Heidi — August 29, 2008 at 11:50 am

I feel like I’m in an episode of “The Twighlight Zone.” This election season is just plaint weird.

Last night’s DNC Convention felt like a Pep Rally for adults. As a Coloradoan, I could write an entire page on my feelings about hearing an entire stadium chant in Spanish, but I shall not.

I like McCain’s pick. She’s female, west coast and a former beauty queen? What?

I’m just glad football season is starting so I can get excited about something really worth rooting for.

~Heidi

John — August 29, 2008 at 12:25 pm

The point is not that the Obama campaign is going to come out swinging against Palin because she has no experience. The point is that it effectively immunizes Obama from the McCain/Palin campaign making those accusations against HIM. And you can make a very good argument that that was the single strongest issue the GOP had going for it.

Sonny Bunch — August 29, 2008 at 12:50 pm

John: totally disagree. McCain’s experience over Obama is still a key issue. And what’re Obama/his supporters going to say in retort? “Well, how can you claim that experience is important when your VP pick (who, in all likelihood, will never occupy the Oval office) is just as experienced as I am?” Any time Obama hits out against Palin all McCain has to say is “Just as experienced as you. Nyah Nyah.”

P-Sax — August 29, 2008 at 1:10 pm

Wow…all I can say is wow. And not in a good way. McCain took his one and only opportunity to demonstrate his ability to make a presidential decision, and screwed it up so badly that Dan Quayle is now looking like a seasoned veteran. Don’t tell me Palin has the exact amount of experience as Obama - that’s like saying the chairman of my local school board has as much experience as the Secretary of Education. All this shows to me is that, when given the option of bucking the party’s owners (Rove, Big Oil, Christian fundamentalists, etc), McCain decided that he’d rather go with a crony than someone who is truly qualified. Her husband works for Big Oil, after all. Not to mention the fact that, despite all this hot air about her being a reformer and a GOP ‘maverick’, she too, like her colleague Ted Stevens, is under investigation by her own state legislature for forcing the Alaska public safety commissioner to fire a state trooper who just happened to be getting a divorce from her sister. All I can say is, I can’t wait to see her even try to go toe to toe with Joe Biden. It will be laughable, and sad all at the same time, because McCain is but a shell of the man he used to be. What a shame…

Sonny Bunch — August 29, 2008 at 1:34 pm

P-Sax: Your comment smacks of desperation. Drilling is a winning issue for the GOP; choosing a pro-lifer who is sympathetic to gay rights (if not an outright supporter of gay marriage) rallies the base while immunizing her to charges of being a “christianist”; and the state trooper issue seems to be a nonstarter.

Lorrainep — August 29, 2008 at 1:37 pm

Desperation as in a grand slam in the 9th! McCain rocks! I was ready to vote Democratic this time after last night. This morning reminded me why McCain, despite his age and party, is the better pick. Democrates talk about equality and Republicans live it.
McCain - Palin in 2008!

P-Sax — August 29, 2008 at 2:22 pm

Wow, again. Sonny, first of all, not only is she not a supporter of gay marriage, but her begrudging willingness to understand the pain of homosexual discrimination based on the fact that she has ‘a few gay friends’ is the same backwards comment people make when they say they understand black culture because they have one black friend. Indeed I am desperate - desperate to get the debates underway and see a truly superior Obama/Biden ticket squash these empty (pant)suits. And Lorrainep, I am genuinely offended by McCain/Rove’s belief that they can capture the 6 or 7 remaining Hillary-only supporters simply by bringing a woman, any woman, onto the ticket, regardless of the fact that she represents the exact opposite of what a truly inspirational leader like Hillary Clinton represents. They could have gone with Hutchinson, Fiorina, even Condi, all accomplished, strong women in their own right. But they went with an unqualified nobody to appease party owners. The fact that you not only agree with them, but support this type of blatant and disingenuous pandering, is telling in and of itself.

Steve — August 29, 2008 at 3:58 pm

I’m not arguing the main point, or to say that executive experience isn’t more valuable than being in the senate, but isn’t it disingenuous to say they have “exactly” the same experience when Obama has spent twice as much time in higher office than Palin has. I know they’re both on their first terms, but Obama is almost 4 years in, while Palin is nearing 2.

Sonny Bunch — August 29, 2008 at 4:28 pm

Steve: He’s four years in, two of which he’s spent campaigning for the presidency. Plus, I’d argue that two years of executive experience is probably more valuable than four years of senatorial experience.

P-Sax: If her comments/actions on homosexuality are enough to make Andrew say “I like her personally–a good deal” in regards to gay rights, it’s good enough for me.

xyzzy — August 29, 2008 at 4:41 pm

As Brendan Loy says:

“With regard to the idea that Palin has “more experience” than Obama, one important fact to consider: Palin hasn’t been running for national office for 18 months. Obama has. Running a presidential campaign is a form of “executive experience.” At the very least, I’d say reasonable people can disagree about which type of experience is more relevant to serving (or potentially serving) as president: being mayor of a tiny town and governor of a tiny state (population-wise), or being “chief executive” of what has been, by most accounts, a massive and pretty damn well-run national organization that has successfully dethroned the Clinton Machine and remade the Democratic Party in its image.”

richard flohill — August 29, 2008 at 4:48 pm

I can’t imagine obama would be dumb enough to breathe a word about inexperience, but i might be wrong. He’s running for prez, she’s running for vice, a job once referred to as “important as a bucket of spit.”
Yeah, she’s only a heartbeat away, but inexperienced obamaman is going to be there.

Ray Robison — August 30, 2008 at 10:47 am

Holy Crap! Let’s nip that shit in the bud. Running a campaign in NOT “executive experience” much less akin to running a state. Are you fucking retarded?

Mike — August 30, 2008 at 11:26 pm

Is “running” Alaska the samething as running a state??lol Aren’t there more moose in Alaska than there are people? All kidding aside, I cannot believe that anyone would actually make the arguement that she has more experice than Obama, let alone Biden…But then they go so far as to say she has more experience than ALL three (Including the person who chose her as the VP). Let’s cut the crap for just a second. If you’ve EVER had to Hire someone, you know how to read a resume. Obama Graduated from Harvard, and was a professor of Law. Ok, Law seems like a good background for a President to have. Palin Graduated from University of Idaho? Majored in Journalism? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Obama gets the nod In the education department. Obama has been an active public servant in either Federal or state government for 14 years? Palin was on the city council for, and later became mayor of a city of 9,000 people. During this time, Obama was a state legislator (97-2004). What on EARTH could she be doing as Mayor of 9,000 people that gives her ANY relevant experience for a VP, let alone POTUS??? Ignoring the fact that there was almost a recall campaign against her, It’s quite obvious that Obama’s experience is more relevant than hers. Moving on, Obama moves to Senate in 04 while she moves to Gov. in 06. Again with the population….If Alaska were a city, it would have less people in it than almost half of our major cities/state capitals… but it’s not a city it’s a STATE. If you want to be fair, they’re both first terms. Fact is Obama has four years she has two in their respective positions. And if you want to claim he has 2 then you could also argue that she has 17-18 months. If he loses two years for campaigning then she can lose a couple months for being new to the job, because they both still had the title and were working, only Obama was working a little harder… Regardless, the FACT is that Biden, McCain, and yes even Obama have more experience than her. However, the POINT is she was selected for VP not POTUS. What you’re saying is that McCain made this pick so that Dems can’t say she doesn’t have experience to be president when she’s NOT RUNNING FOR POTUS. Where’s the logic in that?? You’re thinking that McCain will have the audacity to continue to claim Obama doesn’t have experience, not because of how young he is…but because he’s a senator, when McCain himself is a senator? His slogan wil be Vote for me, because my first-term Gov. VP has more experience than ALL of us, essentially run on his VP’s credentials?? He’s been trying to run AS the experienced candidate, not FOR her. You can say that it makes sense if you want I guess, but the bottom line is the ticket will read McCain-Palin, and logic indicates that she does not have more experience than Biden, who she should be on par with as that’s who she’s running againt. Needless to say she doesn’t compare to Obama or McCain either.

Sonny Bunch — August 31, 2008 at 1:08 am

In about 123 run on sentences, Mike has managed to compile every Democratic Party talking point (Palin is an uneducated idiot; Palin’s 2 years as governor isn’t nearly as keen as Obama’s 2 years as senator and 2 years as presidential candidate; Alaska’s a tiny, unimportant state; Biden’s a demigod; etc.). I think we should thank him.

So Mike, from all of my readers: Thank You.

/snark

Noo Yark — September 2, 2008 at 9:14 pm

All I want to know is when did the RNC become the party of “change”???

Palin probably will never be in the Oval Office, but a VP is more than just a back up, they have very important tasks to do. or does everyone really think presidents handle every national/international issue themselves? I want the execitive branch occupied with people who have been “in the mix” for some time. who have travelled overseas. met with foreign leaders. AND FOR GOD’S SAKE HAVE AN OPINION ON U.S. POILCIES IN IRAQ!!!!! (when asked, Palin said “I don’t know) WTF?!???

any joe smoe on the street know WTF is going on over there and has an opinion.

Am I suppose to believe if McCain was looking for a Female VP that there are no other Female candidates with more experience????????