Scholars: Palin Least Experienced Person On Major-Party Ticket In Modern Era

John McCain was aiming to make history with his pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, and historians say he succeeded.

Presidential scholars say she appears to be the least experienced, least credentialed person to join a major-party ticket in the modern era.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[bitabingbitabangbitaboom]

The GOP is secretly praying for Hurricane Gustav to make landfall so they can cancel their Convention

[keepemhonest]

Palin has no CREDENTIALS - forget "Experience."

Interesting how the GOP are twisting the 'experience' word and omitting the "Credential" word.

She has no CREDENTIALS in dealing with:
* ethnic groups (there are none in Alaska)
* foreign policy
* national economics
* national border control
etc.

It will interesting to see if the media, in print & tv, spotlight on Palin's lack of credentials to be a heart beat away from a 72 year old President.

[pkafin]

Well put.

So many folks who want desperately to defend this choice keep saying that she has more executive experience than Obama because she is a Governor. I think your distinction between experience and credentials really hits the point that's been knocking around in my head about how Obama's experience, while not executive branch, has exposed him to a wider range of people and ideas and national security concepts.

[Herrington]

From McCain's campaign "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".

That's hilarious. Do they not realize that scholars of note are nearly all liberals? And that high academic achievement is more correlated with being liberal than any other demographic? Take the candidates for instance. McCain nearly dead last in his class at Annapolis and Obama at or near the top at Harvard.

Wait, I know, scholarship causes brain damage in the area of the brain that causes you to say stupid things. A malady from which the Republicans, obviously, do not suffer.
.

[jonathanu]

I will be interested to hear John McCain asked in the debate:

Having argued that Barack Obama's level of experience is insufficient for him to be president, you have chosen a VP with significantly less experience than Obama's. On the basis of experience alone, not ideology, or politics, would you say Barack Obama would be qualified to be your VP?

[HSimpson]

Exactly what IS Obama's experience? If your referring to experience as a professional politician with a gift for speech, then I suppose he has more than Palin. But what exactly has he done? I dunno. I haven't heard one word about him ever actually having run anything.

[Noratruth]

Even consevetives admit the O is very impressive. One example is Andrew Sullivan's latest blog; a conservative who explains how stupid the idea of comparing O and Palin is.

Andrew Sullivan:
"They really honestly believe that Palin"s "inexperience" and Obama"s "inexperience" are equivalent. I have had no luck at all in the past 24 hours trying to explain that Obama is quite obviously an impressive man (with whom I disagree on almost every major issue) with extraordinary qualities of organization, discipline and leadership. I see nothing in Palin"s record to suggest that she has any such qualities."

Check out the whole article.

[keepemhonest]

Palin has no CREDENTIALS - forget "Experience."

Interesting how the GOP are twisting the 'experience' word and omitting the "Credential" word.

She has no CREDENTIALS in dealing with:
* ethnic groups (there are none in Alaska)
* foreign policy
* national economics
* national border control
etc.

It will interesting to see if the media, in print & tv, spotlight on Palin's lack of credentials to be a heart beat away from a 72 year old President.

[yankee452]

You actually sound just as bad as a neo-con.

Racism is ugly.

Period.

[thefringecenter]

We need happy evangelicals not competent leaders.

[NoSandwiches]

So she was mayor of a town of about 5000.
There are some schools that have 5000.

"Garfield High School in East Los Angeles, for instance, is populated almost entirely by the children of low-income Hispanic residents. In 1988, when its Advanced Placement calculus teacher Jaime Escalante was made famous by the film "Stand and Deliver," Garfield was already a large school with 3,500 students; it now has nearly 5,000. ".

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/28/AR2005112801300.html

The principal of this school has more managerial experienc than she does, since she was never truly responsible for making certain that each of her residence showed up for school.

This is silly.

[BarackMan]

very silly and very scary cause McCain has a 50% chance of getting elected. God help us.

Obama - Biden '08/12!

[HSimpson]

Geez not only has Barrack not done anything at all as of yet, but you are already supporting him for re-election in 2012? Must be a salesman's dream customer.

[HSimpson]

Geez how many people? It was 9,000 then 7,000 now 5,000. The population of this town seems to be shrinking by the hour. And Obama? Exactly how many people has he directly governed over? I think its none actually. And by the way, from what I understand, this woman was and is not a professional political hack looking for the next victim to step on in her quest for recognition. Starting as a volunteer on the PTA as a concerned parent, she was constantly encouraged to move upward because of her ability to actually get things done! Barrack Obama has only a bag of goodies to promise with few details on how? Exactly how? Do people really want change? Do they really? To hell with presidential scholars, she isn't like any other candidate, precisely why its REAL change, change I can at least see, if not be sure I can believe in. And by the way.............she don't look like all those other people on the money either Barrack. Whatever that was REALLY supposed to mean.

[helonias]

Well JM talked with her for a whole 2 hours and even met her once.

Is there more that needs to be said?

[keepemhonest]

Palin has no CREDENTIALS - forget "Experience."

Interesting how the GOP are twisting the 'experience' word & omitting the "Credentials" word.

She has no CREDENTIALS in dealing with:
* ethnic groups (there are none in Alaska)
* foreign policy
* national economics
* national border control
etc.

It will interesting to see if the media, in print & tv, spotlight on Palin's lack of credentials to be a heart beat away from a 72 year old President.

[gakabani]

The politics of decadence, a mirror for us to see that the GOP, and even the Democratic Party, is out of touch, surreal, with America. THis is era of propaganda, circus and political violence. The selection of a unqualified person to run the affairs of a nation are similar to that of Nero. McCain is truly insane.

[TimmySlagle]

Don't worry Huffies,

by the time McCain leaves office in 2013, she'll be PLENTY experienced.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

At what? Meeting foreign heads of state for state dinners, and changing out wall-paper?

[TimmySlagle]

No,

at campaigning, reading off a teleprompter, "community organizing," and running for office.

The only three areas of expertise your Presidential candidate seems to have.

[NotWaldo]

I'm not worried.

In fact, I haven't stopped laughing since friday.

[ChicoBrisbane]

I think that it is every presidential candidates responsibility to select an V.P. running mate who is ready to step into the office of president should something happen. Palin surely in not qualified and for McCain to choose her is reckless at a minimum. Let there be no doubt that Sen. Obama's speech and
it's remarkable number of atendees and viewers at home have put the McCain camp in scramble mode. Even Gov. Palin must know that she was chosen by McCain not because he wanted to pick her, but because he had to. Now McCain is using the hurricane to either postpone the RNC convention or to make his acceptance speech via satallite. The poor man is already coming up with
contributing factors to his impending loss in November.

[thenextquagmire]

Glad it was Presidential scholars saying this.
Neither have accepted the nomination yet.

[TullyMars]

Gotta love the campaign sending a reaction to the story... they are scared. Also, can't help but think of Dana Perino when I read about Palin. Perino, another propped up woman for the Republican Party, didn't know about the Cuban Missile Crisis.

American women are smarter than this. They can see what is going on. If a woman is going to possibly going to be the next VP, they don't want a beauty queen... they want substance.

This is dangerous. Can McCain honestly proclaim, with a straight face, that he put the country first when he named her as his running mate?

[TimmySlagle]

"hey don't want a beauty queen... they want substance. "

Coming on the heels of the Obama nomination, your remark seems somewhat ironic.

[HSimpson]

Ya wanted change right? Not the same right? And whats with the beauty queen stuff? So she won some money for college, good for her. Is it your contention that a woman can't be taken seriously unless she's butt ugly? Geez now THAT is dangerous.

[PaulLee]

Experience : its not the years that count, but the roads travelled and the miles covered.

After an extended primary Obama immediately initiated vp vetting procedures - for which the Republicans called him presumptuous.But he afforded the process the time, resources and seriousness it deserved.
Evidently McCain has not done the same
Obama has also set up a White house transition team - again calls of being presumptuous, but a procedure that past succesful presidents have done (this includes Bush, who was successful in executing his agenda ) . He is now apparently in discussion with Pelosi about legislation to be enacted after the election - presumptuous ? How about sensible planning and foresight with a view to governing responsibly. How about putting "country first". McCains selection of Palin was pure politics, it was about "asking how to win and not why he should win".

[rasthedestroyer]

excellent read, Mr. Lee