Obama Says He Has More Natural Disaster Experience Than Palin...

[Sam Spade]

...because he's run a presidential campaign.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/01/obama-defends-natural-disaster-experience/

Barack Obama defended his experience in dealing with natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, and took a swipe at newly minted GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

In an interview on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 Monday night, Obama was asked about whether his experience in the U.S. Senate dealing with weather-related situations compares to Palin’s executive experience running the state of Alaska and as the small town mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.

“My understanding is that Gov. Palin’s town, Wassilla, has I think 50 employees. We've got 2500 in this campaign. I think their budget is maybe 12 million dollars a year – we have a budget of about three times that just for the month,” Obama responded.

Our ability to manage large systems and to execute I think has been made clear over the past couple of years and certainly in terms of the legislation I’ve passed in the past couple of years, post-Katrina.”

[WalterMitty]

of course the media wont challenge his stupid comments.

[Josh/Devilman88]

That is funny, Obama please don't say stupid crap and screw this election up.

[prometheus]

...because he's run a presidential campaign.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/01/obama-defends-natural-disaster-experience/

Barack Obama defended his experience in dealing with natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina, and took a swipe at newly minted GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

In an interview on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 Monday night, Obama was asked about whether his experience in the U.S. Senate dealing with weather-related situations compares to Palin’s executive experience running the state of Alaska and as the small town mayor of Wasilla, Alaska.

“My understanding is that Gov. Palin’s town, Wassilla, has I think 50 employees. We've got 2500 in this campaign. I think their budget is maybe 12 million dollars a year – we have a budget of about three times that just for the month,” Obama responded.

Our ability to manage large systems and to execute I think has been made clear over the past couple of years and certainly in terms of the legislation I’ve passed in the past couple of years, post-Katrina.”

In all fairness to Obama, that's a stupid question.  In all fairness to Anderson Cooper, he probably couldn't resist the chance to combine his two great loves for Presidential politics and hurricanes.

It does bother me that whenever Democrats are asked about Palin's experience, they completely ignore her time as governor and immediately zero in on this tiny town.  Hasn't she been governor about as long as Obama's been running his campaign, anyway?

[Lief 🗽]

Obama's right. Running a national campaign for a year and a half now is certainly a greater test of one's executive acumen that being mayor of a town of 6,000.

[elcorazon]

I agree with Obama.

and he's been vetted for a year and a half by the public, the media and the voters.  Palin's a total blank slate.  she may prove her mettle during the campaign, but for now she's still a nobody.

[Verily]

I don't necessarily agree with his reasoning. I think he's right, though; he's worked on legislation related to Katrina and other natural disasters. Alaska hasn't had a natural disaster in at least a decade.

[MODU]

Obama's right. Running a national campaign for a year and a half now is certainly a greater test of one's executive acumen that being mayor of a town of 6,000.

Nor being a governor who actually has to make executive decisions for an entire state.

[Swing low, sweet chariot. Comin' for to carry me home.]

not one of Obama's better retorts considering the climate of Alaska.

[J. J.]

Obama's right. Running a national campaign for a year and a half now is certainly a greater test of one's executive acumen that being mayor of a town of 6,000.

I agree with Obama.

and he's been vetted for a year and a half by the public, the media and the voters.  Palin's a total blank slate.  she may prove her mettle during the campaign, but for now she's still a nobody.

You both have to be joking.  If something bad happens in terms of a natural disaster happens during a campaign, he says, "Don't show up for work for a few days."  A snowstorm in a small town is more of a test than running a campaign.

[cinyc]

Obama's right. Running a national campaign for a year and a half now is certainly a greater test of one's executive acumen that being mayor of a town of 6,000.

How about being a governor in charge of 15,000 employees?

Governor Palin wasn't just a mayor.  She was a GOVERNOR and chairman of the state oil and gas board.

[cinyc]

Alaska hasn't had a natural disaster in at least a decade.

Nonsense.

[Eraserhead]

Obama's right. Running a national campaign for a year and a half now is certainly a greater test of one's executive acumen that being mayor of a town of 6,000.

[RJ]

Of course Obama's at the very least had natural disaster experience. He served in Washington at the same tim Dubya was president

of course the media wont challenge his stupid comments.

What about the time he said something along the lines of people sticking to guns and religion when times are tough?

[TomC]

It's certainly a stretch; he had to give some kind of answer.

[Sbane]

I agree with him but he it won't fly with voters.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I agree with him but he it won't fly with voters.

Me2, because he witnessed the implosion of the Hillary campaign closer than anyone else.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Obama's right. Running a national campaign for a year and a half now is certainly a greater test of one's executive acumen that being mayor of a town of 6,000.

Is it really that convenient to ignore Palin's time as Governor?

[J. J.]

Obama's right. Running a national campaign for a year and a half now is certainly a greater test of one's executive acumen that being mayor of a town of 6,000.

Is it really that convenient to ignore Palin's time as Governor?

A governor, in a state with extreme weather, for one winter, has more disaster experience than Obama.

[Alcon]

A governor, in a state with extreme weather, for one winter, has more disaster experience than Obama.

The flood is a valid natural disaster, but I don't think "Alaska is cold" entails much emergency reaction.  (Although maybe the Governor has a role in dealing with freeze-outs in rural villages?)

[J. J.]

A governor, in a state with extreme weather, for one winter, has more disaster experience than Obama.

The flood is a valid natural disaster, but I don't think "Alaska is cold" entails much emergency reaction.  (Although maybe the Governor has a role in dealing with freeze-outs in rural villages?)

Severe snowstorm, and I'm assuming Alaska isn't tropical.  I'd suspect a lot more even during a short tenure.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Obama's right. Running a national campaign for a year and a half now is certainly a greater test of one's executive acumen that being mayor of a town of 6,000.

Is it really that convenient to ignore Palin's time as Governor?

A governor, in a state with extreme weather, for one winter, has more disaster experience than Obama.

A snowstorm in Alaska hardly qualifies as a disaster. Just because warmer areas might be screwed because they don't have the snowplows and general knowledge to deal with a major snowstorm does not mean that it would be anything unusual in Alaska. Most of the population of Alaska is near certain cities, anyways. I hardly think that this sort of experience qualifies her to be Vice President.

[J. J.]

Obama's right. Running a national campaign for a year and a half now is certainly a greater test of one's executive acumen that being mayor of a town of 6,000.

Is it really that convenient to ignore Palin's time as Governor?

A governor, in a state with extreme weather, for one winter, has more disaster experience than Obama.

A snowstorm in Alaska hardly qualifies as a disaster. Just because warmer areas might be screwed because they don't have the snowplows and general knowledge to deal with a major snowstorm does not mean that it would be anything unusual in Alaska. Most of the population of Alaska is near certain cities, anyways. I hardly think that this sort of experience qualifies her to be Vice President.

We're not talking about VP experience , only experience in regard to disasters.

Snow shuts everything down (and this is from a guy that grew up in Western Pennylvania mountains).  Transportation gets killed; power goes out.  It's nasty.  Unless the last two winters in Alaska were exceptionally warm, Palin wins that one (Obama shoving, or paying someone, his front walk, doesn't count).

I'd suspect there were other as well; flooding possibly.

[cinyc]

Wildfires
Volcanic Eruptions
The state is extremely earthquake prone (especially in the Anchorage area).

Nope.  No natural disasters in Alaska.  Governor Palin clearly has no experience dealing with natural disasters.  No experience in disaster planning.  Because, as we all know, she was just a bumpkin mayor of a small town.

[elcorazon]

ah, I see.  We're focussing on the "natural disaster experiece" thing.

yes, you guys are correct that Obama's answer was not quite on point.

That said, he did want nearly every politician ever does when a reporter asks a question about a subject the politician would rather not discuss.  He tried to tie it to an answer he is comfortable giving.  Politicians have to be quick on their feet and adjust answers they want to give to questions they may want to address.  Obama did this pretty well, as he may have made the point about his experience running the campaign, despite no one actually asking that.

And truthfully, presidents can't have experience at EVERYTHING, so here's an area where you act as a leader and have well qualified able people to handle the details.  Obama never ran for president before, but he has done a nice job at it so far.  Bush had some experience with natural disasters as gov of texas, but nonetheless botched katrina. 

Who knows who will be better once in office, but the truth is that this issue will never top the major issues of the day on November 4.  As a result, Obama did a nice job deflecting the question.