Is Palin really qualified?

[Matt King]

Okay, I know Palin has a lot of support here but I think that frankly she is unqualified for office. Look, watching her in the debate made Dan Quayle seem smart.
Palin's Problems:

Has been a non-exceptional governor

Lacks a grasp of the world

Does horribly in one on one interviews

Please explain to me how this woman is ready to be the VP.
Don't turn this into Obama vs. McCain; just explain why you think Palin has the qualities to be the vice president of The United States.

[Matt King]

A good story in The American Conservative:
http://www.amconmag.com/article/2008/oct/06/00010/

[RocketMan]

This has been hashed over elsewhere in many other threads here.  The arguments are getting old.

[CDiPrecision Gunworks]

Sure, shes as qualified as anyone who is/was a Governor/Ran for Governor...She has done more in 2 years than alot of Past Governor / Presidents did when they were Governor of their states for the whole time..

The VP spot is also the perfect "On the Job training" post for her as well.. will set her up nicely for 2012. McCain ain't dying anytime soon..his mom is still alive for gods sake.

[slingshot]

If McCain is elected, I feel perfectly comfortable with Sarah Palin as vice president.  She is more qualified that Obama but Obama has just had a couple years to get his message messaged appropriately so it plays okay with regular folks.  Obama started running for President the day after the last Democratic Convention 4-years ago.

[Standing Wolf]

Certainly, she could be better qualified; that saidâ„¢, I believe she's the best qualified and most level-headed among not only the current presidential and vice presidential candidates, but those we've had to choose among since Reagan left office. I believe she's made of Reagan's stuff.

[TommyGunn]

Okay, I know Palin has a lot of support here but I think that frankly she is unqualified for office. Look, watching her in the debate made Dan Quayle seem smart.
Palin's Problems:

Has been a non-exceptional governor

Lacks a grasp of the world

Does horribly in one on one interviews

Please explain to me how this woman is ready to be the VP.
Don't turn this into Obama vs. McCain; just explain why you think Palin has the qualities to be the vice president of The United States.

"Has been a non-exceptional governor." -- By your standards.  From what I have heard, she's done well.  OTOH I thought Clinton & Carter were "unexceptional governors" and they became presidents.  Carter was a peanut farmer of all things!

"Lacks a grasp of the world."  -- How do you know?  IMHO Obama "lacks a grasp of the world."

"Does horribly in one on one interviews." -- Here I will admit she should have been able to do better with Couric and one or two others.  However, since when is it a requirement for the office of V.P. to do well in one to one interviews?
Essentially the VP doesn't really do too much except break ties in the senate and go to funerals the president is too busy to attend.  It's good on the job training for the oval office and Palin will get that if a miracle is pulled out of a hat.  If it's only a rabbit, then, a certain individual with less executive experience than Palin will be in the oval office.

[Perd Hapley]

Don't turn this into Obama vs. McCain

Request denied. 

If Obama was not such a terrible, terrible choice for the Presidency, the question might be relevant.  But the options laid before us consist of Obama, or McCain (with a chance of Palin).  And since Obama is obviously much less qualified than Palin...

[Monkeyleg]

OK, let's turn this into Palin vs. Biden (which is what it should be).

Ann Coulter's column today.

Joe Biden has 26 years of experience in Congress. Almost all of his experience has been on the wrong side of issues.

Howcumitzzit that, every four years, gun-related forums get new members questioning the most pro-gun candidates?

[GigaBuist]

Howcumitzzit that, every four years, gun-related forums get new members questioning the most pro-gun candidates?

Seems to me that a fair number of long term members got their digs in on Ron Paul during the primaries.  And after.

Haven't seen much negative talk about Barr or Baldwin though.

Palin's alright on guns, from what I've seen, but she is hitched up to McCain who waltzed up in front of the NRA membership at their annual convention, dropped his pants, and squirted out a "gun show loophole" comment from is fourth point of contact.

The way I see it McCain/Palin isn't the "most pro-gun" ticket out there.  It's just a slight bit less offensive than Obama/Biden.

[zxcvbob]

just explain why you think Palin has the qualities to be the vice president of The United States.

• She's over 34 years old.
• She's a natural borne citizen.
• AFAIK, she's not a convicted felon.

That makes her qualified.  Whether or not she is a good choice is another matter.

BTW, I suggested SP as a good choice for vice prez months ago on TFL.  I was really excited when McCain picked her.  But with McCain's proposal to buy up mortgages *at their original value* rather than current market value, I don't think I could vote for him even if he picked Jesus for a running mate.  I thought Democrats had socialist tendencies, but even they haven't proposed such a massive redistribution of wealth.  (I sent McCain an email about this, I don't expect a reply, but I wonder if anyone bothers to read it)

[p.s. How do you create a numbered list?  I couldn't get OL tags to work]

[ArfinGreebly]

Has been a non-exceptional governor

Lacks a grasp of the world

Does horribly in one on one interviews

FAIL.

I find your base assertions simply false on their face.

Does that help?

I can't find adequate support for your claims.

Quite the contrary.

I must therefore enter a ruling of "TROLL" in response.

[MicroBalrog]

AmCon will oppose anybody who runs with McCain.

Even Buchanan likes Palin.

[ronnyreagan]

Request denied. 

That reminds me of Palin in the debate  - "No, I won't answer the question you asked, but I will repeat this talking point I memorized" :rolleyes:

[Jamisjockey]

That reminds me of Palin in the debate  - "No, I won't answer the question you asked, but I will repeat this talking point I memorized" :rolleyes:

Agreed.  I know I'll catch flying monkey poo here, but I thought she sucked in the debate.  She was just a walking talking talking-point.
I think she was a smart choice for the election for McCain, but not a good choice. 
Her inexperience is a non starter.  She's got as much experience as Obama, and as several previous presidents.  Being Governor of a state, she doesn't get the option to vote "present".
However, she's more conservative than McCain.  Thus she required some reeducation (which is why she has been sequestered from the MSM). 
She's not been exposed to any real world foriegn policy experience.  Sure, she can see Russia from Alaska.....from a tiny island at the end of the Aleutian chain where she's never visited before.
Me, I'd rather see Palin take a whack on her own after another 4 years as Governor.  Maybe a high level cabinet position in between to get some foriegn policy experience.
She's qualified.  Just the same as any other American that meets the requirements. 

[agricola]

That reminds me of Palin in the debate  - "No, I won't answer the question you asked, but I will repeat this talking point I memorized" :rolleyes:

All politicians do that though - look at both McCain and (especially) Obama in the last debate.  The difference with her was that she isnt particularly good at it, and she has found herself under such a microscope that any slipup (real or invented) will be trumpeted.  Look at Biden, who was praised in some quarters for coming across as calm, rational and effective despite the tide of fibs he was coming out with.

[Tuco]

I submit that Palin is more qualified to be PRESIDENT than the current Democrat Party nominee to that office.

Howdoyalikemenow?

[ronnyreagan]

All politicians do that though - look at both McCain and (especially) Obama in the last debate.  The difference with her was that she isnt particularly good at it.

Oh, I absolutely agree that debating seems to be about dodging the question. It just stood out to me in the debate when she did that as it stood out when Mr. Tactical pants answered a question that was specifically NOT asked.

[roo_ster]

Okay, I know Palin has a lot of support here but I think that frankly she is unqualified for office. Look, watching her in the debate made Dan Quayle seem smart.
Palin's Problems:

Has been a non-exceptional governor

Lacks a grasp of the world

Does horribly in one on one interviews

Please explain to me how this woman is ready to be the VP.
Don't turn this into Obama vs. McCain; just explain why you think Palin has the qualities to be the vice president of The United States.

The search feature is your friend.

[MechAg94]

Oh, I absolutely agree that debating seems to be about dodging the question. It just stood out to me in the debate when she did that as it stood out when Mr. Tactical pants answered a question that was specifically NOT asked.

My only question is why are singling her our for doing what is commonly done by not only candidates, but political pundits every day?

If you want to say she didn't do it as smoothly, that is fine with me. 

I would also ask this:  People often ask where all the smart, decent, honest people are and why they don't run for office.  IMO, this sort of criticism is one of the reasons.  It really has little to do with what sort of elected official they would be and only focuses on how smooth they are on TV.  We all expect our candidates to be as smooth as TV anchors reading a teleprompter yet most people don't like the anchors.

[MechAg94]

I would also ask this:  If the media went after Obama and Biden like they have Palin, do you think Obama and Biden would look as smooth or as polished?  Would Obama have even made it out of the primaries?

IMO, the only reason Palin's qualifications are questioned is to distract from the fact that she is more qualified than Obama.  That came up after she was picked as VP and I think some people didn't like it.

[zxcvbob]

But with McCain's proposal to buy up mortgages *at their original value* rather than current market value, I don't think I could vote for him even if he picked Jesus for a running mate.  I thought Democrats had socialist tendencies, but even they haven't proposed such a massive redistribution of wealth.  (I sent McCain an email about this, I don't expect a reply, but I wonder if anyone bothers to read it)

My email to McCain was a reply to spam that he sent to me (not sure how I got on his mailing list)  I put an "ack" on it, and I just got confirmation that he deleted the mail without reading it.  That means no one even opened it.  What an ass.

[El Tejon]

No, of course she isn't qualified.  However, when I explained this earlier, I got a talking to.

[Perd Hapley]

That reminds me of Palin in the debate  - "No, I won't answer the question you asked, but I will repeat this talking point I memorized" :rolleyes:

Well, ask a stupid question...

Mr. King is not being realistic.  The question of whether Palin is qualified is directly tied to the question of Obama's qualifications.  And compared to Obama (or Biden), Palin's superior qualifications are unmistakable.  Unless, of course, one's mind is held captive by the surreal ideology of the Democratic Party.

[ronnyreagan]

Well, ask a stupid question...

Mr. King is not being realistic.  The question of whether Palin is qualified is directly tied to the question of Obama's qualifications.  And compared to Obama (or Biden), Palin's superior qualifications are unmistakable.  Unless, of course, one's mind is held captive by the surreal ideology of the Democratic Party.

This only works if you're a "lesser of two evils" type of voter and not everyone is. The question Mr. King is asking seems to be excluding that type of reasoning. Just because I won't vote Obama/Biden, doesn't mean I have to vote McCain/Palin.