Election 2008

It's finally happening -- Sarah Palin is about to meet her first head of state. Four of them, in fact. This week Palin will meet with Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Jalal Talabani of Iraq, Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan and Mikheil Saakashvili of Georgia. She will also meet with Henry Kissinger, though it's unclear whether this will be her first meeting with a dead war criminal.

But where does the time go? One minute they're the mayor of a small Alaska town and the next they're all grown up and meeting with world leaders. But you know what they say, you can't keep em in Wasilla for ever. Unless you get them knocked up by Levi Johnston.

In any case, come next week, Sarah Palin will no longer have the stigma of not being...experienced in this way. Let's just hope her first time is everything she hopes it will be.

To help her out, we offer these tips for your first time. And if you've got a candidate at home itching to be finally be presidential, but feel awkward talking about it, feel free to pass the tips along...

• Don't rush in. You shouldn't let anybody pressure you to meet a head of state before you think you're ready.
• Pick the right of head state. Ideally, it should be with a head-of-state you love. Many people rush into a meeting just to get it over with, and come to regret it.
• Enjoy the lead-up. Too many people think meeting a head of state is just about the meeting itself, but, often, the preliminary parts can be the most satisfying.
• Lower your expectations. This isn't to say that meeting your first head of state can't be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, but meetings with heads of state generally improve with time.
• Will it hurt? Sometimes, but the idea that all people experience pain while meeting their first of head of state is a myth.
• Relax. Remember, most likely the head of state you're meeting is as nervous as you are!
• Communicate. Don't be shy about telling the head of state what you like and don't like to do in a meeting.
• Give feedback. The head of state you're meeting with wants the meeting to go well just as much as you do. If the meeting is going well, let the head of state know.
• Set boundaries. For instance, it's okay to tell the head of state you want to discuss trade issues, but feel uncomfortable discussing Iraq.
• Don't do it drunk. Though drinking lowers inhibitions, you want to remember you first meeting with a head of state.
• Don't expect to orgasm.

Posted by: Stephen Sherrill      I’m a fan of Stephen Sherrill