Sarah Palin is not qualified to be Commander in Chief.
Bully Pulpit said 08/31, 02:29 AM
Perhaps the most obvious response to this is, "Well, neither is Barack Obama." But for argument's sake, let's keep this discussion on Palin.
As the governor of Alaska for the last year and a half, her only prior experience was as the mayor of Wasilla, AK and as a city council member before that.
In no way, shape, or form does that qualify someone to be the leader of the free world. The vice president needs to meet all of the criteria of the President, and she simply has no laurels on which to rest. Never has she dealt with foreign leaders or faced the issues that the representation a large, diverse population would entail.
As a woman who described herself as a "hockey mom" just a few short years ago, perhaps she agrees with me that she is unqualified. In an interview a few months ago, she asked the interviewer what exactly the vice-president really does. While I see her appeal politically, she is an irresponsible choice to be our potential president.
swdowning said 08/31, 03:05 AM
First, no-one who has not for a time been the president of the U.S. is qualified. There is no experience that comes close to qualifying anyone for the job. I think it might be a job that certain other types of experience could prove to be hindrances. The U.S. Senate used to be a launch pad for a presidential bid. These days, we look more to candidates with executive experience, such as governors. Palin is the only one of the four national candidates with this experience.
One of the issues voters raise is that the federal government's run by insiders, and is corrupt beyond the people's power to effect significant change. Why wouldn't a reformer, not co-opted by the beltway operatives, be a perfect choice for VP?
The title you gave this debate is true, but no-one is pre-qualified to be Commander-in-Chief. And should she become president without being elected, she will have McCain's advisory staff and cabinet at her side and will have been educated by being in the loop. At that point, she will be more qualified for the job than Obama, Biden, or even McCain is now.
You imply that there are those who are somehow qualified for the job. Who are they, and what qualifies them?
Bully Pulpit said 08/31, 12:26 PM
I agree that no one is fully prepared to be the president. But there are things we need as requirements. In this case, Palin, an unknown (even to John McCain) has been placed a literal heartbeat away from the presidency. As gov, she hasn't even served a complete term! The concept of her having "executive experience" is laughable, considering she is in a state which for the last 10 years has not had to face tax reform, budget cuts,no sales or income tax even, as Ak's budget is almost entirely supplemented by the taxation on oil companies. By not having to make these tough decisions, it shows 1) she doesn't have the required time in office to prove herself, and 2)she is representative of a state which is very different from the rest of the U.S.
You argue that no one is "qualified" to be the president, so by that logic, all who meet the criteria in the constitution are. In that, you are simply wrong. Just because I am 35 and natural-born does not make me fit to be prez. The bulk of her professional life has been as a stay-at-home mom and as a fisherwoman. I'm not knocking that, it is just not what we need for our nation's leader.
This is not ancient Rome, and she is not Cincinnatus.
swdowning said 09/03, 01:47 AM
Just because nothing fully qualifies anyone to be president doesn't mean everyone is qualified. She has more experience as governor than Barack has as senator. Governors are executives, senators aren't. He's running for president, she's running for vice president. Obama himself has minimized the importance of "experience" in favor of "judgment." What happened to that?
I say Obama is not qualified to be our Commander-in-Chief. He's certainly not as qualified as Palin is. Given that it's unlikely - extremely unlikely - that she would become the president in the first days, weeks, or months after a McCain victory, while Obama would bring his inexperience to bear immediately, his inexperience looms larger as an issue.
Our founding fathers gave us a system in which every natural-born citizen of at least 35 years could attain the presidency. Why did Carter, Clinton, and GWB run as Washington outsiders if that weren't seen as a positive quality?
Judgment is important, maybe as important as experience. Palin's judgment has catapulted her from hunter/mom to governor. So she has both judgment and executive experience.
She is well-qualified to be our Commander-in-Chief.
Bully Pulpit said 09/03, 10:08 AM
You can do the hokey-pokey all you want, it doesn't change the fact that she's bush league (no pun intended).
The facts are simple. She has been in government on a state level for just about 1 1/2 years. That's not enough.
Her administration at that level is already tainted! Troopergate, whether true or not, has shrouded her admin. with controversy. If it is true, it proves 100% she is not fit to lead.
She's not even that well educated. She has a BS from U of Idaho in journalism. Wow, now that's credentials! Even G.W. Bush has earned his stripes getting an MBA. Not saying that that is the only gauge of intelligence and achievement, but it counts.
Please don't use the whole, "she won't likely be prez until..." thing. Running as vice she needs to be FULLY ready from day one to step and lead should anything horrible happen. As it stands now, she is not.
Why can't we admit that she is what she is? -Someone to capture disenfranchised women voters and solidify the extreme conservative base. She's not ready to lead based on her accomplishments thus far. She was picked for one reason, and one reason only ... because Americans like Mooseburgers? Not for her qualifications, certainly.
swdowning said 09/04, 10:01 PM
You say she is not qualified on the bases of political inexperience and educational paucity. Consider the effect of those factors on the following:
George Washington: No college. No previous elective office. (Incidentally, his favorite sport was fox hunting.)
Abraham Lincoln: No college. 1 yr as Postmaster of New Salem, IL; 1 yr in the Gen. Assembly of IL; 2 yrs in the U.S. House of Reps.
U.S. Grant: West Point. No previous elective office.
Dwight D. Eisenhower: West Point. No previous elective office.
Woodrow Wilson: Princeton. 2 yrs as Governor of New Jersey.
If Palin's education and political experience is comparable, and I submit that it is, then she is as qualified as these men were to lead this nation.
Your objection to her on these grounds is unsupported by history. Where would this nation be if your objections to Palin had been successfully applied to these five men?
Moreover, the vast amount of political savvy that sweeps into the WH with a president is greater than that of earlier presidents. Should she prematurely be called on to be president, she will have the best political advice upon which to rely.
She is qualified, if they were.
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Nasty, nasty! Where did I say anything about her gender? The reason she is unqualified has nothing to do with that. I hope you realize just how ignorant an attack like that is. That'd be like you making anattack on Barack Obama, and me saying. "WHAT? He's inexperienced because he's black?" Ignorant, dude. Ignorant.
Bully Pulpit | 08/31/08
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Let's just get it clear, she is running for the VP job not Commander in Chief.
POST | 08/31/08
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When John McCain is 72 and has had 4 bouts with cancer, let's get it straight that she needs to be as qualified as McCain in this case. As many are saying she is a heartbeat away from the presidency, she needs to be fit for office.
Bully Pulpit | 08/31/08
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She is running for Vice President, but that means she should be looked into very carefully. After all she would be 2nd in line to be president, and who knows the future. Vice President might as well be running for president, because in a way they are if something horrible is to occur.
erik[bipartisan dem] | 08/31/08
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The vice president still has to be prepared to be president. Especially considering McCain's age and state of health. McCain barely knew her, and clearly only picked her because she's a young woman. And there's no dirt to dig up on her. But other than that she basically has nothing else to offer.
philpee2 | 08/31/08
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"McCain barely knew her...." George W. Bush knew Dick Cheney well before choosing him as VP. Still a big fan of good chums running a ticket, philipee2?
USA Pit Bull 63 | 08/31/08
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I'd rather a president choose a VP because of his or her executive record, qualities, skills, political savvy, and ideals---rather than because they're really close. McCain knew her positive executive decisions well, and that's what matters.
USA Pit Bull 63 | 08/31/08
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Well, Billy, i think you realize that you just tore down Barack's credibility as well. He is in no way any more qualified than Palin. consider that he spent the majority of his senate term running for president. I'd much rather have experience at the top of the ticket rather than the bottom. but in the end, experience isn't the only factor and sometimes the best candidate might be the less experienced one. I do not believe this is the case with Palin or Barack for that matter, so I'm not overjoyed with her selection. Personally, i was looking forward to a voting block without an evangelical on the ticket. Again, philpee i find your comments to be incredibly arrogant. Politically speaking the fact that she is a woman had a lot to do with her being chosen. But she also has excited much of the Republican base, which is just as important as courting women voters. She also bring her own ideals to the table. I don't agree with most of them, but they are there and she deserves more respect than you're willing to give.
Skipper04 | 09/01/08
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Let's be honest w/ ourselves, yes, there is a possibility that she could become the president if something were to happen, however considering what's happened in the past, that's rather unlikely and until then she's relegated to the least important federal office in the US. So I'm not really worried about her being VP
MorgMcA | 09/01/08
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This is somewhat rediculous. The example is beyond silly. Is this the example our country needs to give the world. It tends to make us foolish and it continues to embarass me. A mother who won't stay home more than 3 days with a new baby - regardless of its needs. An example of lack of teaching her daughter the responsibility of what parenthood is all about. But mom isn't even concerned for her own baby with special needs? She hasn't taught her daughter parenting is demanding - not something of importance and fore-thought. These babies deserve better. Where is the importance of family bonding - just have a kid and be dysfunctional? Where does responsibility begin? I have an autstic brother 48 yrs old with a mentality of 6 yrs old and a quality of life that is sad. I have to children I ended up raising alone after divorce. They had hardships. I had hardships. And I started with everything planned. How does this express integrity and responsibility? Is this what we want the world to see as our shining star? Please. this is less than I could ever have expected.
Kate210 | 09/02/08
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Sarah Palin is not in the same league as Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. She is a opportunistic politician who has betrayed friends and family alike in order to acheive her personal goals. It's no wonder that 3 days after the announcement of her selection, she has yet to hold a press conference with reporters where she would answer questions. This is theater of the worst kind as it puts political ambitions about the good of the nation.
Wisindependent | 09/02/08
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Wisindependent, you may want to reconsider whom you term opportunistic (a reformer who was elected over two governors) and who you don't (mrs political calculator and mr no history, spell binding, no plan)
MorgMcA | 09/03/08
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When comparing Obama and Palin it is important to remember that Obama won his nomination from voting Americans after years on the national stage under the scrutiny of the primary process. We know him. Palin is a political appointee who very few know with just 60 days to the election. What is her stance on health care, the economy (where McCain admits he is weak), foreign policy or other important, national issues? We don't even know her leadership abilities. McCain forced this choice on us - she was not chosen by voters. After Bush, I'm hardly willing to go with 'trust me'. Show me - only there so little time and the stakes are so high.
Wisindependent | 09/03/08
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I still don't understand why we are supposed to compare Palin and Obama. Even McCain's latest advertisement pits Palin squarely against Obama. What happened to McCain versus Obama? Did McCain suddenly drop out and I missed it? Who is running for president?
emmamoone | 09/04/08
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Wiseindependent, "We know [Barack Obama]"? What do we really know about him? Why does he seem to have terrible judgment when it comes to his associates? Why does he let his half brother live in Kenyan squalor? Why does he occupy both sides of so many issues? He and Michelle don't give their girls presents on their birthdays or at Christmas. What's that about? Why has he backpedaled so much on troop withdrawal from Iraq? How does he view the relationship between the people and the state? What does he think is the ideal relationship there? "Barry, We Hardly Knew Thee."
rkellar | 09/04/08
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rkellar i havent read such a load of bs in forever and a day. Just because a guy runs for president doesnt mean he has to give up his privatcy. Who cares who his friends are? Who cares if he change his mind about Iraq? And what business is it of yours how he raise his kids? Beside everybody know that Michelle run the whole deal anyways. So who cares about the white girl? Thats all im saying.
abiflot | 09/04/08
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Here's why Palin isn't qualified: Yes, a lot of this info came from the left, but it's all sourced. AP, etc. Google your brains out. I'm not talking at her babies, her daughter, her dress, her hair, etc. Looking at the issues. If you like what you read, vote for RNC. If not, shut them down on 11/4/08. This is enough for me to say NO WAY: Palin recently said that the war in Iraq is "God's task." She's even admitted she hasn't thought about the war much???just last year she was quoted saying, "I've been so focused on state government, I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq." In an address last June, the Republican vice presidential candidate also urged ministry students to pray for a plan to build a $30 billion natural gas pipeline in the state, calling it "God's will." Palin wants to teach creationism in public schools. She hasn't made clear whether she thinks evolution is a fact. Palin doesn't believe that humans contribute to global warming. She said, "I'm not one though who would attribute it to being manmade." Palin has close ties to Big Oil. Her inauguration was sponsored by BP. Palin is extremely anti-choice. She doesn't even support abortion in the case of **** or incest. Palin opposes comprehensive sex-ed in public schools. She's said she will only support abstinence-only approaches. As mayor, Palin tried to ban books from the library. Palin asked the library how she might go about banning books because some had inappropriate language in them, shocking the librarian, Mary Ellen Baker. According to Time, news reports from the time show that Palin had threatened to fire Baker for not giving "full support" to the mayor. She DID support the Bridge to Nowhere (before she opposed it). Palin claimed that she said "thanks, but no thanks" to the infamous Bridge to Nowhere. But in 2006, Palin supported the project repeatedly, saying that Alaska should take advantage of earmarks "while our congressional delegation is in a strong position to assist." Palin has proposed paying a $150 bounty for the left foreleg of each dead wolf. She approved a $400,000 state-funded propaganda campaign to promote aerial hunting. She introduced legislation to make it even easier to use aircraft to hunt wolves and bears. Hunters out there? Well, NO fair chase. Despite the EIA's studies on how OCS drilling won't produce enough oil to meet our future oil consumption and won't lower gas prices significantly, Palin, says we should drill everywhere; offshore, ANWR, all federal lands, etc. Related to drilling, she also has a lawsuit against the U.S. government to stop the listing of the polar bear as a threatened species. Gee I wonder why she would do that? There's more. All issues. No glitz. You can agree or disagree with her, but her positions on the issues should be the basis for people's judgments on whether or not she is qualified.
djd2008 | 09/04/08
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Surprisingly, about 1/3 of our Vice Presidents have replaced the President. Essentially they are appointed to their office, not really elected by the people. Palin is probably more able than McCain, but she doesn't reflect my values.
Windsor | 09/05/08
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djd2008 - So she is unqualified because she believes the wrong things. She is guilty of "thought crime," to use Orwell's term. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the multicultural ethic embraced by the left hold that no moral code is superior to any other? Don't you and your ilk maintain that right and wrong are subjective, rather than objective, and that no nation has the right to impose its ethos or system on any other nation? So how can there be "wrong thought"? What you seem to be saying is "There's no such thing as right or wrong, but if you disagree, then you're wrong." You say she's not qualified because you have reached different conclusions than she has. Sic transit gloria mundi. Your hypocrisy will haunt you, but perhaps not before you've made "wrong thought" a capital offense.
swdowning | 09/05/08
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Mr. Bully Pulpit, Do you think that a woman can not be qualified to lead the free world? What is it that you think would qualify a man? I think your objection is a red herring. You wouldn't approve of anyone McCain nominated, would you? Would you? Tell me who John McCain could have nominated who you would have said is qualified to be the president. Then tell me why you think that person is qualified to be the president. Or shut the f up.
pauljaundiss | 08/31/08
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