Sector Experience | Sports reporter;Salmon fisherman | Associate at civil rights law firm |
| Speaking ability | Beautifully executed initial stump speech in Dayton, OH hockey arena without a teleprompter | An enter…wait–did you say without a teleprompter?? |
| Most Courageous Moment in Public Service | Resigned in protest from position of Ethics Commissioner of Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in order to expose legal violations and conflicts of interest of Alaska Republican leaders, including the former state Attorney General and the State GOP Chairman (who was also an Oil & Gas Commissioner), who was doing work for the party on public time and supplying a lobbyist with a sensitive e-mail. | Gave an anti-Iraq war speech to a crowd of anti-Iraq war demonstrators in Hyde Park in 2002 |
| In Current Office Because… | Upset sitting Governor in GOP primary due to public support for her efforts to clean up corrupt government establishment | Republican opponent, who was leading in the polls, was forced to leave race after unsealing of divorce records exposed a sex scandal |
| Theme: | Change and Clean Government | Hope and Change;”Bringing Change from Outside Washington” |
| What they’ve done to live that theme: | Replaced entire Board of Agriculture and Conservation because of conflict of interest;Resigned from position of Ethics Commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in order to expose corruption among members of own party | Selected 36-year incumbent Senator as running mate |
| Family Affairs | May have removed State Public Safety Commissioner as part of effort to protect sister in messy divorce and child custody battle | Often says, “I am my brother’s keeper”;Brother lives in a hut in Nairobi on $12 per year |
| Union affiliation | Union member, married to Union member | Endorsed by a union |
| Iraq and Troop Support | Formerly (pre-surge) critical of apparent lack of long-term strategy for Iraq;Visited wounded U.S. soldiers in Germany;
visited AK National Guard soldiers deployed to Kuwait; Son deploying to Iraq on 9/11/08 as Army infantryman |
Gave an anti-Iraq war speech to a crowd of anti-Iraq war demonstrators;almost visited wounded troops in Germany, but decided to go shopping in Berlin instead |
| Bipartisan/”maverick” credentials | Married to a non-Republican;Exposed corruption within own party;
Campaigned for Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell against corrupt GOP congressman Don Young; Called out Sen Ted Stevens (R-AK) to “come clean” about financial dealings that are under fed investigation |
Talks about bipartisanship |
| Legislative Record | Passed a landmark ethics reform bill;Used veto to cut budgetary spending;
Prevented “bridge to nowhere” that would have cost taxpayers $400 million dollars. |
Voted “present” over 100 times as IL state senator |
| How they dealt with corrupt individuals in home city/state | Exposed legal violations and conflicts of interest of Alaska Republican leaders;Campaigned against corrupt GOP Representative;
Ran against and defeated corrupt incumbent governor in GOP primary |
Launched political career in home of unrepentant domestic terrorist Bill Ayers (and still refers to him as a part of “mainstream Democratic Chicago”;Purchased home with help of convicted felon Tony Rezko |
| Guns | Lifetime member of NRA and avid hunter;video can be found on YouTube of Palin firing an M4 at a military firing range | Worked to pass legislation in Illinois that would prevent all law-abiding citizens from owning firearms |
| Earmarks | Opposed “Bridge to Nowhere” project;Said Alaska should avoid relying on federal money for projects;
Campaigned against porker Don Young (R-AK) in 2008 primary |
Secured federal earmarks for wife’s employer and for campaign bundlers |
| Abortion | Pro life;gave birth to 5th child knowing that he would have Down’s syndrome | Pro-choice;only IL state sen. to speak against the Born Alive Infant’s Protection Act, which required medical care to be given to live infants who survived abortions |
Senator Obama’s spokesman noted upon hearing about Senator John McCain’s selection of Governor Palin: “Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency.”
Do Democrats really want to go there? Which previous experience serves a president better: Legislative or executive?
No matter, Jay Tea writes why it’s the “mileage and not the years” that is important:
But what matters to me is not quantity of time, but quality. What Palin has achieved in her political career dwarfs Obama’s accomplishments, as well as those of a lot of other politicians with a lot more time in office.
Just click on the links provided in this post if you are unfamiliar with Sarah Palin’s list of accomplishments during time served in public office. Then go visit Wolf Howling (hat tip: Bookworm) for an Obama-Palin comparison that’ll leave you howling in stitches.
Further Reads of Interest:
“The Senator party” vs. “the Governor Party” by Michael Medved
Are Senators Doomed to Lose? by Michael Medved
Obama-Biden: First Time in 68 Years a Ticket with No Military Experience by Michael Medved
Foreign Policy “Experience” by Thomas Sowell
Cheney Vice Presidency Provides Model for McCain-Palin by American Power
Also blogging:
Bottomline Upfront
A former fetus, the “wordsmith from nantucket” was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1968. Adopted at birth, wordsmith grew up a military brat. He achieved his B.A. in English from the University of California, Los Angeles (graduating in the top 97% of his class), where he also competed rings for the UCLA mens gymnastics team. The events of 9/11 woke him from his political slumber and malaise. Currently a personal trainer and gymnastics coach.
The wordsmith has never been to Nantucket.
obama really hasn’t done anything while in office, he runs around looking pretty and making great speechs. why they would attack her experience is beyond me, they are seriously lacking in experience. she will certainly shake thingsup, for the better.
[…] Palin doesn’t have enough experience to be VP, plus she’s a […]
Now, now, that’s not true. He’s… err… run for higher office… and he’s… he’s…
OK, I got nuthin’.
Thanks for the link!
Thank you for the link and kind words.
B.O., he just stinks!
[…] clipped from http://www.floppingaces.net […]
News & Opinion Roundup (2 Sept 08)…
GOP convention hopes to get back to normal today
Old, Grizzled Third Party Candidate May Steal Support From McCain
Leftist filth showing their class in St Paul.
Exclusive: When It Comes to Islamism, the DNC Still Doesn’t Get It
John Kerry: Palin Cho…
How do you know if you may have made a poor decision in choosing a VP? When less than 96 hours after the announcement, the betting markets start running bids on them stepping down.
INTRADE
Because liberals are betting she steps down means she will step down? You are living in a dream world. The human scum at Kos Kids and other lib sites are just inventing things to attack her. Running scared is more like it.
Actually Jack, McCain’s piss-poor VP selection has pushed Obama over the magic 50% level in the Rasmussen daily tracking for the first time. Nobody’s running scared and you’re the one living in a dream world.
I don’t think she’ll step down, but it’s bad enough that it’s even a consideration after just now stepping onto the big stage.
Actually Fit fit, McCain’s VP selection neutered Obama’s convention bounce and the left’s totally irrational response is now forcing people to take sides. The number of undecideds is going to dwindle, the GOP base is now 99% behind McCain, and any snowmobiler who fears more Federal land blocked off from recreational use under a Dem administration, anyone who fears the regulatory mindset of the Democrats (and to some extent of John McCain) goes home reassured.
For me, it’s easy – her personal story pulls the God’s Own Party base, her governing style pulls the libertarian/small government crowd like me, it’s a bit of “Thank you Lord for sending Ronald back to us so soon, the package is attractive but a little unconventional…”
The mistake the McCain camp made was not stuffing ol’ Levi in a suit and putting him up on stage with the rest of ’em in Dayton. “Son, if we have our way the Secret Service is going to be following your ass around for the next decade and a half anyway, you may as well start getting used to it.”
Given the level of scorn and derision heaped on McCain by the left, I’d say he hit a home run. When the noise ramps up to the extent it has, it is obvious that left is getting desperate. BTW, Intrade had Ron Paul’s chances of winning the Republican nomination at 10% at one point. Of course, he was the loony left’s darling earlier in the election cycle.
[…] because he’s running for president is desperate circular logic and it’s laughable. It is a testament to Barack Obama’s inexperience and failing qualifications that he would stoop to passing off his candidacy as comparable to […]
Good article by Gerard Baker, sorry for the cut and paste:
Sarah Palin vs. Barack Obama
By Gerard Baker
>snip<
Political experience
Obama: Worked his way to the top by cultivating, pandering to and stroking the most powerful interest groups in the all-pervasive Chicago political machine, ensuring his views were aligned with the power brokers there.
Palin: Worked her way to the top by challenging, attacking and actively undermining the Republican party establishment in her native Alaska. She ran against incumbent Republicans as a candidate willing and able to clean the Augean Stables of her state’s government.
Political Biography
Obama: A classic, if unusually talented, greasy-pole climber. Held a succession of jobs that constitute the standard route to the top in his party’s internal politics: “community organizer”, law professor, state senator.
Palin:A woman with a wide range of interests in a well-variegated life. Held a succession of jobs – sports journalist, commercial fisherwoman, state oil and gas commissioner, before entering local politics. A resume that suggests something other than burning political ambition from the cradle but rather the sort of experience that enables her to understand the concerns of most Americans..
Political history
Obama: Elected to statewide office only after a disastrous first run for a congressional seat and after his Republican opponent was exposed in a sexual scandal. Won seat eventually in contest against a candidate who didn’t even live in the state.
Palin: Elected to statewide office by challenging a long-serving Republican incumbent governor despite intense opposition from the party.
Appeal
Obama: A very attractive speaker whose celebrity has been compared to that of Britney Spears and who sends thrills up Chris Matthews’ leg
Palin: A very attractive woman, much better-looking than Britney Spears who speaks rather well too. She sends thrills up the leg of Rush Limbaugh (and me).
Executive experience
Obama: Makes executive decisions every day that affect the lives of his campaign staff and a vast crowd of traveling journalists
Palin:Makes executive decisions every day that affect the lives of 500,000 people in her state, and that impact crucial issues of national economic interest such as the supply and cost of energy to the United States.
And, there’s more:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/sarah_palin_vs_barack_obama.html
Americans are now putting their money on the person they are behind in a BIG way! Sarah Palin’s addition to the McCain campaign obviously is making conservatives very happy. Obamatons should be not just a little concerned:
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=5700022&page=1
well, it all comes down to this.. what government run (programs, agencies, etc), has been on par with ‘successful’? The military is probably one of the best run (in terms of checks and balances) but we all know about the spendy budget and feature creeping that turns a 1 million dollar project into a 16+ million dollar project. I am curious how universal health care will beat out the model of medicaid? Anyone in the military knows that the governement health care isn’t the best. You see one person that directs you to another person, that directs you to the receptionist of another person, that takes your number and directs you back to the first person because they were supposed to direct you to a completely different department… sigh.. I can’t wait to become canada.
[a note about baring arms; in my little opinion]
Also as the founding fathers saw it, the whole reason we have the right to bare arms is to defend ourselves against the government. Much less, Obama doesn’t want to allow us to defend ourselves in our own homes against an intruder. Seems like he is opening a window for him and his friends to rob our houses through syrup coated laws and regulations. Goes to show, only the bad guys are the ones allowed to have the weapons. But hey, I am just a dumb republican that believes babies should be held as treasure and that a moral compass is the only way to get from point A to point B. Stupid me.
[…] because he’s running for president is desperate circular logic and it’s laughable. It is a testament to Barack Obama’s inexperience and failing qualifications that he would stoop to passing off his candidacy as comparable to […]
[…] because he’s running for president is desperate circular logic and it’s laughable. It is a testament to Barack Obama’s inexperience and failing qualifications that he would stoop to passing off his candidacy as comparable to […]
I believe Palin was in favor of earmarks and the “Bridge To Nowhere” before she was against it.
Had McAmnesty actually vetted her, he would be controlling her narrative, not the MSM.
But, I’m voting Democratic and I think she is the gift that keeps on giving…so keep giving! LMAO
[…] touchy on the executive experience issue, because they know deep down despite the denials, that Palin has more executive experience and has accomplished more in her time in public office than Obama […]
[…] take, not only Governor Palin’s experience over that of Senator Obama’s anytime, but most importantly her judgment. Pelley: Senator Biden, Senator Obama’s running […]