Palin On Her Own 'Executive Experience': 'Not Rocket Science'

As the GOP struggles to maintain some vestige of the "experience" argument in the wake of Sarah Palin being named as John McCain's running mate, much has been made of Palin's executive experience as Governor of Alaska and Mayor of the town of Wasilla. Of course, if all executive jobs are equal to each other and greater than all non-executive government jobs, Palin has more experience than everyone else on both tickets. That John McCain, Palin's "executive" inferior, remains at the top of the ticket is sufficient to pooh-pooh that whole line of reasoning.

But, as it happens, Laura McGann of the Washington Independent has gone out to Alaska, to do the sort of vetting work that one would have thought the McCain campaign might have done. (One would have been wrong, of course.) And, as it turns out, not even Sarah Palin thinks all that much of her executive experience. Here's McGann, digging through the archives at the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman:

I'm reading an article from October, 1996, in which a reporter named Laura Mitchell Harris asks Palin about her intentions for a shake up. How would she effectively run a city without experienced leaders? "It's not rocket science," Palin said, "It's $6 million and 53 employees."

Comments

[Big0725]

How does someone put a town with 53 employees an a $6 million budget $22 million in the hole upon her departure?

[CaptainZero1969]

It gets lost that Obama's campaign never ran out of money. McLoans did. The O campaign is a cast of thousands and their execution during this process has been nothing short of brilliant. The take away for me is that Barack Obama is a very capable executive that surrounds himself with highly effective staff that manages money and all other things with great discipline. This is a good contrast to the way McBroke ran the show.

Palin was right that the Wassila gig was small potatoes. AK has a population twice that of Bakersfield. Ready to be Commander in Chief? No way. Ready to sit across the table from, say, Putin? Are you kidding? Ready for more tests for ideological purity and gross incompetence? That's what we'll get if McCain/Palin win. Enough! We can't have 4 more years of the last 8 years!

[HKP]

So Palin has a $6million "executive" experience!! Big deal. Obama runs a campaign that has a budget 100 times that size. I bet Obama's Senate office alone has a budget larger than Palin's.

Frankly, McCain needs to have his head checked up, seriously!!! Now they are counting on Palin's "one-night" speech to redeem her. And these are the same people who say Obama is all speeh, no action.

The Hypocrisy and Double Standards get more interesting. It's great to be white, "conservative" (code for all kinda things), and Republican: you literally get away with murder!!

[ins0mn1ac]

She did do quite a job shilling for her town, though

Fun fact: Obama's constituency as an IL State Senator was over 10x the size of Palins as mayor.

[ConcernedAmerican]

If it's not rocket science why did she need to hire the city's first City Manager to help her run the place?

Just asking.....

[Ohg]

We could ask Andy of Mayberry to run for President - but the Mayor would probably fire him for being partisan. .........
http://thefiresidepost.com/2008/09/03/andy-of-mayberry-for-president/

[VenusMuse]

There is nothing wrong with being modest of your work. And of course McCain and others who know her would applaud her work as Mayor - that's when she first started into politics. Being elected govenor in the good old boy network "is priceless!"

Go McCain Palin!

[DMcD]

Oh pleeeeeez ! You can't really believe all this nonsense you keep spouting out. Whats your angle?

[notthistime]

they are earning mccain points.

[scouserinlondon]

Posted, but it's gone into Fairyland.
Sorry, but it's got to be Nov....... wedding cake and flowers been ordered!!!,
May pop over again end of Jan. ...... I am quiet then and it is best time for me to take time off.Nov ., unfortunately is my busy time, but c'est la vie, au petite four etc!!!* So, if you talk with R.O.D. before me , check up on his coconuts and pineapples..... we need a lot for the P u n c h .

*Nod to Del Boy.

[scouserinlondon]

This is for Babs further down. Don't know what's happened but my comments have gone bonkers!!.

[DCX2]

Huh...she wanted to replace all the city's leaders with people who lacked experience. Most likely she would replace them with people who are loyal to her (reference the Matanuska Maid dairy fiasco).

This sounds a lot like how Bush ran the country. Ignore people who have merit and experience in favor of people who tow the party line. Four more years, indeed...

[DMcD]

Exactly !! This, and her "ditto-head" philosophies (as well as McCain's & the GOP) are the things needing 'vetting' , not the sideshow distractions.

[beattlebailey]

You know Obama may be able to run a small town. However based on his policies he would fail. Every business with have higher taxes thus having to cut jobs, health care would be like Massachucetts in debt or like the Canadians/Europeans searching else where. I don't hear anyone talking about the projects in Chicago that Obama said he would revitalize by securing federal fund with the help of felon Tony Resko. Those projects are now shut down and tax payer money wasted. Taxes payers with be paying for everyone to get a world class education. When infact schools like Harvard and Yale already give greater financial and tuition cuts for middle, lower middle and impoverished. It is not a right to get world class. Nothing wrong with Junior College, ITT, State Universities and the University of Pheonix. Get through the beautiful speaches and 4ht of July fire works and do the research.

[Knowitall]

As soon as you went to the Rezko default position, I knew that you have no idea what you're talking about. Thanks.

[DaOne]

You are an idiot, please remove yourself from the gene pool asap.

[feo]

Then explain why with higher taxes under Clinton (as Retardlicans always say) businesses and individuals were in fact better off, more prosperous. The myth of Republican fiscal responsibility needs to be exposed for what it is: nonsense. Also, why do Republicans hate their country so much they're unwilling to pay taxes to support it?

[CaptainZero1969]

Why then did American's take home pay increase during Clinton and decrease under Bush? We are seeing the first time in DECADES this kind of real wage decline. Oh, not everywhere, of course. Those making over $250k/year have seen big increases. Otherwise known as Bush/McCain's base. Still kind of waiting for it to trickle down to me...

[HattieB]

FEO... YOU ARE SOOOOOO CORRECT... LOVE IT ! !

[casengo]

You need to go to Obama's anti-smear page and get some facts b4 you make a bigger fool of yourself.

[JinChicago]

as one who works for an online college, i can tell you a lot of employers wont give you a job, just like they wont w/ ITT and most JR colleges, because all the people w/ state college degrees cant find work either, so they get hired first!

and while a world class education is NOT CURRENTLY a right, it should be. who are you to tell my unborn child that if something happened to me OH WELL?

you disgust me.

[Belleweathered]

Based on the "executive experience" argument, why did the GOP reject Guiliani and Romney in the primaries and then again for VP including Pawlenty & Ridge- all with far more "executive experience" as mayors and Govs.?

[Strywever]

I had to laugh when I saw Fred Thompson talking about Palin's "executive experience" being so much better than Barack Obama's, who was only a U. S. senator and not a governor. Ahem, Fred -- doesn't that mean you, whose experience as an elected official also is limited to the Senate, were equally unqualified to run for president?

Their hypocrisy knows no bounds . . .

[Texvol]

The same comment can be made about John McCain. He has no "executive experience" either. Irony is apparently lost on Republicans.

[ChiGuy]

Here's a little perspective:
The manager of a chain supermarket store has more employees, and a MUCH bigger financial responsibility.

[Knowitall]

And that's why prospective employees are interviewed for longer than a half an hour and one phone call. That's a reasonable amount of time to vet an employee for the produce aisle, and it's apparently long enough to vet the next Vice President of the United States, the person who will be one heartbeat away from the 72 year old President of the most powerful country in the world. Frightening!!

[casengo]

I've lived in Anchorage and been to Wasilla and a Idaho tomato could run it...oh,wa­it...that'­s what they had. Nevermind.

[CaptainZero1969]

It's probably much more difficult to become a WalMart store manager than it is to be picked to be VP by John McCain. And, it involves trips to a foreign country - Arkansas. (just kidding)

[Growmiller]

Can Sarah Spears, I mean Lynn Palin.. Wait, are they the same person? WHAT SHE IS DOING TO HER FAMILY, PIMPING THEM OUT FOR LOST CAMPAIGN. MORALLY WRONG

[bronceye]

You have it wrong, so wrong. The Spears family are Godless, secular progressive, loonie liberal dysfunctionals. The Palin family are Repubican, churchgoing conservatives. Dr. Dobson could get God to Talk to you at Dobson's leisure, of course. Spears' children are a pox on the earth and an indication of horrible parenting. Pali's children are gifts from God. Geez, Lewez, where you been.

[RobinSeattle]

Well, it was $6 million and 53 employees, Now it is $20 million in civic debt for a town of about 7,000 thanks to her and that is before you get to the continuing litigation she caused.

More Republican fiscal magic.

[BobsNotWorking]

Not really magic (although they seem to think it is). They live on the 'no new taxes' mantra - so without new taxes - they just spend your money anyway and send your children the bill.

[rayy]

Alaska gets $1.85 from the federal government for every $1 they send it. That's $13,846 per resident! I'd love to have that budget!

Mayor of Wasilla can't be a full-time job.

Seriously, if they want to make a convincing argument for her, they should stick to her political positions, not her experience, which is obviously light.

[Dynamohum]

Yes, the debt of Wasilla per capita (person) is over $3000.00. How are these working class people going to dig their way out of this? More earmarks through Sarah? You know the ones she is against yet seems to take them anyway. Over $25 million in pork from Congress while she was mayor, and even more since she became Governor!

[turkeyfish]

Are you telling me Wasilla, a town with about 6,500 persons received $25 million in earmarks and yet they are now in debt to the tune of $3,000 per person.?

No wonder republicans are so excited, they picked one of their own "experienced" candidates to run yet another scam that fleeces the public, while lavishing praise on the scam artist.

This is the solutions to the problems created by a Bush presidency?

[NotMcCain]

Any links to details of financial mismanagement in Wasilla?

She got $20 mill in earmarks (how?) and STILL ran them into debt?

She may have a little executive experience (whatever that means), but she seems like she did a really LOUSY job.

[miocid31]

Great, coming from the sources mouth. I recall Lisa [Sanchez] Republican strategist on CNN claiming that she laughed when Obama compared his management skills with Mayor Palin; of course she instead used her current employment of Gov't to do the comparison---like all Republicans, misleading­...surpris­e ? NO