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Palin In Comparison

August 29, 2008 by John H. Taylor | Filed Under Democratic Party, Election 2008 

Obamians may be getting worried about Gov. Palin, because they’re getting things exactly backwards. Joe Conason:

[A] focus group must have told McCain and his handlers that the experience argument wasn’t cutting against Barack Obama, that the nomination of Joe Biden as Obama’s running mate had eviscerated it completely — and that instead he and his consultants had better find a way to corral disgruntled Hillary Clinton supporters, or forget about winning come November.

(1) The experience argument was definitely cutting against Sen. Obama. That’s why Sen. McCain was able to pull even with him before the DNC. Obama picked Sen. Biden in part to try to limit further damage.

(2) The Biden choice didn’t eviscerate the experience argument. It proved it. My other favorite argument of Gov. Palin’s critics is that her inexperience takes it away as an issue for Obama. Their very criticism of the potential VP’s inexperience lends new credence to Republicans’ criticism of Obama’s. Those who laughingly compare Palin to Dan Quayle should remember that Quayle’s 1988 opponent, Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, whose gravitas exceeded Biden’s, didn’t help Michael Dukakis win. Strength at the bottom of the ticket can highlight the perception of weakness at the top, while a less experienced VP candidate can make a strong Presidential candidate look magesterial. People are saying approvingly about Palin, “McCain will groom her.” People are saying hopefully about Biden, “He’ll help Obama.”

(3) Since he didn’t need a VP pick who would make him a complete candidate,  McCain used it to help in other ways. Conason misses this point, too. By his choice, McCain has reinforced his experience advantage, tied up his base (not my favorite part of Republican politics, I admit), and gone hunting for undecided independents.



Comments

15 Responses to “Palin In Comparison”

  1. Grandmago on August 30th, 2008 6:47 am

    The libs/dems always miss the point. There is a reason why they have only been entrusted with the presidency 3 times since Roosevelt. The truth about this nation is it basically right of center. That is why extreme left liberals never win the White House. Sarah Palin is a great choice for the following reasons: She energizes the base and guarantees a Ronald Reagan attitude that conservatives have longed for. Reagan democrats will look favorably on her. Obama was going to have a rough time winning the White House (even with the MSM as his partner) and in the end, the dems will wake up the morning after the election and wonder what happened. Foiled again!

  2. Dave on August 30th, 2008 7:32 am

    Palin is a great choice:

    1) The Catholic Bishops daily rebuke of the Peolosi, Biden, Kerry misrepresentation of Church doctorine also cemented the fact that the GOP ticket had to be duel, prolife. Palin and the developments of Catholic leaders in the USA set a foundation for the base and clearly states that the views of Obama, Pelosi, Biden, Kerry and Kennedy are considered either murder or responsible for creating a culture of murder.

    2) Palin still lives and plays in the grassroots. She dumped the limo. She takes care of her kids – herself – everyday.

    3) Her lifestyle means she knows what everyday goods and services cost… Let one of these debate goofs ask her what a gallon of milk costs.

    4) DRILL DRILL DRILL

    5) Here base values have always been true conservative.

    6) Her resume is three times thicker than Obama. While Obama was spoking dope, snorting coke and drinking beer (his admission in his own book), Palin was exceeding in everything she attempted. She is a winner.

    7) She has attacked the type of politicians (an won) who are the exact types of machine politicians Obama has slept with since the early 1990s. Oboma is an image-crafting actor.

    8) Biden has 1 year experience, 35 years. Nothing here.

  3. Jay Val on August 30th, 2008 8:14 am

    Wow Sarah! Hey! Yeah! Woman, moose hunter, soccer mom, PTA member, regular mother, mayor, anti-abortionist, governor, vice presidential candidate, maybe president! WHOOPPIE! Score another one for the woman. For the white woman that is. I couldn’t help but to think of the irony of what McCain has done and how it is so keeping in with the corporate America way of treating woman: white woman always get the chance for the next best job before a black person to get the next best job. They have but to show up, and the next thing you know, they are it, the new supervisor, the new head person in charge, the new rising star. And it doesn’t matter if the others were there before them or had more experience or deserved the chance more. It is still the white woman who gets that chance. I’ve seen this a thousand times in the work world. So, is this what McCain and the Repubs think will happen with Sarah? That Americans will just fawn all over her and vote for her because she is white woman? Because if so, they just might be right. That is how it has always been. And since the Repubs are not the party of change, this must be the goal. John McCain is either brilliant or stupid. He either gets it or he doesn’t. By naming Pallin (whatever) was he sending a signal that a white woman with a few years of experience can become president of the USA simply by walking in the door, smiling, and pledging to work hard?
    So see, here’s the irony: many conservatives, right-wingers, Obama Haters have said “I don’t know who he is” “I don’t trust him”, even after he has campaigned for over 19 months telling his story all across America, laying out what he would like to do to advance America, etc. And now this woman, who we’ve known just a little bit about nationally for two days, doesn’t have to tell us who she is? We are supposed to just accept her because she is a white woman? I don’t think so. Somebody has some explaining to do. I want to know everything, including what her college thesis was all about and whether or not there were any typos in it. I want to know what positions she took on the PTA, and I want to know, especially, what’s up with Alaska that there is so much corruption in the first place? Tell me all about it. Tell me how you are going to balance wifedom, motherhood, vice-presidential campaigning, and a possible presidency (Michelle Obama has been asked all such questions and we know that Barack has too). And in thinking ahead, tell me the kind of supreme court justice you might like to appoint? She and the Repubs and McCain have a lot of explaining to do.

  4. midnightson on August 30th, 2008 8:57 am

    Jay Val: What a bunch of racist,sexist clap-trap! Face it, Obama’s resume is so thin you can see Joe Biden’s bald spot through it. Palin’s accomplishments got her the job, not affirmative action. Get over it-
    McCain-Palin are going to bury Obama-Biden, because of substance, not gender or race.

  5. Dave on August 30th, 2008 9:24 am

    Midnightson.. you are spot on!

    Georige over at ABC News is attempting to promote the notion that Obama’s lack of experience is now off the table…. No Georgie, Obama is still the person in the race with the least experience and the super thin resume. Palin’s resume is CEO material, Obama’s is mid-level manager, at best. Palin shines the spotlight on the fact that the top of the Democrat is the most inexperienced. Keep bringing it up George. The GOP loves PUMA’s and Reagon Dems. What next, Carville?

    Without David Axelrod, The MSM, MSNBC and Chris Mathew’s leg behind him, Obama would just be sitting in the yard, smoking his 2 packs a day, looking for another bag man to replace Rezko.

    There is a big difference in what Obama has done with his chance to gain experience. He has done from little to nothing with his chance to gain and build upon his opportunities to grow.

    Palin’s incremental gain of experience , skills, results and judgement are that of a driven winner. One can simply look at Obama’s voting record throughout his career as well as the artful way he squandered the money from the Annenburg Challenge he chaired to backup that point.

    Robert Redford, George Clooney or Brad Pitt could give an Obama speech. When he is off the prompter he comes accroess as Mel Tillis without the country know-how.

    Palin is the real deal. OBama is a thin suite with great oratory skills. Biden is a the true Nowhere Man.

    McCain did good. Look at the Obama wagons circle and watch the mantra on the Sunday talk shows to see proof!

  6. Rick on August 30th, 2008 10:43 am

    A Palin ticket, win or loose, will produce a resurgence for conservatives in the Republican party because, she demonstrates the goodness of conservative principles, strong leadership, and could become first in the line of succession to become the next Republican presidential nominee. Thus, conservatives observe she could usher in a new generation of truely conservative leaders. This prospect is what has instantly energized and mobilized the conservative base of the Republican Party this weekend, and apparently sent the liberal base of the Democrat party into confused disarray.

    A good fight against what many conservatives consider evil (pro-abortion,
    anti-defense, anti-Second Amendment, anti-property rights, anti-free market, anti-drilling and socialists anchored to inside-the-Beltway-Central-Planning-and-Control) is relished by happy conservative warriors.

    Troopergate? The trooper threatened to kill a family member. Not a good enough reason to be weeded out of law enforcement? Maybe not to a liberal, but The Governor is the chief executive of Alaskan government, Commander of the Alaskan National Guard, and responsible for law and
    order. Looks like to me that she just tried to use her influence on the
    good-ole-boy network (apparently a pretty big & respected weapon at 80%
    approval) to do for good against evil, this just another example. Democrats: Do bring it to the attention of all.

    And worry about fallout from…thumb-sucking PETA-types about walking on a bear skin? Bring that on too. Sarah hunts caribou and make and enjoys as her favorite dish: moose stew. Welcome to the real world of Alaska– where real women reign, where killing bears is often a matter of your personal safety, where human life is respected.

    I’d like to see her challenge Obama to a little one-on-one on the court.
    She’s a past basketball champ and a coach — and plays hockey. I am confident she can take a hard check from any Democrat, particularly her condescending inarticulate opponent. She has already proved she can take a hard check from any Republican (The Murkowskis, etc.) She’s not nicknamed Saracuda for nothin.

    Ohhhoooooooooooooooooo…BaraCUda!

  7. Jim on August 30th, 2008 11:07 am

    Great Pick…I agree with all of the above, but would like to add that Sarah’s story is far more interesting than either Obama’s or Biden’s. Obviously she’s a leader from being Captain of her High School basketball team to being Governor of Alaska. She has worked much of her life in the private sector which is more than Obama and Biden did. She is NOT a lawyer! I think giving birth 5 times, while not comparable with McCain’s 5 torturous years in Vietnam, certainly contributes to her toughness (ask any mother). She’s an executive with experience running a large household, a city and now a state and in the latter two cases simultaneouly with the first. Can Obama and Biden offer similar “experience”? NO! She is not hiding anything from her past…unlike the Obama campaign. I don’t think the Democrats have a leg to stand on when they talk about her “lack” of experience and when they mention transparency…I convulse!

  8. Dan Watrous on August 30th, 2008 12:17 pm

    It’s our turn to cry sexism!
    Which of the states have a governor who is qualified to be Commander in Chief?
    How about Minnesota, as everyone was expecting? Or for the Democrats, Kansas or Arizona?
    Just because the leader of Massachusetts spent his money to buy limelight, why would he have been qualified to be Commander in Chief.
    Either you admit that all of the Governors are essentially equally qualified or unqualified, or you are sexist. Who wants old Senators or Washington insiders as the only qualified persons to judge what is best for America!

  9. Bill on August 30th, 2008 2:30 pm

    Jay Val, if your thesis were correct, wouldn’t Hillary be the nominee of the Dems?

  10. The Jude Oracle on August 30th, 2008 4:25 pm

    Palin has executive experience successfully running the largest State in the USA, sharing international boundaries with Canada and in close proximity with Russia. Her international bona fides include negotiating with British, Canadian, Russian and other government, military and trade representatives, as well as dealing with international/ multinational business enterprises.

    Domestically her real-time executive experience trumps anything on the Democrats ticket.

    Oh, and by the way, Palin and her husband have run a ‘real’ business, being responsible for making a ‘real’ payroll after creating ‘real’ jobs for others.

    Experienced enough for me, especially compared to BHO.

    And with a few years of seasoning in the McCain administration, she will pave the way for the next generation of younger conservative leaders.

  11. riggword on August 30th, 2008 6:20 pm

    Sarah Palin is the real deal conservative many of us have been waiting for. It is more important that she is an anti-abortion conservative who supports the military then it is that she is a woman.

    That is the difference between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans are more concerned with values, core beliefs, substance and character. Dems are all about fluff and fold, the paint job, the facade, the picture, the hype, the star quality.

    That is why Obama doesn’t know what to do, the MSM doesn’t know what to do, and McCain and Palin know exactly what to do.

    Go get em Sarah!!!!!

    roberterigg@yahoo.com

  12. GarandFan on August 30th, 2008 7:32 pm

    Jay Val you want to know everything about Palin. Pity you and your friends have done everything they can to keep people from finding out anything about Obama’s past. Rather ’selective’ curosity on your part, isn’t it? Or is this another of those things that’s “different” because Obama is BLACK and DEMOCRAT?

  13. Vicki Batt on September 2nd, 2008 8:48 pm

    Jay Val, you said:
    “So see, here’s the irony: many conservatives, right-wingers, Obama Haters have said “I don’t know who he is” “I don’t trust him”, even after he has campaigned for over 19 months telling his story all across America…”

    That’s just it. I still don’t know who Obama is. When someone crosses his path and gets in his way, they’re gone (Rev. Wright, for example). There’s no way he didn’t know what Rev. Wright was preaching for 20 years (and if he really didn’t, what does that say about Obama? – do we really want/need a president who’s sleepwalking through life and not paying attention)? If someone from his past is in the way, they’re GONE. Whatever it takes to look good, that’s what he’ll do – or so it seems. And I still don’t know who Obama’s wife is — what I do know (from her own mouth), is she’s not very proud of America. Who needs a first lady like that? When I see Barack & Michelle, I feel like I don’t know who they are at all. It’s very disappointing.

    The questions regarding Obama are overwhelming. But the bottom line is that his experience level stinks. And the fact that Palin keeps getting bashed by Democrats, tells me that they can’t stand behind Obama and his record; they have to divert their attention elsewhere (‘pay no attention to what’s going on behind that curtain…’ – wizard of oz).

    And for what it’s worth, I’m a Democrat. I feel like I don’t have a choice in this election. I can’t in good conscience vote for a man with no experience. And I can’t in good conscience vote for a man who has been so chummy with President Bush (a presidential failure).

    I don’t mean to piss anyone off here. I’m just stating my opinions and feelings.

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