Is Sarah Palin qualified to be President of the United States?

[Hash]

Nether is Obama in terms of experience.

Obama has more experience than Palin. I'm not saying he has a ton more, but atleast his past experience is a bit better than being mayor of a town smaller than Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande.

She is also Governor of a state.

Do note that I said past experience, which doesn't include her year and a bit as Governor.

[auburntiger]

Last time I checked, Obama is running for the highest office; Palin for VP. And yes, something tragic could happen to McCain, but "something tragic"could happen to either Obama, McCain, Biden, or Palin.

Palin and Obama are simliar in experience - they both came out of nowhere; McCain and Biden are similar. It is ultimately the President who calls the shots. If it's all about experience, Obama will be overshadowed by Biden, which is not something my liberal leaning friends want to happen (Dukakis anyone?)

Everyone likes to assume McCain's gonna drop dead,but it is also possible Obama could drop dead of a heart attack - people do have those at young ages too, not to mention he smokes about a pack a day.

[© tweed]

he smokes about a pack a day.

false

[Dan the Roman]

For President? Probably not. But she is running for Vice President has been pointed out on this thread.

That said, given my nonscientific sample of people I interacted with today, including a good bit of Hillary supporters, the inexperience thing is not a talking point. Millions of Americans came up with it on their own individually today, despite a terrible Obama response. That is a bad sign.

[angus]

he smokes about a pack a day.

false

No, it's true.  I ran into him at the mosque this morning and invited him over for a drink or two, but he declined.  You know, he's pretty observant about the faith.  Inshallah.  But he did burn a big fat joint with me, and after we finished it, he lit up a Marlboro.  Then, before we parted company, he'd finished that first Marlboro and just before it went out he lit a second one from the dying cherry of the first.

[J. J.]

he smokes about a pack a day.

false

No, it's true.  I ran into him at the mosque this morning and invited him over for a drink or two, but he declined.  You know, he's pretty observant about the faith.  Inshallah.  But he did burn a big fat joint with me, and after we finished it, he lit up a Marlboro.  Then, before we parted company, he'd finished that first Marlboro and just before it went out he lit a second one from the dying cherry of the first.

Hey, at least the campaign paid for the line of blow. 

[pragmatic liberal]

This is one of the most absurd picks in modern history. It may be a gamble that pays off, but while she seems like a promising, talented local politician, she is no way qualified to be a heartbeat away from the presidency in 2009. And that's an important qualification when the guy in charge would be a 72-year-old former POW with a history of cancer.

[Sam Spade]

For President? Probably not. But she is running for Vice President has been pointed out on this thread.

That said, given my nonscientific sample of people I interacted with today, including a good bit of Hillary supporters, the inexperience thing is not a talking point. Millions of Americans came up with it on their own individually today, despite a terrible Obama response. That is a bad sign.

nonscientific sample = millions of Americans?

I'm not getting the connection.

[The Vorlon]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

BINGO.

And the media (and Obama hacks) can't attack McCain for the pick without attacking Obama by implication.

Which is why this was an outstanding pick.

The worshipers of "the one" are devastated because "the messiah" was just pwned.

IF she holds up under media scutiny, and IF she presents well, and IF she comes across as charming and articulate... this is the correct answer.

[Alcon]

For President? Probably not. But she is running for Vice President has been pointed out on this thread.

That said, given my nonscientific sample of people I interacted with today, including a good bit of Hillary supporters, the inexperience thing is not a talking point. Millions of Americans came up with it on their own individually today, despite a terrible Obama response. That is a bad sign.

nonscientific sample = millions of Americans?

I'm not getting the connection.

Millions of America: "Did you see that Sherry Paylin lady yesterday?"/"Nah."

[Sam Spade]

For President? Probably not. But she is running for Vice President has been pointed out on this thread.

That said, given my nonscientific sample of people I interacted with today, including a good bit of Hillary supporters, the inexperience thing is not a talking point. Millions of Americans came up with it on their own individually today, despite a terrible Obama response. That is a bad sign.

nonscientific sample = millions of Americans?

I'm not getting the connection.

Millions of America: "Did you see that Sherry Paylin lady yesterday?"/"Nah."

accurate.

[J. J.]

Compare two things, the announcement of Biden and the announcement of Palin.  Which was better.

Biden: a 3:00 AM phone call on a Saturday morning.  Palin: a Noon announcement on a Friday, that relegated Obama's acceptance speech to the second news story.

McCain knows what he's doing.

Not to mention that two word phrase, "glass ceiling."

[angus]

Compare two things, the announcement of Biden and the announcement of Palin.  Which was better.

Biden: a 3:00 AM phone call on a Saturday morning.  Palin: a Noon announcement on a Friday, that relegated Obama's acceptance speech to the second news story.

McCain knows what he's doing.

Not to mention that two word phrase, "glass ceiling."

I agree.  But in all fairness your fear of an Obama administration is as irrational as their nitpicking over minutiae and irrelevant factions involving Sarah Palin. 

By the way, the McCain/Palin duo is blatantly playing up the glass ceiling angle now.  Did you catch the snippet today with Palin talking about how Clinton's "grace and hard work resulted in 18 million little cracks in the glass ceiling."  Or something like that.  She did use the word "grace" in connection with Hillary Clinton.  I nearly lost my lunch.  But it's clever pandering, no doubt, and I agree with your post entirely.  In fact I posted elsewhere my objective observations today about how McCain's pick trumped the DNC stories, and how smart I thought the timing was.  But don't lose sight of the fact that there will be a VP debate at some point, and Biden, for all his faults, can muster an incisive wit on demand.  Think she's up for it?  You don't really know yet, do you?  In fact, none of us know very much about her except that she's considerably easier on the eyes than Joe Biden.

[Storebought]

Compare two things, the announcement of Biden and the announcement of Palin.  Which was better.

Biden: a 3:00 AM phone call on a Saturday morning.  Palin: a Noon announcement on a Friday, that relegated Obama's acceptance speech to the second news story.

McCain knows what he's doing.

Not to mention that two word phrase, "glass ceiling."

I agree.  But in all fairness your fear of an Obama administration is as irrational as their nitpicking over minutiae and irrelevant factions involving Sarah Palin. 

By the way, the McCain/Palin duo is blatantly playing up the glass ceiling angle now.  Did you catch the snippet today with Palin talking about how Clinton's "grace and hard work resulted in 18 million little cracks in the glass ceiling."  Or something like that.  She did use the word "grace" in connection with Hillary Clinton.  I nearly lost my lunch.  But it's clever pandering, no doubt, and I agree with your post entirely.  In fact I posted elsewhere my objective observations today about how McCain's pick trumped the DNC stories, and how smart I thought the timing was.  But don't lose sight of the fact that there will be a VP debate at some point, and Biden, for all his faults, can muster an incisive wit on demand.  Think she's up for it?  You don't really know yet, do you?  In fact, none of us know very much about her except that she's considerably easier on the eyes than Joe Biden.

The sad fact is, H Clinton has responded more "gracefully" to this VP announcement than practically every other high-level Democrat. Their nearly-uniform ugliness is a turnoff, and it may backfire.

[MODU]

She's under-qualified (this isn't a binary), but there are other judgments than experience, which shouldn't be held up as a litmus test.  Otherwise Obama would be dead in the water.

[angus]

The sad fact is, H Clinton has responded more "gracefully" to this VP announcement than practically every other high-level Democrat. Their nearly-uniform ugliness is a turnoff, and it may backfire.

Good point.  And well said.  I was just thinking today that I hope Obama doesn't start taking advice from Democrats.  He hasn't been so far.  I voted for Clinton in 92 and 96, but haven't supported any Democrat presidential candidate since then.  I'm still pretty sold on Obama, though, and a big part of it is that he doesn't usually come off the way most of his fellow democrats do.  He's downright optimistic.  Moreso than even 80s Republicans, but the attacks on Palin are wearing mighty thin.  My feeling is that they're pissed at the timing.  Like they have been burned, unfairly, but there's nothing they can do about it.  Like when you give a guy enough money to buy you a lid, because he says that this particular connection is weird and nervous about meeting new people, so you have to wait in the car, and so you wait in the car, and twenty minutes later the guy shows up with what amounts to a thin half, or more honestly just a fat quarter.  And you're burnt.  You know that asshole pinched your bag.  But it's not like you can go to the Better Business Bureau or anything.  So you start talking nasty to all the other heads you know about this guy.  That's how the Dems are acting just now.  It's not unreasonable, but it seems petty.  At if it continues some of the swing vote may just swing back to the neocons--Not mine.  Mine would swing to a third party, if it swung at all, because I still can't stomach John McCain even if he has the good sense to pick an attractive, individualistic Westerner for a running mate--but some might.  I guess Obama needs to try to squeeze in one more high profile speech over the weekend.  Before the RNC and Hurricane Gustav begin to hog the airwaves.  And it should be a speech to the brainwashed, braindead, hacks within his own party.  And it should tell them to chill.

[ThePrezMex]

The population of Alaska is about the same as the population (a little less, actually) of Austin, TX, my home town. The current mayor has been mayor since 2003, over twice as long as Mrs. Palin. Is he qualified to be President?

Is he young?Is he a FILF(father i'd like to...)?If so,then hell yeah!

he's an extreme liberal that loves the sound of his own voice more than Biden loves his. He has an excellent name for campaigns though: Will Wynn.

Answering the thread question, Obama is slightly more experienced than Palin and I don't think he's considerably more qualified than her to be President.. then, she's running for vp not for president. In terms of experience not considerably different than the Quayle pick, but tactically pretty bold and i think smart.

[Ebowed]

I socked my nephew in the mouth for calling his mother, my sister, a bitch.

How civilized of you!

[Ebowed]

Everyone likes to assume McCain's gonna drop dead,but it is also possible Obama could drop dead of a heart attack - people do have those at young ages too, not to mention he smokes about a pack a day.

McCain smoked 2 packs a day for 25 years; Obama is an on-and-off lighter smoker (usually 3 cigarettes a day when he's smoking).

[Kaine for Senate '18]

i hope biden shreds the bitch

Aizen, apologize.  That's a horrible thing to say.  All us Democrats hope she loses.  But she's a classy lady and, evidently, pretty intelligent and compassionate. 

Thank you.

No thanks necessary.  I socked my nephew in the mouth for calling his mother, my sister, a bitch.  And she's crazy as a loon.  But she's a lady. 

Agreed.  Let's try to keep things civil.

[Ebowed]

"Sen. McCain's personal interactions with his new running mate have been sparse. He first met her just six months ago, at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington. They spoke again by phone this past Sunday, the campaign said. Campaign officials would not say if they had any interactions in between."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121993453813079803.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news

At least Obama and Biden saw each other at work everyday, among other interactions...

[Keystone Phil]

"Sen. McCain's personal interactions with his new running mate have been sparse. He first met her just six months ago, at the National Governors Association meeting in Washington. They spoke again by phone this past Sunday, the campaign said. Campaign officials would not say if they had any interactions in between."

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121993453813079803.html?mod=hps_us_whats_news

At least Obama and Biden saw each other at work everyday, among other interactions...

And McCain has stated that he has followed her career.

I am, of course, waiting to hear, "Yeah, that's just what the old warmonger says..."

[Dan the Roman]

For President? Probably not. But she is running for Vice President has been pointed out on this thread.

That said, given my nonscientific sample of people I interacted with today, including a good bit of Hillary supporters, the inexperience thing is not a talking point. Millions of Americans came up with it on their own individually today, despite a terrible Obama response. That is a bad sign.

nonscientific sample = millions of Americans?

I'm not getting the connection.

Millions of America: "Did you see that Sherry Paylin lady yesterday?"/"Nah."

Sorry, two different things. A lot of people I talked to had this view. I don't know if millions of Americans necessarily share it, but the response that CNN and Fox both mentioned getting in terms of emails and calls was predominantly negative. Most worryingly, I listened to talk radio most of the afternoon and while Rush was positive, a lot of other shows were downright hostile, which is rare this late in a Presidential campaign.

All of this leads me to conclude that the reaction on the ground is far less positive than the media reaction, and it has little to do with the Obama campaign. It seemed to me that many people who were not necessarily Obama supporters reached the same conclusion, that she is an affirmative action pick without much background. Now many of them think Obama is also unqualified, but the fact that the Democratic candidate is under qualified does not change the fact that McCain, who is 72, picked someone who is clearly unequipped to handle the job of the Presidency. I don't know if these people number in the millions, but I am willing to bet real money that they do. We will find out in the tracking polls this weekend. I personally am expecting a drop for McCain from this pick.

[Nutmeg]

Hell no.

[??????????]

Hell no.

Neither is Obama but most of the morons here don't have a clue.

Obama and his supporters are a bunch of retards, I swear.