Hell no. Not ready.

Let's put it another way: Obama has zero executive experience. Obama has close associations with Wright, with admitted terrorist Ayers, and with a fraudster.

Obama has been a US Senator for 143 days.

Would you think Barack is ready to be President of the United States?

This is not a "slow news day" so this post is very puzzling.

I'm going to let you right-wingers go nuts here if you want. Your political party is imploding and you can't bear to watch. That's fine -- knock yourselves out.

Meanwhile, for you rational readers out there, the point of this post is that what Schmidt is saying is wrong. People would ask the same questions in Sarah Palin were a man.

Jack,
If our party implodes, that's OUR problem!
You should be delighted, afterall, you'd then have Utopia. One party, run us into the ground....

Rant on. I want to talk about Sarah Palin.

Steve wouldn't even have been on the short list, much less seriously considered.

Sarah should have been accorded the same treatment.

Lizzy,

Abraham Lincoln had zero executive experience. In fact, his credentials prior to assuming the Presidency were virtually identical to Obama's.

The "executive experience" canard simply does not square with reality.

Jack,

You obviously have a valid point here. "Steve" Palin would not be seriously considered Veep material by anyone.

Sarah Palin is on the ticket because she has a vagina. It's that simple.

I think the question of whether his pregnancy was faked would have a more straightforward answer.

Umm, one little problem, Jack - let's not get too hasty with the paintbrush, okay?

I may be right, but I'm not right-wing. Don't much care for the stuff of Bush, for the most part. Don't much care for McCain.

However, I have an abiding sense of fairness, which means that I'm really put off by all of the Palin-bashing that's going on around the 'Net. Folks are tossing around anything they can find, in the hope that something sticks.

They dredge up her husband getting a DUI at 22. Heck, Ted Kennedy drove off a bridge at 37 and left his passenger to drown - but that's okay; he's a good Democrat.

They attacked Palin's "inexperience" before realizing that unlike Obama, she at least has several years of executive experience. When that didn't work, they got really scuzzy.

They claimed that the 5th child was actually her daughter's. Oops, that didn't work out, either.

So they attack her for being an unfit mother because said daughter is pregnant at 17. This would be okay were she not the daughter of a Republican, or if she decided to abort.

Then, of course, we have the attacks regarding Palin's flight after her water broke; endangering her unborn child. Well, the child was born, and was healthy. Down's is a genetic disorder, and has nothing to do with any supposed "endangering".

It's not an uncommon phenomenon; infants can survive without problem for days after the "water breaks".

Look at the recent elephant calf birth at the zoo: after the animal went into labor, some geniuses decided to make everything suddenly different. They closed the public out, and by some reports had as many as two dozen people packed into the barn. And wonder of wonders, the elephant stopped labor.

This is actually highly adaptive; it's bad form to drop a calf when, say, a tiger may be roaming nearby. So, they changed everything while the elephant was in labor, and she quit. For eighteen hours, until they reportedly induced labor. As long as the umbilicus is not compromised, delay is not a major concern.

Talk about reckless endangerment! Here's a calf, stuck inside for 18 hours after the "water broke". And had they not induced labor, it's likely that the calf wouldn't have been born for at least several more hours, until the elephant felt somewhat comfortable with the sudden changes to its surroundings.

You're great on taxes, fees, condos, and many other issues, Jack.

But you don't know much about biology.

Hey Jack, who is "Steve" Palin?

So, if I might summarize the extended conversation over the past two days, it looks something like this:

Obama supporters: "Sarah Palin is unqualified and a poor choice for Vice President."

McCain supporters: "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!"

Max, being an animal planet fan does not make you an expert on reproductive biology.

This is a much better attack on Palin than the pregnancy switcheroo. I'm not comfortable with McCain's pick. Both Obama and Palin are too light on the resume.

Where were all the Republicans calling for an end to Hillary Clinton bashing? Why can't we ask questions about Palin? Why can Republicans stoop to the lowest levels in regards to HRC, but we have to treat Palin with kit gloves?

Sarah or Steve
NOT qualified for public office or parenthood.

Jack,

I doubt that Gov. Palin (of any gender) is the first candidate for VP or President with a young special needs child or a pregnant teen daughter. Al Gore's son dealt with recurrent substance abuse and DUIs and nobody was suggesting he should quit campaigning to spend more time parenting.

Certainly, there are plenty of Congressmen and Congresswomen who have dealt with these kinds of issues. When Michael Dukakis was running for President, I know that one of his daughters (who shall remain nameless) was a regular pot smoker, and had some Daddy issues.

And your criticisms of her resume and her childbirth decisions ignore the strength of Sarah Palin's story:

1. She combatted corruption on both sides of the aisle, first as a member of the City Council, then on the Alaska Oil & Gas Conservation Commission, and as Governor.

2. She pushed for (and achieved) a tax increase on Big Oil, and bypassed the major "American" energy companies to award a natural gas pipeline contract to a smallish Canadian Company (TransCanada).

3. As mayor, she reduced taxes and improved accountability to taxpayers.

4. She has been a strong proponent of bipartisan solutions, and appointed Democrats and Independents to serve in her administration.

5. All while raising 4 (now 5) kids and meeting the demands of parenting and (frequently) part-time and full-time employment.

Many Americans will appreciate the fact she isn't a Washington D.C. insider, didn't go to an Ivy League school, and doesn't have a law degree. While many thought leaders and journalists may see those as prerequisites to exercising good judgement or holding national office, most of the flyover states couldn't care less.

John Kerry had all the credentials that Sarah Palin lacks, but he couldn't beat the weakest incumbent President since Herbert Hoover. You can blame Diebold or Jeb Bush, but the flyover states know better.

I believe Gov. Palin will remain on the ticket, and the results in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Florida will determine who wins the White House. This will be as close as the 2000 race, if not closer.

Hey Allan, --> If

More to the point, Steve shouldn't have been on the list just as Sarah shouldn't have, but all this aftermath is gutter talk.

Yeah, got cut off...IF what you described was accurate, you would be correct, but when someone apparently can't criticize based on this lady's record and resorts to conspiracy theories, I think most reasonable people tend to want to say Shut up. It is no different when people "criticize" Obama by accusing him of being a Muslim or a friend of Ayers the terrorist. That's equal B.S.

Forget whether this were a hypothetical man. Ask yourself if this were Barack and Michelle Obama who were going through this. Do you believe the McCain campaign wouldn't make an issue of it? Talk radio? James Dobson? Rob Kremer?

Republicans are getting exactly what they give on this one and they don't like it one bit. It's an absolute scream to watch them squirm.

Squeezed:

Max, being an animal planet fan does not make you an expert on reproductive biology.

Correct, it wouldn't. All the better, then, that I've had papers published in peer-reviewed science journals on the very subject. I should probably back off, and leave the subject to experts like you.

I think it is fair to say that if it was "Steve" Palin, the Down syndrome child would be a nonissue.

The pregnant daughter would still be an issue if he was a social conservative, not if he was a liberal.

The qualifications issue would be far less likely to be raised with a man than a woman. Remember people who wanted Gore to pick John Edwards in 2000, after just two years in the U.S. Senate and no other political experience? Virginia Governor Tim Kaine was reportedly on Obama's short list this year, even though he's only been governor for a year longer than Sarah Palin. And don't forget a lot of Republicans were pulling for Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who's been governor a shorter period of time than Palin, albeit with a term and a half in Congress under his belt.

None of this is to suggest that Gov. Palin's lack of experience isn't an issue. It's just that the proper response is to scrutinize her more closely, not dismiss her out of hand as so many seem to be doing.

It is that dismissive attitude that infuriates so many Republicans, not the fact that she certainly has a lot to prove in a relatively shot time.

Jack, you've brought on the March of the Wingnuts. Hang in there.

Here is the ultimate rundown on Sarah's very bad day:

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/the_palin_meltdown_in_slomo.php

Wingnuts, your candidate made a rash and terrible VP choice, which is blowing up in his face.

Quit being defensive and accept it. And don't blame us, he brought it all on himself.

Snards,

That really is a meaningless "meltdown" link.

There is no meltdown, no blowing up in McCain's face and you have nothing but partisen hackery behind your pretense that McCain didn't vet Palin.

The only people going nuts are the R haters with their barage of left wing attacks on Palin, on multiple blogs.

Usually, I would say that a candidate's personal issues should remain private. BUT, a woman who advocates against sex education in school with a pregnant teenager must be held accountable. And called on her s**t.

I'm so excited for Bristol Palin, a child who's going to marry some dude she will have nothing in common with in 10 years because of her family's arcane beliefs. What a life she has to look forward to.

And her mother? A woman who's ambition outweigh's her children's interests. This says it all. When she accepted McCain's invitation, she must have realized that her daughter's pregnancy would become front-page news. But rather than say, "my family comes first...this is just not my time" She jumps in, head first.

As my dear friend Karen texted me today..."On my way to a fabric store. Need to make a baby blanket for VP Palin's 17-year-old home schooled Christian anti-abortion daughter..."

Palin in CNBC interview.

She's intelligent, reasonable and very skilled.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=836304396&play=1

Jack, you are playing this set of issues like a master fiddler, and I'm more interested in this presidential than I've ever been before. Thanks!

What's with this making up stuff?

"""And her mother? A woman who's ambition outweigh's her children's interests. This says it all. When she accepted McCain's invitation, she must have realized that her daughter's pregnancy would become front-page news. But rather than say, "my family comes first...this is just not my time" She jumps in, head first."""

How do you know what conversations she had with her family, how extensive they were or what her family told her?
There is little doubt she thoroughly discussed the entire prospect with her family and no doubt they all fully support her decision and selection by McCain.

On a related note, I assume this media feeding frenzy will soon consume Todd Palin as well. In just a few hours, we learned he caught a DUI a long time ago. Now we're going to learn about every sordid detail of their lives.

As I mentioned in another comment, there will be no secrets for them. All of the Palin's "friends" are going to get calls and visits from all manner of paps and reporters.

It seems obvious now that half of it will be rumor and innuendo, which is really sad because the truth is disturbing enough.

This is one of those all-too-common moments in American life where I just want to draw the curtain and pretend what's going on behind it isn't happening.

McCain's first major 'presidential' decision is a colossal meltdown.

icouldkillher,

Don't you mean, a person's polical life should remain public until it conflicts with your political beliefs?

And when you say "arcane," do you mean "homeschooled Christian anti-abortion[ist]?"

If so, what is arcane? (a) home schooling; (b) Christianity, or (c) anti-abortion?

Your post also presumes a number of things that are not known, including:

(a) Sarah Palin wants her daughter to marry the father of the child;
(b) It was not Bristol Palin's idea to marry the father;
(c) Sarah Palin knew of her daughter's pregnancy;
(d) Bristol did not encourage her mother to accept the nomination despite her pregnancy;
(e) Sarah Palin was not initially against accepting the nomination; and
(f) Sarah Palin's acceptance of the nomination was not a family decision.

In your head, you answered each of these questions based upon your own bias without any real knowledge of what transpired in the Palin home leading up to her acceptance of the nomination.

Because none of us can know what happens within the candidate's home and all "knowledge" is speculation, perhaps the private life of the family members should remain private.

Let's say Barack Obama was a white guy from Michigan, had spent two terms in the Michigan senate, and two years as US Senator. Had precisely zero legislative accomplishments in either place.

Would you say he is qualified to be President?

C'mon Rob, you're not allowed to attack 'The One' like that. Now repeat after me, "hope and change, hope and change, hope and change..."

Keep changing the subject, guys. It's better than watching your horror show on TV, isn't it?

Jack R.:
"It is that dismissive attitude that infuriates so many Republicans, not the fact that she certainly has a lot to prove in a relatively shot time."

Well, that and having a Republican claim he knows what "infuriates so many Republicans". As an Indie/NAV, even I find you patronizing sometimes.

Come on, Jack, don't you think that most Republicans have gotten used to "that dismissive attitude"?

Wasn't GWBush, in 2000, dismissed as: 1) a drunken frat boy, 2) an uneducated light weight much dumber than Al Gore, 3) somebody Al Gore would trounce in the election?

And wasn't GWBush, in 2004, dismissed as: 1) a big failure that everybody hated 2) an uneducated light weight much dumber than John Kerry, 3) somebody John Kerry would trounce in the election?

And now we have Liberal Democrats, yet again with "that dismissive attitude", trashing the VP choice. (As if they would NOT trash any VP choice, even an Ex-Democrat Joe Lieberman). And with Jack Bog and his foolishness that there might be a third woman who was Trig's mother, since he was so discredited with his false theory that The Gov Mom was covering for her eldest daughter's pregnancy. Is that dismissive or deranged attitude?

Regardless, it is par for the course, and most Republicans laugh it off, like the fools who think that 911 was an inside job.

"... dismissive attitude that infuriates so many Republicans..." How about ROTFLMAO!! But what do I know, I am just an Indie/NAV.

Changing the subject? Weren't we talking about qualification for higher office?

You really think Palin is a horror show? I'm telling you, Jack, your east coast elitism is oozing out of you.

She is a terrific choice, and is going to prove very popular the more people get to know her. I think that deep down, all the gnashing of teeth we are seeing from the left is because you know it, and know you must destroy her quickly before the country gets to know her.

Palin has more accomplishments in her political career by far than does Obama. Not even close. Name one thing Obama has accomplished other than gazing in the mirror, writing self serving books about his favorite subject.

Obama climbed the greasy pole in Illinois by shrewdly ingratiating himself with the corrupt political machine there. Palin rose in Alaska by defeating the corrupt political machine there, and got rid of the corrupt pols.

The comparison is not even close.

And yes, Jack, my wife said to me just tonight: If Sarah Palin were a man, I would be just as excited about him being VP.

I do hope the unhinged attacks continue, because the more they do, the more the middle America all you east coast elitists detest will see your contempt for them.

Don't you get why you keep losing Presidential elections? Because of precisely what you are doing right now.

Carry on.

reasonable ? She wants to teach creationism in our public schools, doesn't think global warming is caused by humans and is dishonest claiming anwar drilling would only be 2000 acres (that is just the drilling pads) - after all her husband is in the oil biz...continuing the Bush dark ages with its hatred for science...I hope Biden asks her if the earth is flat

He knows little about the federal government. He will have to preside over the Senate, and get ready to become President if McCain dies in office, all at the same time as dealing with his family's needs. Steve has been the governor of Alaska for less than two years. Before that he was the part-time mayor of a small town. Would you think Steve is ready to be vice president of the United States?

No.

......................................

I have a question for the Palinites who suggest Obama's lack of executive experience means he's not qualified to be president:

For how long was McCain governor?

I can't seem to find a site listing his executive experience.

To answer the question: No, Steve Palin would not be selected as VP, especially coming from a state with almost no political clout.

This is the classic example of a horrible decision through over-analysis. McCain's advisors convinced McCain that a woman VP would highlight Obama not selecting Hillary. Obviously they hope to collect the undecided Hillary supporters in the swing-states.

The problem is that Hillary supporters in the swing-states are blue collar families and not just women. McCain needed a conservative populist candidate that appealed to hard working families, whether or not a female. The gender should be important but ultimately was secondary to a VP with the right record and experience and attraction to swing state voters.

Sarah Palin in none of these things except being female. She has no experience and nothing that connects her to blue collar families in Pennsylvania...yet. To me, she comes across harsh, judgmental and religiously conservative with zero foreign policy experience or national economic experience. She was a horrible choice and McCain will lose the election because of it UNLESS Sarah Palin has a ton of personality that will warm over voters in just 2 months. I heard her talk: I do not see that personality.

Harry,

George W had over a year for voters to warm to him and he had name recognition.

Sarah Palin has two months and no name recognition.

The ship was sailing strong to victory and the election looked very tight. Then McCain steered the damn ship right into a sandbar off the coast of Valdez.

"None of this is to suggest that Gov. Palin's lack of experience isn't an issue. It's just that the proper response is to scrutinize her more closely, not dismiss her out of hand as so many seem to be doing."

I agree with this fully. One should consider all of the evidence fairly before arriving at a decision. At this juncture however there seems to be little evidence that Mrs. Palin's is qualified to lead this country. I'm waiting to hear more about her qualifications. Her experience governing a town of 8,000 in Alaska has minimal relevance to the presidency of the United States of America, and she has been Governor for less than two years. Governing Alaska, a small state in terms of population, is a different ball of wax in that it has vastly different issues than those that confront the lower 48.

It's also important to not lose sight of the fact that John McCain created this situation, and one has to question his judgment when there were far more qualified candidates than Sarah Palin for VP.

Jack,

Our party is not imploding any more than yours did 4 and 8 years ago. You seemingly are though. Give it up for your own dignity's sake.

If you are going to measure in any way you want, a person's qualifications, experiences, past performances, I think it's better that Palin's measurements are being applied to a vice-presidency than Obama's measurments to a presidency. Less harm if we are wrong.

Back to "Is she qualified...?"

From the NYT:

"Even the governor’s own Trooper-gate scandal, in which Palin is alleged to have exerted undue pressure to fire a state trooper, is suffused with an element that many families can identify with: one sister stepping in on behalf of another in an acrimonious dispute with a brother-in-law.

... it is of a considerably different nature as an abuse of power than the last Trooper-gate scandal to rock the political world — the one in which Bill Clinton was alleged to use his state troopers in Arkansas to procure women as sex partners. "

===

Most Middle America folks can relate to Gov Palin's problems.

Most Coastal Elites and Hollywood types can relate to Pres Clinton's problems. It is hard to procure women as sex partners, especially before Craigslist was invented.

Rinowatch writes: If our party implodes, that's OUR problem!
You should be delighted, afterall, you'd then have Utopia. One party, run us into the ground....

Gosh I'm sorry to come so late to the debate here, but I have to respond to the above from Rinowatch. We HAVE had one party,(for the last eight years) and it HAS run us into the ground.

Let's say Barack Obama was a white guy from Michigan, had spent two terms in the Michigan senate, and two years as US Senator.

I'll assume the white guy comes with the same education and legal resume as Obama. Can we also assume that the white guy put together an operation which took down the Clinton machine, something Republicans tried but failed to do?

Then yes, that white guy could certainly win the nomination and go on to the White House. As far as I'm concerned, anyone with that combination of education and political skill is welcome to lead this country.

RE Max - This is a woman we're talking about, not an elephant. Also, it -could- endanger the child to fly, so why would you want to take those chances? If I were eight months pregnant, or any months pregnant, I'd take all the necessary precautions to not have anything go wrong, especially if I had prior indication that my baby was going to be special needs.

I think her political standpoints are just insane, but I don't like the way she's appearing to handle those closest to her, either. Either way, I can't feel good about this woman.

As far as I'm concerned, anyone with that combination of education and political skill is welcome to lead this country.

And there you have it. I'm a person who laments the widening gulf between the skills and abilities it takes to win the presidency and those it requires to govern successfully.

Winning a primary, even against the Clinton machine, is not in my mind a qualification to be president. It is an accomplishment, but not one that goes to being a good president.

Just what are Obama's legal accomplishments? Editor of Harvard Law Review and part time professor at University of Chicago ... has he published a single journal article? Does he have ANY accomplishments in the legal field, or are they as elusive as his policy accomplishments?

Palin has very real political policy accomplishments at every single level she worked. Obama has none. He loves to talk about the future, because that is where all his accomplishments are.

at every single level she worked.

Yes, part-time small-town mayor and small-state governor. Smashing success both times.

Oh, are you counting Miss Alaska?

To Rob Kremer - Has Palin published any journal articles. Besides being a "sportscaster", how has she applied her "journalism" degree? And what differences are there between a BS in Journalism and a J.D., schools aside?

"Oh, are you counting Miss Alaska?"

C'mon Jack get your facts straight. She only was runner up for Miss Alaska.

Don't forget that experience she had with the PTA that they keep mentioning as well as the fact that "Alaska is the closest place on our continent to Russia."

Hey Nancy! Have you forgotten Harry and Nancy and their majorities? 2 outta 3 branches, eh.

BTW, If it had been found that the McCain-Palin poster would become be a "collectors item", because of the first baby smear, RinoWatch would have been Palin's harshest critic if she had indeed "lied" about who baby Trig's real mother is.

So Nancy get up off the ground, dust yourself off, and go follow your Pied Piper.

Why are our lefties pretending a small state governor doesn't do anything?

The small state has many agencies, a multi billon dollar budget and many responsibilities for the governor to tackle. Obvioulsy this Palin has done so and been a leader, and Obama has done no such thing.
In fact the role Obama has played in the state and US senate is one where members are able to take on zero individual responsibility as all things are by committee.
The legislative role appears to suit Obama, whereas Palin is a leader.

I'd rather have an experienced leader in the oval office than Obama the pretender.

Read David Brooks in the NYT today.
The job of second fiddle is still open!

I just blogged about this very issue:
http://www.laobserved.com/intell/2008/09/go_home_sarah_palin_1.php

"RinoWatch would have been Palin's harshest critic if she had indeed "lied" about who baby Trig's real mother is.

WOW. How blind does RinoPatch dream that people are? Piling a LIE on a LIE - a BigStack.

Failin DOES LIE about being Trig's mother -- it is plainly seen; and RinoPatch does NOT complain or object, and DOES spread-eagle on the demonstrated evidence meaning to cover it up.

It was only a typo. The comment started to say: "RinoPatch would have been Palin's harshest critic when she had indeed "lied"

'woulda coulda shoulda' BUT instead, LIED on LIAR.

Nancy,
That link is nothing but more of the same
junk and charges she should go home because:

· She's the mother of an infant
· She has four other kids
· Her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant
· She may have canned an official who refused to can her brother-in-law

That's a case for "going home"?

I guess a working mom is not so much appreciated by the left?

I like the "may have" part that so often delivers blue rhetoric.
That whole story is nothing but an embellishment of your fellow blues.

Barak should go home and run for Governor.
See how easy it is to be petty.

Tensky,

"it is plainly seen"?

Where? In those Palin photos being spread around like 911 videos showing the deliberate imploding of building 7?

Seeing is beleive.
Especially when you're able to see what is not there.

The Palin example is an object lesson for us all. Preach abstinence if you are so inclined, but quietly slip your teenage daughter birth control. Sometimes good judgement requires one wear a belt and suspenders. For all you GOP trolls, take solace in the knowledge that your opinions will not be punished by an Obama administration, on the contrary, they will be welcomed. Troll away.
Finally, the joke of the day: "Winning a primary, even against the Clinton machine, is not in my mind a qualification to be president." Pre-requisite maybe?

I'm tired of people saying that there's nothing wrong with Palin's daughter being pregnant at 17 as long as she keeps it and has a shotgun wedding. No she's not aborting (murdering, for you anti-choicers) it, but that's not the argument. It's that Palin is promoting abstinence and her own daughter is pregnant in high school. If only Palin believed in condoms... Also if Palin were a man she would never have been looked at by McCain. He wanted Lieberman or Ridge, I see no similarities in Palin.

Baby daddy myspace page: "But I live to play hockey. I like to go camping and hang out with the boys, do some fishing, shoot some s- - - and just f - - -in' chillin' I guess."
"Ya f - - - with me I'll kick [your] ass," he added.
He also claims to be "in a relationship," but states, "I don't want kids." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/09/01/levi-johnston-bristol-pal_n_123089.html

Evan,

If a politician is promoting sex education and not abstinence, and their child subsequently gets pregnant, were they wrong?

Al Gore was a staunch opponent of marajuana use - even for medicinal purposes. His son was subsequently busted for possession of pot. Was Al a terrible parent?

If you want reasons to opose obama then look no further, inexperience, inabilaty to make big decisions, and every thing in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sj91NH5fvw&feature=related
If you watched then you can see why the "flyover states" don't seem to care about what your ***king degree is in or what college you went to if your that stupid then then they wont vote for you, you can be educated but that dosn't make you smart.
not convinced then you are unsaveable
cool I just sounded like a religion extremest(from any religion)