GOP Flails To Keep 'Experience' Issue Alive

Back when the McCain camp was firmly pumping out oppo criticizing Barack Obama's experience, they knocked the Democratic nominee for never having been to Iraq or Afghanistan. And when Obama was poised to go to Iraq and Afghanistan, the McCain camp derided Obama for coming to strategic conclusions in advance of his arrival. And when Obama's trip turned into a smashing success, the McCain camp poked fun at how the trip was too successful. Somehow, America allowed this nonsense to happen.

But now that McCain has chosen Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice president, the "experience" argument has been torn into a million tiny little slivers. And that has forced McCain's surrogates to furtively scramble to pick up enough shreds with which to make some papier-mache.

One such surrogate was Lindsey Graham, out in force this Sunday, attempting to apply the new McCain alchemical hoodoo to Sarah Palin's lack of substantive foreign policy experience. ThinkProgress records the relevant exchange:

BLITZER: Has she met with world leaders like you have, like Biden has? Has she really gone around the world and done any of those things?

GRAHAM: I don't know where she's traveled to ... But it's not meeting people that matters. You know, President Bush met President Putin. And I don't think it matters just meeting people. You look at people's judgment.

One should note Graham's "I don't know where she's traveled to" statement, which is further proof that no vetting of Palin seems to have taken place.

Graham adds, "Governor Palin took on Ted Stevens. If she can take him on, she can take on the Russians." Graham also offered that bon mot on This Week, and at the time, I mused, "That's just the dumbest thing I have ever heard." After I wrote that, I thought better of it, and considered whether I may have been speaking prematurely. After all, just as Palin has enjoyed a coincidental proximity to Russia, I have five years experience living across the street from an Italian bodega, so maybe I have the sufficient experience to make delicious cannolis and just don't know it yet.

Unfortunately for Palin and Graham, however, I can now reassert the essential stupidity of that statement, because, as it turns out, Palin doesn't have that good a record where standing up to Ted Stevens is concerned:

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin began building clout in her state's political circles in part by serving as a director of an independent political group organized by the now embattled Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens.

Palin's name is listed on 2003 incorporation papers of the "Ted Stevens Excellence in Public Service, Inc.," a 527 group that could raise unlimited funds from corporate donors. The group was designed to serve as a political boot camp for Republican women in the state. She served as one of three directors until June 2005, when her name was replaced on state filings.

...

Palin, an anti-corruption crusader in Alaska, had called on Stevens to be open about the issues behind the investigation. But she also held a joint news conference with him in July, before he was indicted, to make clear she had not abandoned him politically.

So, I'd say that Vladimir Putin has little to fear from America's Next Top Caribou Huntress.

Comments

[Richard22]

They sound silly now, but it will be even more fun to watch reruns of all these Palin defenders after she "retires" from the campaign.

[Gotcha54]

Yeah I see that "shotgun" soulmate going up in flames in about 10 days

[afgail]

If McCain's poll numbers go into freefall, Palin is toast. So far the Republican convention looks like a cheap suit in contrast to the classy Democratic convention. Can't wait to see McCain's acceptance speech. We'll see a repeat of his Joker - like grin and manical heh heh heh laugh.

[afgail]

It was so much fun watching Linsey squirm. Finally reduced to criticising Bush who he as defended bindly for years.

[Gotcha54]

What is this "Country First" crap that the Rep are touting. Is Bush a part of that Country First squad? I'll tell you I'm an American in his 50's and I want change so bad so that I can see some home for my children and their futures. And in that change I'm hoping - yes I do have "HOPE" - and I believe that Obama/Biden are the people to provide that change.

The Rep using this chest thumping "Country First" is absurd. I'm in the middle class and I don't know anyone that doesn't love this country and the only thing the Rep party has provided is the diminishing of my middle class and have made the rich now the super rich. This gap must be closed!

[nibblybits]

My goodness, listening to Repubs trying to defend Palin and make a case that she's qualified is painful and hilarious. Both Orrin Hatch and Carly Fiorina are on TV right now with fake smiles trying to come up with something to say. He actually said, "Sometimes running a small town is harder than running a big town! [uncomfortable laugh]"

Comedy gold.

[lthuedk 1]

Lindsey normally offends just showing up, but this was one of his most inspired body-language routines ever.

[CaliBoy145]

Pathetic answer from the senator

[bitterindependent]

Sarah Palin is Dan Quayle with a PONYTAIL..­..weak vp pick....pr­obably the worst in history...­.wow!!!! she doesn't even know what the Vice President does???? are you serious????

[Vanity357]

Sure she is. The problem is Dan Quayle actually became the vice president. She is going to have the smoke and mirrors effect. We need to get back to the issues.

[Invox]

The Repubs are soon going to run out of surrogates to talk about this woman. I wouldn't touch it with a 10' pole. The surrogates' reputations are at stake too. What a campaign nightmare! :)

[afgail]

You notice that there are precious few big name Republicans at the convention? Down graded to a catagory F convention.

[wookierage]

You know, they might have had half a chance if they just said, "She represents change." Because it would have been true. But then they started talking about her experience. Ah well. Sayonara.

[Sseb]

Palin DOES SO have more experience than Obama:

He's never skinned a moose,
He's never had to shutter the bait shop so he could conduct a town council meeting,
He's never had to duct tape his b@@bs together for the evening gown competition.

Of course, I don't need to remind you how much more experience McCain has. Obama has never:

Cheated numerous times on his wives,
Graduated in the bottom 1% of his class at the Naval Academy,
Wet-started his jet, leading to the deaths of 134 US sailors (USS Forrestal).

I, for one, am marking my calendar for the Biden-Palin debate. Now that's Must See TV. Of course, this new Big Brother: Northern Exposure Edition show is pretty entertaining, too.

[hoopesaz]

"GOP Flails To Keep 'Experience' Issue Alive"

I fail to see why Democrats want to try to push the experience issue in retaliation. Palin's inexperience does not change the issue of Obama's lack of experience. Seems that both groups would be best served by focusing on issues like Iraq, Georgia, Health Care, etc.

[lvdragonlady]

Go back to your chair and sit down.
It is very clear that your choice has already been made.

Justify it anyway you want, you are still a couch potato w/o a brain to think for yourself.

[Invox]

So would everybody else. But your guy didn't vet the VP. Why is that so important? Well, if she's elected, she could be in charge of this country. Ever think about how big of a job that is? Repeat...H­ave you ever really thought about that? We don't know this woman and McCain was irresponsible and stupid enough to parade an unknown in front of this nation, thinking we'd all just ooo and aww. Why in God's name would we fall all over an unknown? And why shouldn't we want to know more about her? The fact of the matter is that Republicans have been shooting from the hip for the last 8 years and that's why we're in this mess. John Wayne McCain doesn't appear to be any different. I think this incident has pushed experience to the background for the time being. The first thing we need in this country is competence. And the McCain/Palin ticket ain't it. I don't care how experienced they think they are. You can't fix stupid.

[nibblybits]

It's only important in that she undermines all of McCain's arguments against Obama. McCain's three main advantages were 1) experience 2) foreign policy chops 3) security, and he's been saying that those weaknesses were why voters can't trust Obama. Well, since his own VP choice has none of those attributes either, it basically negates any objections people might have had about Obama.

McCain basically is saying, Feel free to vote Obama people, because the experience argument is BS.

[MSgt]

What's even sadder is these so called journalist let surrogates off the hook when they make these asinine statements.

[sunnyokanagan]

Putin is spitting vodka out his nose laughing at this country.

[shag11]

Gomer Pyle is just stupid.

[THEhillbilly]

"But now that McCain has chosen Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice president, the "experience" argument has been torn into a million tiny little slivers."

So, you think choosing Palin for VP candidate endowed grandiloquent, done-nothing parvenu Obama with some experience. Whew!

To set up the snide, awesomely fatuous remark about cannoli, you said, "That's just the dumbest thing I have ever heard." Now, that's funny, considering your remark quoted above.

By the way, pretty Palin is the candidate for the sinecure position, while the idiolator who holds you in thrall wants to be Commander in Chief. You and I are as well qualified for that job as he is, i.e., not, but in our defense, we haven't compaisantly attended to a couple of decades of virulent anti-America obloquies from a "spiritual mentor" without lifting a finger or raising a voice in defense of the country, as the democrats' upstart has. I reckon you actually do understand the difference, and that doing your part to float the silly idea that there is no distinction between her minimal experience relevant to the vice-presidency and his dearth of deeds relevant to the presidency is just part of your obligation as a Obama tub-thumper.

[SFkid]

I believe Obama has achieved more in governing the past 18 months than Palin has done her whole "executive" career.

[wookierage]

I think he did more in one week (last week) getting us all united and playing nice than SP has done her whole career.

[SusanK1951]

Barack Obama has served on the Senate Foreign Relations committee, armed services committee, Veteran's Services committee, and served as chairman of the Senate subcommittee on European affairs -- making official trips to Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, as well as serving on assignments for Homeland Security. He taught constitutional law for twelve years and served in his state's senate for six years. I think it's funny anyone would say you and I have the same qualifications. lmao. ..but it would sure give my poor old mom something to brag about, that I can tell you. You made a judgement based on a soundbite taken from decades of a man's sermons. . .and taken out of context at that (Reverend Wright was referring to the failure of security in America that could have prevented 9/11 -- a thing many cursed but didn't get caught at on camera.)

I don't think it would matter so much to your party, the claim of inexperience against Sarah Palin (since she hasn't done all the above, after all), if there wasn't so much contradiction in her background versus how McCain has presented her as a reformer and such. Now as it turns out she did take the earmarked funds through lobbying, she does support big oil, etc. . .that is the tough thing. They will have a hard time defending these things.

[nibblybits]

It doesn't give Obama more experience; it means that John McCain doesn't think experience is that important either.

[maidenofdforest]

The Republicans, yes, now wants to capitalize on the slogan CHANGE of Obama and say we have to REFORM Washington. Bunch of hypocrites!!!! LOL.

Just look at the occupants of the WH plus the evasion of Rove to be called by Congress to trstify.

REPUBLICANS AND MR. MCCAIN, these are your own people and family running the show and you make me shiver when you say you want to reform Washington!!!

Give me a break!