A peek inside the Palin sketchbook

wassereman is a real jerk. his cartoons are offensive. two years of experience is far better than the little time obamahas been a senator.

I love seeing the development of these ideas in almost-real time!

It is what this woman wants.

The left wing nutjobs like Wasserman are already at it. Obama is a disgrace to the country but the coolaid crowd chooses to act like protecting the lives of babies and protecting the Constitution, including the right to bear arms, is laughable. Wasserman will be wondering why he nets only a few bucks per submission when and if Obummer is elected. Oh, the other 60 percent or so will go to taking care of the lazy bums who choose not to work but instead sit home make babies and collect their "entitlement" Go Obummer!

It's very accurate. What is he doing? He is choosing her to pander to a few Hillary laggards but will they want somoeone who has been runner up Miss Alaska then mayor and then governor for two years of a state 1/10 the size of Mass who is anti womans rights and anti marriage rights? Doubt it. And any one with a brain would not want someone this inexperienced one heart beat from the presidency with someone on their 70s in the top job. Why are you other commenters so stupid? This is Massachusetts not Texas.

Wasserman hit it spot on.. can we say token??

Aside from her "positions," she's me. I'm a 43 year old soccer mom, only 2 kids though, with a bachelor's degree in journalism. I have opinions but that doesn't qualify me to be vice president. Okay so I'm not a governor or a runner up beauty queen in Alaska. But I bet I could have been the mayor of Wasilla, pop, 7,000 or so. I'm sure she's a lovely, smart woman. But seriously? She is the BEST choice? No. If Obama had chosen Hillary, Gov. Palin would be back in Wasilla tonight huntin', fishin' and eatin' moose burgers.

Bill,

Obama has been a senator for over three years, and before that spent several years in the Illinois state house. I'd say that beats two years as governor of Alaska and a few years as mayor of a one horse town any day. Add in his education and regular work experience, and he blows her away. Let's try to make informed comments, eh?

She believes and wants taught to our children that the Earth is six-thousand years old.

Immediate disqualification to my mind.

I don't believe that you could be the mayor of Wasilla any more than Barak Obama could... It requires someone with the fortitude to do the right thing, like stand up against corruption or terror, even though everyone else has stars in there eyes for Obama, and are telling you to sit down and be quiet or the world might not like us.

McCain should have done a simple web search and he would have found this local news report on the Palin TrooperGate Scandle.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UojMnCgqVA

This news demand a quick reaction? Only from the informed. That leaves you and some others out. You might otherwise find the mere integrity to not distort someone's record beyond any reasonable approximation to reality. Lastly, only the ignorant or stupid think that this is just about women. She hunts, guts fish, is a self-described hockey mom who earned the moniker Sarah Barracuda owing to her efforts in leading her team to the Alaska girls' high school basketball championship. From a strictly male perspective, what's not to like about hunting, fishing, hockey, and roundball? She offers a lot more hope and inspiration than both tired ole plagarizing Joe and that creature of the Illinois Democrat Party machine known as B. Obama. Here's how she'll win over the hearts and minds of some: http://tinyurl.com/54q86t As comment no. 7 indicates, she's most people, and she's seemingly approachable as one as well. So nice try to paint her falsely, but she'll end up a lot more believable than you.

I love the "inexperience" rant. Palin has more executive experience than Joe Biden, Barack Obama, John Kerry, John Edwards, Al Gore and Hillary Clinton combined.

Finally a babe on the ticket. The complete package, homecoming queen, prom queen and little miss Alaska.

Count me in.

For those people who rather bizarrely support Ms Palin. ...

Picking a woman whose ONLY real qualifications is that she is vigorously anti-choice, anti-environment, anti-science, in bed with the oil companies, and notoriously prepared to misuse the power of her office for personal payback says an awful lot about McSame's judgement -- none of it good. It just follows the Bush model of picking people on the basis of their ideology and who cares about their competence. (Like the kids who got selected to mismanage the reconstruction of Iraq on the basis of how they felt about Roe v. Wade, or the lawyers hired for the Department of Injustice, etc.) There are a number of competent Republican women, like Kay Bailey Hutchison, he could have picked -- but he didn't.

She has a disabled child. (so do I) the only difference is she is a republican and republicans are against big government. So, she better not participate in those big govt. programs in Alaska, like having the tax payers pay for her son's education, (and it will cost plenty). And when he grows up, I'm sure she won't have him be on Social security disability or any state sponsored healthcare program, she'll take care of her own. Down syndrome children can have many medical problems, so when her insurance reaches the cap in which they'll pay, I'm sure she'll have the money to pay the bills, no tax and spend programs for her.

Look, regardless of republican or democrat, you've got to look at her as if she were going to be president. That's what this comes down to. While Obama does not have the experience that Biden does in foreign policy and dealing with international issues, he does have experience and will be perfectly capable in stepping up to the plate domestically and internationally. If McCain is gone, Palin is just a 2 year govener from a remote state with none of the experience that she needs. She will be on her own as president. Soccer mom and domestic issues aside, she will be a puppet president, guided by her cabinet (somewhat like Bush now). We REALLY don't want to face that in the current situation of the US in the world. We need someone who is at least capable of handling the situation. I'm disappointed in McCain. I would not vote for him but I at least respected his integrity and genuineness. His tactical decision for VP seems so shallow and oriented to the election process, not the governance of our country. It's a trite decision. This also makes me weary of his ability to make good decisions in general. If he becomes president, what other situations will he potentially apply this type of reasoning to?

Yes, Obama has been a senator for 3 years. Since he has been campaigning full time for half of them, his on the job senatorial training ... I mean experience equates to 130 work days. If we compare the thin resumes, Gov. Palin's accomplishment & reform/change sections certainly outweigh Obama's. Speaking of reactionary or "trite" choices, who knew that the great change agent was right there in Washington for 35 years??

You got it Wassarman! That IS exactly what this 41 year old woman wants.

Dear Mr. Dan Wasserman every one of these quick sketches are right on. They are almost better than your finished work. I'm an artist and I wish I knew how to draw like this. Are there any "How to Books" books on this loose spontaneous type of
drawing?
You are a genius>
Bill Tuggle

Give me a break! Palin has more "executive" experience ONLY because being governor is the executive branch of the government whose purpose is to enact the laws created by the legislative branch ( read: senate)....so stop the "executive" meme!

It is exhausting and only demonstrated the desperate ignorance by anyone who would support this choice. PALIN DOES NOT REPRESENT ALL WOMEN! This is ONE woman can't be fooled!

Each of our would-be Commanders in Chief just made their first crucial national security decision. Barack Obama concluded that should he be unable to serve, or were to die in office, he would put the country and the US military in the hands of a six-term Senator and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a man widely respected on both sides of the aisle. McCain, who is after all 72 and a four time cancer survivor which makes his choice more than academic, chose a person who before her year and a half as governor of the tiny state of Alaska (pop. 600,000) was mayor of a town of 6,000 people.

The issue is only partly about relative experience. It's also about what it tells us about the judgment and decision making of the presidential candidates. Before yesterday, McCain had met Palin once, and only briefly. And he's ready to put her a heartbeat away from the presidency?

In his acceptance speech in Denver last night, Obama said if John McCain wants to debate who has the judgment and temperament to be Commander in Chief he would welcome that debate. Incredibly, he won it and he didn't even have to fire a shot. He just let John McCain shoot himself in the foot. Goodness, even Dick Cheney has better aim than that.

Wow -- another attack on freedom of religion in the form of a woman who believes differently than I do. As a historical researcher, I can assure you we are moving back in time to when the Puritans legislated "going to meeting" and the religious authorities were the primary caretakers of Massachusetts law.

Don't tread on my religious freedom, and I won't tread on yours. If you want your kids to learn your "Christian" values, send them to schools that meet your demands. Don't force that down my kids' throats. Separation of church and State came about as the result of severe curtails on others' religions, and, now, as Bush tries to redefine birth control as abortion, we stand to lose all our womanly rights -- even the right to not bear children until we are ready to do so without the threats of sexuality being curtailed.

Give me a break...

Jesus Chrsit, some of these comments really do scare me. I mean, we're on a Boston website, one of the more liberal places in the country. If some of these commenters are buying into the ludicrous con job/bet against the intelligence of the American people that this selection is I can only imagine what the reaction is across the country. Don't get me wrong I'm no Obama lackey either, he's in bed with plenty of nefarious intrests ('clean coal' are you kidding me), but at least Obama represents a shift in ideology in that he talks to the American people like they are grown-ups. I thought there was no way the GOP could steal this sucker, and I really do hope this ends up blowing up in their faces.

Hey I'm British but working for your Empire in Pakistan - so I guess I have a right to comment (it's your taxes paying me!)...... Oh please........ Personal: I have a disabled son, from an accident, so I know what it's like for him and his parents............. but she CHOSE to bring a disabled person into the world when she already has four healthy kids. Mmmmmh...... Believes in creationism? Why not a flat earth? She is quite clearly delusional. Qualifications: She obviously has minimal experience and on the basis of her CV wouldn't get a management job in an international company. Palin versus Putin... Yeah right! Another Mrs Thatcher? Maggie has a first class degree from Oxford, worked as a serious scientist, was an MP for years, junior minister and then Minister of Education - of a smallish country that essentially doesn't matter. What a DISASTROUS choice! Have you all gone mad? So now we have Boy Barry, a charming, smart, back-street community organizer or a geriatric military man with no idea of economics replaceable in a heart beat by Nearly Miss Alaska with absolutely no relevant experience at all. Never mind their color or their gender (makes no difference to me if they are green or transvestites - can they do the job?), these two young ones are probably very nice folks, but for PRESIDENT? Help, where do I get off the planet!!!!!!!

In response to Bill Tuggle, comment 19:

Many thanks for your kind words. Mostly, drawing loosely comes from drawing a lot. For many years, I carried a sketch book with me, particularly on the subway, and drew fast sketches of fellow riders, their postures, hands, feet, shoes etc. The trick is to abandon concern with how the drawings come out -- just keep doing them. Other exercises that proved helpful to me are described in two books I've used, Nicolaides' "The Natural Way to Draw" and Edwards' "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain." Good luck.

This whole experience argument is absurd. I never knew that so-called executive experience was the golden bullet of experience. Is being a governor for a year and a half of a state with a relatively homogeneous population of around 700,000 really comparable to being an US Senator? This is no to say that Obama necessarily has more experience but I am sure you gain more foreign policy knowledge and a better understanding of national domestic issues being a US Senator than the Governor of Alaska. Adrian Fenty has been the mayor of Washington DC for as long as she has been governor. Does that make him qualified to be President?

Running a state, and making tough decisions as this reformist governor has done, is the necessary prerequisite for running a country. So what if her personal views reflect those of most people (at least up until the time dope smoking trust fund self centered all fun all the time hippies were born)

She even has more "executive experience" than John McCain! Why didn't she just run for President?! A month ago she didn't even know what the VP "did all day". That is a fact, and on video for all to see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=006axc2aELE&feature=related

I suppose we should also ignore the fact that she is under investigation in her own state for alleged ethics violations? After about 20 months in office?! This is an irresponsible and insulting choice.

I find the whole experience issue a moot argument regardless of party. Politics is the only profession that you don't really study for in college. Most Political Science majors don't run for national office. Most elected officials are lawyers or rich people. And of course, we all worship lawyers?

The Wasserman cartoon about Mitt was right on. Mott is the John Kerry of the Republicans and John is the Mitt of the Democrats.

Politics has too much marketing. Who to vote for? Read my article at::
http://www.ehow.com/how_4492791_who-will-vote-presidential-election.html

Apparently some people don't understand the difference between being an executive - sitting alone at the top of an organization, solely and ultimately responsible 24/7/365 for the health, safety, and economic welfare of a huge number of people, and being one member of a committee of a hundred people that occasionally accomplishes something substantive. Trust me there's a HUGE difference.

Has anyone noted hat the population of Alaska is smaller than the population of Suffolk County? Judgment, experience, character -- those are defining factors for me, not gender or color. Who is more likely to stand up for those unable to stand up for themselves?

Can anyone, liberal or conservative, really imagine Palin as president should McCain fall ill or die in office? Personally it terrifies me that she could be answering the phone at 3am in a crisis. Her knowledge base and experience really isn't up to the level I'd expect for the leader of this great country. As one commenter mentioned, there really wasn't any better choice? Even die hard conservatives I've spoken with are concerned about the prospect for the country and their party if she actually makes it to office. The American people deserve better and at a time like this, the Palin move really calls McCain's judgment into question.

Bill Barry, you must be kidding... Obama has been a state senator for 12 years... before becoming a US senator... (in 2005.. do the math)... he sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Commitee, Veteran's Affairs Commitee, Homeland Secutiry and Governments Affairs Committee, Health Education Labor and Pensions Committees... are you kidding with the Sarah Palin has more experience????? She tried to ban books in her Wasilia library...sued the Federal government to disallow the polar bears their rightful endangered status just so she could allow drilling development in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve... condones teenage pregnancy and abhors sexual education...some of which her teenageer could have used... believes in the end times... belongs to a church where people "speak in tongues" ... she is basically the most scary person ever to run for high office... totally unprepared and given her religious background, a danger to us all...